People often ask why the kings and people of India built so many temples and in such grand scale and style There were several reasons why temples were built in ancient times, and they continue to play interesting and sometimes vital roles in people’s lives.
1. First and foremost, the temples were and continue to be places of worship. This is where people have come to pay homage to their deities for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years. These were and continue to be refuges and sanctuaries from the travails of everyday life. People find peace here. Thus, they gave freely to the building and upkeep of these temples. The origin of some temples is quite ancient and obscure.
2. Temples have been sites of pilgrimage for people for many centuries. People have made pilgrimages to various temples often to fulfill a vow. They promoted travel in many instances.
3. Kings and other powerful and wealthy people built temples for the welfare of the people and for their own spiritual needs. Royal dynasties believed that building temples, consecrating them and maintaining them by providing funds for the Agamic rituals to be performed to perfection brought prosperity to themselves and the people and victory over their enemies and competitors.
4. Temples were also places of knowledge transfer. Age old traditions, customs, beliefs and stories were imparted to a younger generation here. Even today you can often see older folks telling stories from the Puranas and Ithikasas to young audiences who listen in rapt attention.
5. The temples reflect the architecture of various periods in history. Some are masterpieces and show case the building skills of the stonemasons and sculptors who built them. They are engineering marvels.
6. They are also repositories of art. These temples are full of sculptures and paintings of deities and often depict stories from the Puranas. A lot of the paintings and murals are decaying, and some have been completely lost. The sculptures are made of stone, stucco and metal. The Cholas specialized in bronze idols.
7. They also promoted music, drama and dance. They have played an important role in preserving the culture of the people. Most temples have halls and stages for performances. There were resident dancers and musicians. Poojas are often conducted to the accompaniment of musical instruments. The Odhuvaar recited the Panniru Thirumurai in the correct manner. The various poses of the Bharatha Natyam are depicted in sculpture in many temples.
8. The temples also inspired a large quantity of religious literature. The Pathikams of the Thevaram celebrated a total of 276 ancient Sivan temples. The Naalayira Divya Prabantham praise the 108 Divya Desam Vishnu temples. Many literary works have been preserved in temples as palm leaf manuscripts.
9. The temples also offer a historical record of the land, its people and their rulers. The numerous inscriptions on walls and free-standing stones give us a glimpse into the lives of people from the period and help us piece together the history of various dynasties that ruled this land. There are also palm leaf scrolls and copper plates that record historical events which are stored in temples.
10. Temples have sometimes been built by kings to celebrate a great victory or conquest. The great temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram was built by Rajendran I to commemorate the great victories of the Chola army all the way to the Ganga. Sometimes they were built to commemorate a dead king or general. They are sepulchral temples. Often, they were kings who fell in battle. The beautiful temple built for Arinjaya Cholan (Rajarajan’s grandfather) at Melpadi near Vellore is a good example.
11. Temples have also served as a platform to keep the poor and hungry fed in times of need. They continue to serve this purpose even today when free meals are served. Various benefactors provide the funds. It is called Annadhanam. They have thus been involved in the social welfare of the people. There is an ancient temple near Kanchipuram which shows evidence of once serving as a hospital in Cholan times. They were charitable institutions.
12. The temples have also been economic hubs providing a livelihood for various trades including, sculptors, carpenters, artists, hawkers, vendors, shopkeepers, priests, singers, musicians etc. There is a whole economic ecosystem that revolves around these temples. In ancient times and less so in modern times, temples also owned a large amount of property both commercial and agricultural, that were donated to them. Many people depended on these properties for their livelihoods as tenants and lease holders.
13. Temples have also been places where important life events take place such as marriage rituals, anniversaries and renewing of marital rituals.
14. During festivals like the annual pulling of the chariot around the temple, the Ther festival, the temple and its surroundings transformed into a grand bazaar, a fair and a place for people to shop, eat and have fun.
15. Temples were also places where prospective brides and grooms saw each other for the first time.
16. In times of scarcity temples served as granaries and storehouses of food. In many temples the seed paddy or rice was stored at temples for planting in the next season.
17. In times of war, they were places of refuge for the population. Some temples were fortified for this reason. The Kailasanathar temple at Tharamangalam in Salem comes to mind in this respect.
18. Temples have also been places where political discourse took place. The Vaikuntha Perumal Temple in Uthiramerur has 10th century inscriptions describing the functioning of a democratically elected 30 member Sabha or council to run the village affairs.
So, the temples of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry have been central to the lives of the people and have had a myriad of functions. They are in many ways microcosms of the culture of the people of these lands.
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