Book reveals new insights into Srivilliputhur temple

Writer Archana Venkatesan shares with DC the story behind her book In Andal’s Garden which was released in Chennai on Saturday.

How did this passion begin?
When I first started working on Kothai’s poetry, I thought it was important that I visit the place most intimately connected with her. I went to Srivilliputtur for the first time in 1997-98 and it opened my eyes to the many medial forms through which Kothai’s poetry is interpreted, understood and received.

How did this book happen?
I work primarily on literary history. Professor Crispin Branfoot, who is at SOAS, London is an architectural historian, and has worked extensively on the temple. Our initial conversations began over email, but when I was in Oxford on a fellowship, we met regularly to discuss our mutual interests in the Pandya country. Those discussions became the genesis of our book.

Can you give some more details about this book? How many times have you been to Srivilliputur before starting this project?
I’ve been to the place for 20 years from 1997. Every time I go there, I find something new, and that keeps me going. For instance, the famous Araiyar sevai survives in only 3 temples - Srirangam, Srivilliputtur and Alvar Tirunagari. This connection opens up the possibilities to all kinds of questions: why does it survive in these three temples, how does the form of Araiyar sevai alter in each site. Similarly, we can unpack the network of ritual exchange between Srivilliputtur, Madurai Meenakshi amman temple and Madavarvilaham, a town neighboring Srivilliputtur.

How difficult/easy was it to translate the text from the traditional Nachiyar Tirumozhi? How did you manage to co-ordinate with Dr Crispin on that one? Can you please tell us, the difficulties you faced while writing this book?
I enjoy translating, and translation of a complex text like the Nachiyar Tirumoli is a way to understand it from the inside.
The fact that Crispin lives in the UK, I live in the US and Clare, our photographer, lives in India, made coordinating things challenging. Three of us managed to be together in Srivilliputtur for about 10 days to finish the shoot for the book, and Crispin and I had to meet in London to finalize our text and the pictures. However, the pleasure of collaborating and how much we learned from each other because of this, far outweighed the difficulties.