Kattrali | கற்றளி

‘Kaṛṛali’ or ‘Kal thali’ is the Tamil soubriquet for ‘Stone Temples’. Tamils are great builders of stone temples which is conspicuous with its voluminous presence throughout Tamil land. One can trace the concept of veneration, temple to the very ancient period of the Tamil society, but the ancient temples perished, as they were constructed out of perishable materials. However, imperishable abodes in stone medium started to emerge during the late 6th Century C.E. and evolved in the passage of time both in type and size. Every dynasty of Tamil country has contributed immensely in this field and has enriched their respective regions with temples of various sizes and types. Subsequently, it becomes an activity of pride and self-esteem for the rulers of Tamil land and instigated them to imprint their traits in this field. Temples are not only abodes of Gods; an epicentre of social, cultural, economic and administrative activities of our past society. As like, temples are not only religious in purpose but also the place where various other arts flourished. Eventually, these sacred places were the nucleus for the confluence of various arts and led to the flourishing of Tamil Culture. The masterminds of these sacred abodes also evidently imprinted the contemporary society in these sacred places. Nevertheless, these imperishable abodes exhibit in all its facets, our glorious culture. 

‘Temples’, indeed mirror of our past society; it reflects the synthesis of arts, the ideals, beliefs, values and the way of life cherished by our ancestors.  

This website is dedicated to research articles on temple architecture, epigraphy, travelogues on temples.