WKW School of Communication and Information

Division of Knowledge Management

PILGRIMAGE TOURISM IN TAMIL NADU – INDIA

Submitted By

ARAVIND SESAGIRI RAAMKUMAR(G1101761F)

BALASUBRAMANIAN DIVYA (G1101736H)

SELVARAJU NIRMALA (G1101760J)

AJAI LOGANATHAN SINGH (G1101834E)

Introduction

TamilNadu and Temples

Tamil Nadu is state in India in the far south of the Indian sub-continent. It is a land of magnificent temples that have remained intact exposing the marvel and glory of the Dravidian culture, art, architecture and spiritual values. Tamil Nadu is popular in India as 'land of temples' for its grand temples that are architectural masterpieces. It is a land that has always been deep-rooted in traditions and culture while the other states of India have been losing their cultural identity with the continued westernization of the whole nation. The churches and mosques along with the temples contribute to the secularism and diversity of the land. Maximum population is Hindu (88.67%), followed by Muslims (5.47), Christians (5.69%), Sikhs (0.01%), Jain (0.12%), and Others (0.04%). Tamil Nadu is said to be older than other states in Northern India. North India and the Himalayan range appeared recently in terms of geological time scale. Tamil Nadu’s ancient existence is part of the continent that linked Africa and Australia together. It was called Lemuria or KumarikKandam. It is argued that the origin of the first man might have taken place somewhere in this continent, and later, the race might have migrated to various parts of the world. In totality, Tamilnadu holds a unique position with its distinguished culture, grandeur of

temples, architectural styles, arts, custom and traditions of people. It is most popularly

known for the temple architecture found in different parts of the state

The entire state of Tamil Nadu is filled with tourist locations. The most important cities and

towns in terms of tourist arrivals (in alphabetical order) as per are: Chennai, Chidambaram,

Coimbatore, Coonoor, Kanchipuram,Kanyakumari, Kodaikanal, Madurai, Mahabalipuram,

Rameshwaram, Thanjavur,Thirumalai, Tirunelveli, Udhagamandalam (Ooty) and Yercaud

etc.

Although there are a large number of tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu, the following

attractions have more value :– Mahabalipuram Beach and Caves, Bharatnatyam Dance,

Carnatic Music, Chettinad Cuisine, Courtallam Waterfalls, Elliot’s Beach,

KanchipuramSarees, Kavadi (Kabaddi) Festival, Marina Beach, Meenakshi Temple,

MudumalaiWidlife Sanctuary, Pongal, South Indian Delicacies, South Indian Films and

Thanjavur Paintings.

Temples are a distinct feature of Tamil Nadu not only in important cities and towns, but also in villages. An assertion can be made that all places inhabited by people will have at least one temple. It all began during the age of Bhakti1 with many of these temples patronised by the kings and land lords. There are 30,000 plus temples constructed by kings of different dynasties that ruled the land and each temple have its own story of religious and cultural accomplishment. Each temple showcases a distinctive style, built by Chola, Pallava and Pandya dynasty rulers of the past.The temple is the significant and artistic expression of Hinduism producing the focus for both the social and spiritual life of the community it

1 Bhakti age refers to the period in history where idol worship has immense in India

serves (Michell, 1977). Over centuries, Hindu temples were built during different periods in south east Asia and even today it is continued in different parts of the world.

Indians have this tradition of visiting places of worship from time immemorial. Therefore, such pilgrimages have created a kind of national integration in a land of diversity.

Tourism is the largest service industry in India with a contribution of 6.23% to overall GDP, witnessing 5 million annual foreign tourist and 562 million domestic tourism visits. The tourism industry generated US$100 million in 2008 and expected to grow at US$250 million by 2018 at 9.4% annual growth rate. The Ministry of Tourism is the governing body of the tourism development and promotion in India (Chandran, 2007).

TN tourism is the second largest in India and it has an annual growth rate of 16%.

The tourist destinations in the state of Tamil Nadu can be broadly covered under the following classifications:-

1. Pilgrimage destinations 2. Heritage locations and historical monuments 3. Locations of scenic beauty – hill stations, beaches, and forests/ sanctuaries 4. Tourist Festival locations 5. Adventure destinations 6. Leisure destinations

Temple tourism covers aspects of 1,2 and 3, 4 thereby confirming the popularity of temples as one of the prominent tourist attractions in the state. In terms of coverage, all the temples inside the state of Tamil Nadu accessible by road transport at minimum, qualify to be included in the market.

Market Market section is used to indicate the temples that are covered under temple or pilgrimage tourism in TamilNadu. In terms of coverage, all Hindu temples in TamilNadu accessible by road (and in some cases by lake, river or sea) are under our purview. These temples are spread in different parts of TamilNadu. Most of them build 100s of years ago. There are various ways to classify the market. One method is classifying the temples by its deities; another method is by the region in the state, falls under this category. A third method is classifying the temples by the dynasty that administered the construction of the temple. This classification only applied to temples that were built during the classic Tamil period [provide details]. The table 1.1 provides details about the existing classifications.

Table 1.1 Classifications of Temples

Classification 1 Classification 2 Classification 3

Deity Region Dynasty

Vinayagar Chennai Pallavas

Vishnu Mayiladuthurai Cholas

Sakthi Tiruchurapalli Pandyas

Murugan Villupuram Vijaynagar

Navagraha Vellore Nayaks

18 Siddhars Madurai

63 Nayanmars Coimbatore

12 Alwars Sivagangai

Adeenam/Mutt Thanjavur

Tirunelveli

Salem

Deity based classification:

Deity based classification gives a good indication to find out the most popular deities in

TamilNadu. Murugan and Vinayagar are two deities that are quite famous in the state and a

temple for these two deities can be found in each town by default. Even though this

classification is a good for ascertaining the popularity of particular deities, it is not a useful

classification in tourism discussion as tourists just do not visit temples of particular deity.

Tourists visit temples that are popular based on historical significance, professed power of

the presiding deity and the place in general. Navagraha temples are an excellent example of

the usage of deity based classification. Hindus believe in the concept of planets ruling their

fate. In this concept, planets rule a person fate in sequential order. Each planet has its own

effects. For example, Jupiter has a good effect while Saturn has negative effects. An

astrologer would normally prescribe remedy measures to appease the planet ruler so that

one could have a peaceful time during the period. For this particular reason, people visit

Navagraha temples (9 planets temples) to pray and provide offering to the deities at these

temples. In the below section, there are few temple names and locations provided for the

deities.

Table 1.2 Deity Based Classification

Deity Prominent Temples

Vinayagar KarpagaVinayagar Temple in Pillayarpatti and UchhiPillayar Temple in Tiruchirappalli

Murugan Tiruvavinankudi Temple in Pazhani, SwamimalaiMurugan Temple in Swamimalai, Sri Subramanya Swami Temple in Tiruchendur, Tirupparankundram Temple in Tirupparankundram, TiruttanikaiMurugan Temple in Tiruttani, Pazhamudhircholai Temple in Pazhamudhircholai

Shiva Brihadeeshwara Temple in Thanjavur, Vaitheeshwaran Temple in Mayavaram, Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Chennai.

Region based classification

Region based classification gives a good indication for potential tourists in planning their

visits. There are few towns and cities in TamilNadu such as Madurai, Thanjavur(Tanjore),

Kancheepuram and Tiruchy that are filled with famous temples. Foreign Visitors and Indians

living out of TamilNadu plan their trips based on this classification. The TamilNadu tourism

board focus more on the regions that attract more visitors. Hotels, Lodges and Restaurants

are plenty in numbers in these areas. Local people use this opportunity to cross-sell other

items. For example, people visiting temples in kanchipuram are often attracted to buy the

famous Kanchipuram silk sarees thereby showcasing a symbiotic relationship between two

industries.

Table 1.3 Region Based Classification

Region Prominent Temples

Chennai Kapaleeswarar Temple, Parthasarathy Temple Kanchipuram Region - Kamakshi Amman Temple, Murugan Temple, Devarajaswami Temple, Kailashnatha Temple

Thanjavur-Tiruchy Ramaswamy Temple, Mahamaham Temple, Nageswaran Temple, AdiKumbeswarar Temple, Someswara Temple

Coimbatore Bannari Amman Temple, Eechanari Temple, PerurPatteswaraSwamy Temple, Vanabadrakali Temple.

Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, Alagarkoil Temple, KoodalAlagar Temple, MariammanTheppakulam Temple

Dynasty based classification:

This method of classification is used for historians to trace the accomplishments of the

different dynasties that ruled ancient TamilNadu. Neither the tourism board nor the agents

use this classification to lure tourists as caste distinction is a sensitive topic in TamilNadu

and is bound to create tensions between local groups thereby hampering the tourism

industry. Nevertheless, local guides give sufficient summary to tourists, about the dynasty

involved in the building of a particular temple.

Wikipedia gives the below classification of temples in Tamilnadu

Temples of Sangam Age Temples of Thevaram Hymns

Temples of DivyaPrabhantham Hymns

Cave Temples of the Pallavas

Cave Temples of Pandiyas

Rockcut Monolith Temples of the Pallavas

Rockcut Monolith Temples of thePandiyas

Structural Temples of the Pallavas

Structural Temples of the Pandiyas

Structural Temples of the Cholas

Structural Temples of Vijayanagar / Nayaks

Figure 2. Temples of Tamil Nadu Map

Customers

Tourists, in this case the pilgrims travel for many reasons and the most prominent being

spirituality, social status, escape and cultural enrichment. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can

be applied to provide insights into ways in which a pilgrimage trip or a trip to the temples

satisfy the disparate needs of the myriad categories of customers or visitors, technically

called the pilgrims. Pilgrimages are essentially journeys to sacred places that are undertaken

for religious motives. Contemporary patterns of travel to sacred sites and pilgrimage sites

are increasingly being referred to as religious tourism. Religious tourism impacts the social,

religious, cultural fabric and the physical environment of the host destinations.

Incredible India - “Come, seek and be discovered. Match India's rhythms to your heart, its

colours to your mind, and find a travel experience that is yours alone. An India like no

other.Friendly, warm, welcoming ... and uniquely your own.”

Pilgrimage tourism in many accounts equals other forms of event tourism. “While some

form of spirituality, wish for divine healing or thankfulness inspires the trip, in many ways

these pilgrimages also reflect many of the characteristics of other forms of tourism venues.”

(Tarlow, 2010). A visitor to any of these religious sites will quickly note that in the world of

pilgrimage tourism the places produce secondary industries; the souvenir industry or the

lodging industry, a series of dependent industries quickly develop around the site.

Pilgrimage travel is less vulnerable to economic fluctuations in the market place. Because

faith-based travellers are committed travellers they tend to save for these religious

experiences and travel despite the state of the economy. They have different perspective

and objective for travel than do travellers for other reasons. For example, the faith-based

traveller often travels as part of a religious obligation or to fulfil a spiritual mission. Faith-

based travel can provide a steady flow of income to a local tourism economy.

Marketing is an inevitable aspect of tourism management. The religious tourism industry

plays a major role in the economic development of the nation. Market segmentation is a

strategy that determines the tourism attraction that is most salable to the target market.

The typical bases for market segmentation of any type of tourism:

Geographic

Demographic

Socio-economic

Psychographic

Behaviour pattern

Consumption patterns

Consumer predispositions

The tourism attraction may appeal to a multitude of market segments, and the market

segments overlap to a great extent. Based on the geographic market segments the visitors

could be classified as destination visitors, regional visitors and local residents.

Global Audience:

Incredible India is an international marketing campaign initiated by the government of India

in 2002 to promote the national tourism to a global audience, the destination visitors. The

campaign concentrated on projecting the Indian tourism market as one that as an attractive

destination by showcasing the strongest aspects of India; culture, heritage and

spirituality.Tourism produces services as the products that are mostly intangible; thus, there

are no physical products that are held in the inventory and there is no flow from one sales

inventory to another.

In 2009, the Ministry of Tourism launched a campaign targeted at the local population to

educate them regarding good behaviour and etiquette when dealing with foreign tourists.

Indian actor Aamir Khan was commissioned to endorse the campaign which was titled

'AtitiDevoBhava', Sanskrit for 'Guests are like God', which in itself is a culture in India,

implying that guests should be treated with the respect shown to God. AtithiDevoBhava

aimed at creating awareness about the effects of tourism and sensitizing the local

population about preservation of India's heritage, culture, cleanliness and hospitality. It also

attempted to re-instil a sense of responsibility towards tourists and re-enforce the

confidence of foreign tourists towards India as a preferred pilgrimage destination. The

concept was designed to complement the ‘Incredible India’ Campaign.

It was supposed that India was not on the itinerary of millions of tourists, not so much

because the country was unable to market itself successfully, but more because of poor

connectivity, exorbitant taxes, visa problems, unsanitary conditions, and shortage of

affordable, good quality accommodation; and so initiatives had to be taken to disillusion this

opinion and promote the tourism market of India globally to dictate to the various

categories of the market segments.

According to spending data released by Visa Asia Pacific4 in March 2006, India emerged as

the fastest-growing market in the Asia-Pacific in terms of international tourist spending. The

data revealed that international tourists spent US$ 372 million in India in the fourth quarter

(October- December) of 2005, 25% more than in the fourth quarter of 2004. China, which

came second in the region, was successful in making international tourists fork out US$ 784

million in Q4 2005, a growth of 23% over its Q4 2004 figures. The tourist spending figures

for India would have pleased the Indian tourism ministry, which had been targeting the

high-end market through its long-running 'Incredible India' communication campaign. Also,

the fact that India was able to earn around half of what China could, in spite of attracting

only a fraction of the number of tourists that its neighbour managed to lure, indicated that

the campaign had been successful in achieving its objective.

Local audience:

The local audience and the regional visitors are mainly brought into the whirl by “word-of-

mouth”; beliefs about a particular traditional or cultural practice bringing success or

prosperity to one or more of the pilgrims proliferates the local or the neighbouring market

segments and eventually spreads to the regional market segments and thereby attracting

visitors to the temples to perform the offering and to hope and believe in reaping answers

to their prayers and requests.

Records of mysterious happenings and some quaint traditions are also propagated by the

native people leading to the inflow of visitors to their temples.

Purpose of Visits by the various Market segments:

Whatever be the category of the market segments that are being targeted, the purpose of

visit to the temples can be classified as:

Devotees –pay their obeisance

Visitors - to appreciate the architectural excellence

Visitors – to take part in the social gatherings and celebrations

Visitors – to note the historical importance & heritage of the temples

The devotees are the visitors who sought the guidance or the bounty of God and journey

long distances to revere the deity. This activity of travelling to pay respects or dues to the

deity elevated the importance of travel as an activity in one’s life and created the concept

that certain key sites or temples are of long lasting spiritual benefit to the sojourner.

Faith-based Visitors (Devotees):

The pilgrim must be a believer in faith. There is a difference between a pilgrimage, whose

primary objective is faith-oriented, and a visit in which the person’s primary purpose of visit

is other then the spiritual narrative. These people may be classified as pilgrimage based

tourism but they are not spiritual pilgrims.

“Faith based travel may take place for life cycle events, for missionary work or humanitarian

interest projects and for religious conventions and conclaves.” (Tarlow, 2010)

Each South Indian State has its own colourful culture consisting of several rituals and

beliefs. The unique and vibrant culture of South India entices many a tourists from across

the globe. The South Indian People are fully steeped into their traditions and beliefs.

“Tamils are rarely sectarian or dogmatic; their beliefs impregnate every part of their lives

and come from the depths of their being and history”. (Boulanger, 1993)

There are thousands of temples all over south India in different size, shape and locations but

not all of them are considered to be built the Vedic way. Generally, a temple is proven to be

located at a place where earth's magnetic wave is relatively intense; strategically at a place

where the positive energy is abundantly available from the magnetic and electric wave

distributions of north/south pole thrust. The main idol is usually placed in the centre of the

temple, and is technically named the "Garbhagriha" or the “Moolasthanam”. It is supposed

that the infrastructure of the temple is decided based on the position of the moolasthanam.

This custom generates a highly emotional or spiritual experience with a heightened sense of

solidarity, joy, wellbeing and belonging that may challenge orthodox social and cultural

orders. In performing such rituals, people from different social structures may eliminate

outward signs of rank and division and transcend their differences in experiencing

commonality in that space

Hinduism is different from other religions because it never had a dominant dogma, nor an

absolute truth which stands as a sole explanation of the universe. Indian thought kept and

accommodated all and every belief, and rare were the periods of intolerance in India. The

early pre-Aryan cults continue to be practiced to this day without being persecuted, and

India has welcomed many foreigners, allowing them the freedom of their beliefs. The

temple has always been the important place in which Tamil culture unfolds and is

preserved. A great number of beliefs which date back to at least the Sangam period are still

perpetuated today. They form the core of the rituals that Tamils diligently practice,

whatever their official religion.

The ritual slaughter of an animal, commonly a goat, normally forms part of a festival to

honour a Hindu God. A bali sacrifice is claimed to hold the ability to calm an angry deity or

calm those who simply crave blood. The blood, for a blood-craving god, serves the purpose

of alleviating their anger and provides relief from the threat of the onset of an illness or

worse (Fuller 85 and Harper 230). Her energy is so powerful that it is always ready to

overflow, bringing sickness (she incarnates herself in smallpox) and destruction Goddess

Kali, receives blood offerings in her temples.

The ear-piercing ceremony (Karnavedha) and first haircut (Mundan) ceremonies are also

considered highly significant. These sacraments are performed on both the sexes. Hindus

believe that the piercing of a hole in the lower lobes of the ear have benefits of

acupuncture.

Head shaving is connected to the removal of impurities.

Social Gatherings & Celebrations attracting Visitors from Worldwide:

Natyanjali:

Dance played a very special and important role in Dravidian society. It existed in several

forms, from the very sophisticated dance of the court dancers to the simple one of the

soldiers. It was used to express one’s feelings and accompanied every act of a king's life,

who was himself an accomplished dancer. All the deities of South Indian dance, and are

surrounded by dancers and musicians. The married couple is also an essential element of

Dravidian Hinduism. Its dynamics are necessary to Creation and the good life of our world.

The God’s wedding is the most important temple festival, and it is celebrated every year

with great pomp and ceremony. Even though they sometimes get a little tense, the gods are

a rather stable couple, and are always very much in love. The ideal spouse is a passionate

lover, and even the King of kings cannot resist from melting in Devi’s embrace.

Natyanjali festival is jointly organised by The Department of Tourism, Government of Tamil

Nadu, The Ministry Of Tourism, Government of India and The Natyanjali Trust,

Chidambaram. It is designed to promote a universal message of 'Unity in Diversity' conveyed

in the universal language of music and dance.

The Natyanjali festival dedicated to Lord Shiva is celebrated every year during February-

March for five days in the temple premises. This is an opportunity for all dancers, from all

over India, to perform and to pay their tribute to Lord Nataraja. It begins on the auspicious

occasion of MahaShivaratri. During this time leading dancers from all parts of India

congregate and dance in the temple as an offering to lord Nataraja.

Mahamaham:

Mahamaham is a Hindu KumbMela festival celebrated every 12 years in a town called

Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, India. Hindus consider taking a holy dip at the Mahamaham

tank on the day of Mahamaham as sacred. The last Mahamaham was celebrated on March

6, 2004, with people from various places taking the holy dip in the Mahamaham tank.

Mahamaham bathing festival is concentrated on a single day, the concourse of pilgrims

being all the more. During this festival, thousands of Hindu devotees come to Kumbakonam,

and take bath in a tank named Mahamaham tank, generally followed or preceded by a dip in

the kaveri river at Kumbakonam. The tank has 20 holy wells. These wells are named after 20

holy rivers flowing across India. People get themselves drained in these wells. These wells

are also called as “Theertham” (Holy water).

Brahmotsava:

Once a year, every temple has a specific festival which lasts ten days and is called its

“brahmotsava”. As usual, it consists mostly of elaborate processions and special puja related

to them. Although the brahmotsava is always different for each temple (it usually re-enacts

the foundation legend of that temple).

The first ritual of a temple and its icons is its consecration, the “mahakumbhabhisheka”. This

ritual is repeated after each renovation .The “Siva ratri” (the night of Siva) is the most

important in Saiva temples. These festivals are often accompanied by artistic events,

especially “navaratri” (the nine nights dedicated to the Goddess), but they do not attract

great crowds of devotees and practically no pilgrims, except when they combine themselves

with the yearly festival of the temple (brahmotsava).

Besides these three most important cultural celebrations that are celebrated woth pomp

and glory every single year, there are numerous other local festivities and practices that

attract regional and local and at times even the global visitors.

Historical and architectural excellences of the temples:

The temples of Tamil Nadu, which are often of huge proportions, are much more than a

place to pray and meditate. They have served to preserve the art, culture and history of the

people.

“Repetition is inevitably one of the factors that explain the stylistic evolution of Hindu

temples. The rhythmic projections of the temple plan carried into the vertical elevation

were created by multiplications of the original central wall projection with which early

temples were provided. ... In the southern style, temple superstructures repeated the

architectonic elements of the main wall beneath, the temple masses rising upwards in a

number of storeys.” (Michell, 1977, p 92)

Great importance is attached to the establishment of the temple’s ground plan because it

functions as a sacred geometric diagram (mandala) of the essential structure of the

universe.

More than 90% of the existing temples are over a century old and has extremely significant

historical importance. The heritage of the temples is an important aspect that attracts

visitors from all over the world. Hindu temples were not meant for large congregational

worship. Pillared Mandapas with elaborate sculptures, sadas for dancing & wide circum-

ambulating passages with other deities placed around the main deity constitute a temple

complex.

“Few are those who have heard about the majestic beauty of the Tanjore temple or the

mystery of Chidambaram. Although there are more ancient temples and wonders in Tamil

Nadu than in any other Indian state, rare are those know about it or visit it. Two factors

explain this exceptional cultural wealth: most of Tamil Nadu was spared from Muslim

invasions and, more importantly, this country was the cradle of the ancient Dravidian

civilization.” (Boulanger, 1993)

ThanjavurBrahadeswara:

Today the world knows Rajarajeeswaram as the big temple or Brahadeswaratemple,an

UNESCO world heritage monument, but what the world does not know is about the all

round skills of its builder RajarajaChola the Great, The architectural intricacies of the temple

and the sculptures and arts which have lasted a millennium.

Chidambaram Natrajar:

Chidambaram is one of the most ancient and most celebrated of shrines in India. It is of

great religious as well as historic and cultural significance. Chidambaram is associated with

Nataraja, or Shiva in his AnandaTandavapose . The Chidambaram Natarajar temple is a

specimen of the assimilation of several architectural styles. The innermost sanctum of the

temple, houses the grand images of Shiva (Nataraja) and Parvati (Sivakami) in the

ChitSabhaor the hall of consciousness, adjoining which is the KanakaSabha or the Golden

Hall, both these structures resting on a raised platform.

Madurai Meenakshi:

The Madurai temple complex in itself is breathtaking, given the fort like walls pierced with

lofty towers, surrounding an area of about 640000 square feet. The towers, or

the gopurams for which this temple is known, are visible from a distance. No less

than 12gopurams or towers adorn this temple and the 4 outer ones tower to a height of

over 160 feet.

There is a large tank – the Potraamaraikkulam within the temple complex. The thousand

pillared hall within the temple complex is also of great importance; its pillars

feature sculptural work beyond compare.

Commercial attractions in the temple sites include retail operations dealing with gifts,

handcrafted goods comprising the idols of the revered deity of that temple and other forms

of souvenirs like the ring or the pendant with the deity’s form sculpted in it, other

accoutrements that are usually used for the rituals that are performed in the honour of the

God at home.

Travel Agents:

“The tourism channel of distribution requires an operating structure, system or linkage of

various combinations of organizations through which a producer of travel products

describes, sells or confirms travel arrangements to the buyer.” (Goeldner& Ritchie,

2012,P.150)Intermediaries are the inevitable participants to convey the products to the

ultimate customers. In spite of being similar to the other industries the distribution system

of the tourism industry is unique because the products are intangible, the landscape and the

scope is constantly changing; powered by advances in technology, e-commerce, smart

phones, social media and other day to day up-gradations this industry is changing

dramatically too.

Thus the various choices in accommodations, travel, destinations, attractions and activities;

the decisions about the prices, values, schedules can all be ameliorated and optimized by

using the services of the retail travel agency, and obtaining all these for a fixed fee.

There are public as well as private travel agents available in tamilnadu and the nature of

their services vary to suit the various customers.

Public Operator:

Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) is a state owned public sector

incorporated in 1971 to initiate novel ventures and innovative new schemes for providing

demonstration effect to the private sector. In performing this role, Tamil Nadu Tourism

coordinates the activities of various other Government Departments / agencies and the

private sector. TTDC made a strong beginning by taking over Govt. bungalows and it has

earned the proud distinction of owing the largest chain of hotels in south India. It also

provides the benefit of the tourists covering all the major tourist destinations in the state.

With 14 tourist officers within tamilnadu and 19 tourist information centres are effectively

functioning to promote and guide the tourists. They are also celebrating fairs and festivals

and implementing the projects and offering concessions, and incentives to attract tourists.

Through publicity promotion and marketing wing, efforts have been taken to attract more

tourists and advertisement in various media. For overseas promotion, these departments

participate in internationally renowned travel marts. Tamil Nadu Tourism Development

Corporation (TTDC) has been operating Hotels, Youth Hostels, Restaurants, Tours, Boat

houses, Telescope houses as a forerunner for the private sector to follow as new area of

business proposition.

Tourists especially senior citizens are interested only in visiting temples and offering worship

to their favourite deity. They move to tourist centres only if time permits and provided the

trip is easy on the purse. It requires planning and meticulous follow up.

Pilgrimage Packages offered by TTDC in Tamilnadu:

1 DAY THIRUVANNAMALAI GIRIVALAM TOUR

1 DAY SRIPURAM GOLDEN TEMPLE TOUR

3 DAYS NAVA GRAGHA TOUR (NINE PLANETS)

4 DAYS ARUPADAI VEEDU TOUR (LORD MURUGA)

Private Operator:

Numerous travel agencies, recognized by the Department of Tourism, India, offer a variety of tour packages to different parts of India with all kinds of travel related services for corporate world and tourists coming from all over world; with the aim of making every single tourist fully satisfied by providing world class services to make their tours memorable and enjoyable. These companies aim to promote tourism in India by providing tours to all parts of India with the best of services in this industry. They are equipped with computers for all kinds of query at anytime and are committed in maintaining the ethical standards of this industry. Services offered by them:

Package Tours – Theyarrange for a number of tour packages based on various themes like - religion, culture, hill station, beach, wildlife etc. They carefully plan the tour packages, suiting both the group and individual travellers taking into consideration the budget and time of the customers before constructing any kind of tour package. Besides, customized tour packages, are also offered in which they help their customers, design their tours according to their convenience and taste. Car/Coach Rentals - Car and coach rental services including economy and luxury class vehicles that will provide the best of comfort and luxury are also arranged by the private or the public tour agent operators. Hotel Reservation - Accommodation facilities in hotels of all categories for individuals as well as groups are arranged by the agents. Example of Pilgrimage Packages offered by the Tourism agents: Duration: 12 Nights/13 Days Destination: Chennai-Mahabalipuram-Chidambaram-Kumbakonam-Trichy-Madurai- Rameshwaram-Kanyakumari E-services offered by the Tourism Agents: E-Services: In the market place of today’s era, where the direct selling from supplier to consumer is possible more than ever; the internet as a distribution channel is a very important aspect to be covered. The internet is used not only for gathering information about the destination; it is instrumental in reserving all aspects of travel and tour and indeed a very powerful social medium. Social media is a new way for suppliers to connect with the market.

The concept of E-service represents one prominent application of utilizing the use

of Information and Communication Technologies in different areas. These mainly consist of

three main components- service provider, service receiver and the channels of service

delivery (i.e., technology). As concerned to public e-service, public agencies are the service

provider and citizens as well as businesses are the service receiver. The channel of service

delivery is the third requirement of e-service. Internet is the main channel of e-service

delivery while other classic channels (e.g. telephone, call center, public kiosk, mobile phone,

television) are also considered.

The term ‘E-service’ has many applications and can be found in many disciplines. The two

dominant application areas of e-services are:

E-Business (or E-Commerce): e-services mostly provided by businesses or Non-government

Organizations (NGO).

E-government: e-services provided by government to citizens or business (public sector is

the supply side). The use and description of the e-service in this page will be limited to the

context of e-government only where of the e-service is usually associated with prefix

“public”: Public e-services.

Benefits of E-Services:

Accessing a greater customer base

Broadening market reach

Lowering of entry barrier to new markets and cost of acquiring new customers

Alternative communication channel to customers

Increasing services to customers

Enhancing perceived company image

Gaining competitive advantages

Potential for increasing customer knowledge

E-Services in Temples:

These are the various e-services offered in temples are listed below:

e-Seva

e-Accommodation

e-Hundi

e-Donation e-Seva: e-Seva is the online services provided by the temple for booking Abishegam, AshtothraArchanai, Golden Chariot, Nine Kala Pooja, SahasranamamArchanaietc for the devotees to full fill their wish to the god.

e-Accommodation: e-Accommodation is the online service provided by the temple for booking of rooms for the devotees and they can book up to minimum of 3 days and maximum of 90 days in advance.

e-Hundi:e-Hundi is also the form of online services provided by temple for devotees to contribute amount to the temple in the form of prathana or for the development of temple.

e-Sales:e-Sales enable the devotees from all over the world to buy Hindu Religious Publications, devotional books, Audio CDs, Video CDs and DVDs. With introduction of the new service devotees can buy publications of online.

e-Donation:e-Donation is the form of online services provided by the temple for devotees to donate amounts to the temple which can be used for the improvement or maintenance of various services controlled by the temple administrations. Some laws are based not strictly on harm or self-harm concerns, but also on promoting the

personal morality of the law's authors. These laws are usually, but not always, grounded in

religious belief.

Hinduism

The background reason for the constructions of these temples and the heritage importance

the temples have achieved today,is the evolution and spread of the religion Hinduism and

its beliefs.

Heritage based Temple Tourism

Heritage pronounces the old age culture, traditions and customs of a country. Heritage

tourism involves visits to historical or industrial sites including temples, ruins, palaces etc.

India is promoted as a major heritage site, famous for its ancient culture, architecture, caves

and treasures, monuments and rich and vibrant temples. There has been a substantial

growth in India for heritage tourism with UNESCO recognizing some of the historical

structures of India as world heritage sites. Famous architectural structures include TajMahal,

QutubMinar, Hampi etc. This accreditation has elevated India in world's stage as tourism

attraction spot. The conversion of heritage sites like palaces into hotels providing tourist to

stay in a royal ambience has attracted foreign tourist. According to various statistics,

heritage tourism accounts for more than 60% of tourists coming to India. Tourism industry

in India is broadly used to enable a broader cultural horizon.

Hinduism and Temples

The roots of Hinduism are deep and sturdy, originated thousands of years ago. Even today,

traces of Hindu culture are predominantly seen in Cambodia, Nepal and Bali. For over two

thousand years Hindu Asia encompasses the sub-continent of India, major part of south-

east Asia and Indonesia.

Hinduism as a faith is vague, amorphous, many sided, all things to all men. It is hardly

possible to define it, or indeed to say definitely whether it is a religion or not; it represent a

way of life that evolved over thousands of years and has gathered so much of human

history, tradition, culture, and the greatness and meanness of the intellectual and the

commoner. At the intellectual level, it is only a philosophy. It is entirely based on intellectual

enquiry and not based on God experience (Ninan, 2003).

There is no founder of Hinduism and nobody could ascertain about its origin but it has

evolved over the eons to the present age. Hinduism is a set of beliefs, practices, modes of

living and thinking incorporated into larger part of Indian civilization. Hand in hand with the

development of the theistic religion came changes in religious worship in Hinduism. It is to

be mentioned that nowhere in the extensive vocabulary of Indian languages that the word

"Hinduism" corresponds to the term "religion" (Michell, 1977). Hinduism covers the

complete range of Indian culture; from the everyday life in agricultural village to the life of a

philosopher. In Indian civilization; beliefs, practices and thinking of Hinduism has been

carefully crafted into everyday activity of an individual as part of their living. At its foremost

thought, Hindu dismisses the world as illusionary and aims to break through the illusion to

realize the ultimate reality beyond. The temples reflect this range of Hinduism and provide a

space for penetration to self-realization of ultimate reality, rather than serving mere

religious practices associated with certain beliefs.

Temples are designed with a complex structure of symbolism by which it embodies the most

elevated Hindu philosophy. It is, therefore, an expression of Hindu society and of the most

profound levels of Indian civilization. While the largest date of medieval period, kings and

rich merchants provide capital for building temples. Although priesthood controls the

religious matters, they were dependent on kings and nobles for financing.

Hindu temples were built not only as monuments showcasing religious symbols and a place for the worshippers, but depicting the cosmos itself. Evolving from a cave, onto a hut or a modest abode of timber, the temple gradually developed into a substantial structure embellished with decorative

History of South Indian Temples

The earliest temples were built using perishable materials such as clay and timber. Cave

temples and brick temples came at the later stage. Heavy stone structure with elaborate

and complex architecture and sculpture were built still later. It is remarkable that the

building of temple has progressed more or less on a basic pattern. This is because there is a

basic philosophy behind the temple, its meaning and significance. Even with a set pattern,

variety on architect styles exists over the period of time. These styles can be broadly

classified into northern and southern styles.

The northern India temples have curvilinear style towers whereas southern style has its

tower in the form of a truncated pyramid.

The southern style, originally known as Dravidadesha style, was practiced during several

dynasties only in the state of Tamilnadu in South India (Geva&Mukherji, 2007). Few of the

earliest surviving temples in South India are found in states of Tamil Nadu and northern

Karnataka. The Dravidian architecture style or Tamilian style was both rock-cut and

structural; this became popular only from the Vijayanagar times. The later rock-cut temples

which belong roughly to the period 500-800 A.D. were mostly Brahmanical or Jain,

patronised by three great ruling dynasties of the south, namely the Pallavas of Kanchi in the

east, the Calukyas of Badami in the 8th century A.D, the Rastrakutas of Malkhed came to

power and they made great contributions to the development of south Indian temple

architecture.

The phenomenal growth in South Indian temple architecture both in terms of grandeur in

quality and quantity were seen during the next thousand years (from 600 to 1600 A.D.) most

predominantly in the state of Tamilnadu, India . The first in the series of southern or

Dravidian architecture was initiated by the Pallavas2(600-900A.D.) during their rule in

2Pallavas - Pallava dynasty (early 4th century - late 9th century AD) ruled the state of northern Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh

of present day India with their capital at Kanchi. (Wikipedia)

Andrapradesh and Tamilnadu. The rock-cut temples and the structural temples like the

shore temple at Mahabalipuram, Chennai and the Kailasanatha and VaikunthaPerumal

temples in Kancheepuram (700-800 A.D.) are the best representatives of the Pallava style.

The Pallavas laid the foundations for the Dravidian school which was later blossomed to its

full extent during the Cholas3, the Pandyas4, the Vijayanagar kings and the Nayaks. The

architect of temples movedto its next proportion, from rock-cut, became bigger, more

complex and ornate with sculptures. The Dravidian architecture reached its peak during the

Chola period (900-1200 A.D.) by becoming more imposing in size and endowed with more

artistic carvings and structures. Among the most beautiful of the Chola temples is the

Brihadeshvara temple (1010 A.D) at Tanjore with its 66 metre high vimana (tower), the

tallest of its kind. The later Pandyas who succeeded the Cholas improved on the Cholas by

introducing elaborate ornamentation and big sculptural images, many-pillared halls, new

annexes to the shrine and towers (gopurams) on the gateways. The mighty temple

complexes of Madurai and Srirangam in Tamil Nadu set a pattern for the Vijayanagar

builders (1350-1565 A.D.) who followed the dravidian tradition. The Pampapati and Vitthala

temples in Hampi are standing examples of this period. The Nayaks of Madurai who

succeeded the Vijayanagar kings (1600-1750 A.D.) made the dravidian temple complex even

more elaborate by making the gopurams very tall and ornate and adding pillared corridors

within the temple long compound. The Dravidian style became popular throughout south

India only from the Vijayanagar times onward. The Vastu-shastra texts are instruction

manuals for the practising architect and describe in detail the construction of the temple

from the selection of the site, measurements and proportions and structural process to the

establishment and consecration of the presiding deity.

References:

Boulanger., C. (1993). In the Kingdom of Nataraja, a guide to the temples, beliefs and

people of Tamil Nadu. Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu: The South India SaivaSiddhantha

Works Publishing Society

Chandran, A. The Dynamics of Tourism Management in World Heritage Sites of

Tamilnadu.

FINAL REPORT ON 20 YEARS PERSPECTIVE TOURISM PLAN FOR THE STATE OF TAMIL

NADU. (2003). GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND CULTURE

DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM MARKET RESEARCH DIVISION,Pilgrimage tourism in Tamil

nadu. (2010, January 25). India net zone. Retrieved March 19, 2012, from

http://www.indianetzone.com/26/tamil_nadu_tourism.htm

3chola - rulers of chola dynasty varying from 3rd century BC until 13th century AD

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chola) 4Pandyas - rulers of Pandyandynastry which ruled south India until the 15th century CE. During 13th Century

AD, Marco Polo mentioned it as richest empire in existence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandya).

Geva, A., & Mukherji, A. (2007). A Study of Light/Darkness in Sacred Settings: Digital

Simulations. International Journal of Architectural Computing, 5(3), 507-521

Goeldner,C.R.,&Ritchie,J.R.(2012). Tourism,Principles,Practices,Philosophies.(12th

ed.). USA: John Wiley & Sons

Hindu Arts, Architecture, and Culture. (2010, February 26). Mahavidya. Retrieved

March 15, 2012, from http://www.mahavidya.ca/

Hindu Baby Rites. (2009, August 24). Religions. Retrieved March 15, 2012, from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/ritesrituals/baby.shtml

Michell, G. (1977). The Hindu Temple: An introduction to its meaning and forms: University of Chicago Press.

Ninan, M. (2003). Hinduism: The Story Of Indian Thomas Churches What Really Happened In India: Madathil Mammen Ninan.

People and Culture Of South India. (2012). Incredible South India. Retrieved March

15, 2012, from http://www.incredible-southindia.com/travel-guide/people-

culture.html

Temple layout. (2009). Templenet. Retrieved March 15, 2012, from http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/madurai/architecture.html

Temples Construction Under Different Dynasties. (2010). Temples in Tamilnadu. Retrieved March 18, 2012, from http://www.tamilnadu-tourism.com/tamil-nadu-temples/

Appendix 1. Glossary

Sanskrit words English Translation

AtithiDevoBhava Guests are like God

Garbhagriha SantumSanctorium

Moolasthanam Sanctum

Mandapas Open halls

Sadas Saints

Prakaras Perimeter outside the sanctum

Gopuras Pyramidal tower structure

Mandala The Universe

Darshana Sight of the Divine form(Deity)

Shanthi Calm

Pradashina Encircling the sanctum

Sanyasin Monks

Mahakumbabisheka The Consecration

YajnaShala Sacrificial ground

Diparadhana Worshipping with lamps

Rishis Sages

Bali Sacrifice

Theertham Holy water

Mundan Holy shave

Karnavedha Ear piercing ceremony

Natyanjali Dance as an oblation