On the temple trail: Heritage lovers see architecture as art

To spread more awareness on this, a group of temple buffs got together nearly a decade ago to form Tamil Heritage Trust, an effort to help people see temples through the eyes of a connoisseur. Over the years, they have held several lectures and events, but noticed that audiences still failed to notice the intricacies of what was pointed out to them.

Now, they are organising an initiative called HOWSAT – How to See A Temple – a workshop of sorts for heritage lovers to gain better appreciation of the various facets of the structures. 

“During our previous events, we noticed that people often have questions during our tours, and they weren’t able to appreciate different elements of the architecture, the iconography and so on. So, we decided to plan an initiative that would educate those interested to be able to identify key features in temples around town,” explains Rangarathnam Gopu, one of the organisers.

To be held next month in Mylapore, the event will feature three lectures: Badri Seshadri on temple architecture, Shyam Raman on iconography, as well as Rangarathnam Gopu and Padmapriya Bhaskaran on inscriptions.

“These talks will help people identify the languages on the inscriptions, and appreciate the iconography better. This will be followed by a visit to a temple. During the visit, participants will apply concepts learnt in the lectures by identifying some architectural elements and sculptures, as well as spotting inscriptions in the temple,” adds Gopu.

On the first Saturday, the trust holds monthly lectures on heritage, as well as monthly study tours to Mahabalipuram. They also host annual seminars on heritage sites such as Mallai, Gujarat, Nellai, Srirangam, Badami, Orissa and Kanchi annually, and a ‘Pechchu Kachchery’ during the music season on various art subjects.