Glossary Of Terms
The glossary includes Saivite and Vaishnavite religious terms, as well as architectural and artistic terms used throughout the blog.
A
Abhishekam – அபிசேகம்: This is the ritual of pouring various purifying liquids over a Murti or idol of a deity during worship. Various liquids including water, honey and milk are used.
Alwar or Alvar – ஆழ்வார்: Tamil Vaishnavite poet-saints from all parts of the Tamil country, who sang in praise of Lord Vishnu. Their works are called the Mangalasasanam and are compiled into the 4000 verses of the Naalayira Divya Prabandham. There were 12 Alwars, 11 men and one woman, Aandaal.
Ambigai – அம்பிகை: The mother goddess. Generally refers to Parvati or Uma. It can sometimes refer to any goddess as in Hinduism all goddesses are manifestations of the same feminine divine force Sakthi.
Anthralaya – அந்தராலயம்: Small transitional space or hall between the inner sanctum or karuvarai and the arthamandapam
Archanai – அர்ச்சனை: Prayer ritual. It is the ritual where the devotee gets the temple priest to do an offering to the deity. The devotee hands the offerings to the priest who will then chant a mantra to include the devotee's name and Nakshatram (Birth star) and those of the near and dear ones they mention and present the offering of flowers etc. to the Murti. In current practice the devotee often buys an archanai ticket at the temple office and presents the ticket to the priest.
Ardhamandapam – அர்த்தமண்டபம்: It is the hall or pavilion that connects the sanctum with the outer halls. It is usually located between the karuvarai or garbhagriha and the mahamandapam.
Ardhanarisvarar – அர்த்தநாரீசுவரர்: A composite form of Sivan and Parvathi, depicted one being with the right half representing Sivan and left half Parvathi. Theb form symbolizes the inseparability and unity of the masculine and feminine aspects of the divine.
ASI: Archaeological Survey of India. It is an agency of the Indian Central Government headquartered in New Delhi that is responsible for the excavation, research, conservation, protection and preservation of ancient monuments and sites in India.
Avudayar - ஆவுடையார்: The pedestal on which the idol of a deity is placed. It generally refers to the pedestal of the Sivalingam. It is usually circular in shape but can take other shapes. There is a spout to one side for the liquid abishekam that is ritually poured on the Sivalingam to drain.
B
Balipeetam - பலிபீடம்: The sacrificial altar or pedestal is a feature found in most temples in Tamil Nadu. It is found in a straight line in front of the sanctum and comes next after the kodimaram or flagstaff as you enter the temple.
C
Chandikeswarar – சண்டிகேசுவரர்: A form of Shiva’s devotee Chandesha, usually enshrined in a small shrine on the northern side of the central shrine in Shiva temples. He is traditionally regarded as the guardian or custodian of the temple’s property and is commonly worshipped toward the end of a circumambulation.
D
Dharisanam -தரிசனம்: It is the act of seeing or having an audience with the deity while visiting a temple. It is one of the primary goals of worshipping a deity when visiting temples.
Dharshan - தர்ஷன்: It is the act of seeing or having an audience with the deity while visiting a temple. It is one of the primary goals of worshipping a deity while visiting temples. Same as dharisanam.
Divya Desam Temple - திவ்யதேசக்கோயில்: These are the 108 temples praised by the Tamil Alwar saints in the Naalaayira Divya Prabandham from the 6th to the 9th centuries. Divya means divine and desam means place or temple. Of these 105 are on earth. 84 are in Tamil Nadu.
Dosham - தோஷம்: A negative effect. In Hindu astrology it is an unfavourable planetary or celestial influence brought about by movements of these elements over time.
E
Easan - ஈசன்: Often used to refer to Lord Sivan, it can also be used to refer to God in general. Also spelled Eesan.
Easwaran - ஈஸ்வரன்: Same as Easan. Tamilized Sanskrit.
G
Gopuram - கோபுரம்: The entrance tower in a temple. It can refer to the main entrance tower, often referred to as the rajagopuram or to any one of the other entrance towers. A temple can have many gopurams. They can be situated over the entrances in all four cardinal directions and between the inner prakarams too.
H
Hariharan – ஹரிஹரன்: A composite form of Hari (Vishnu) and Haran (Sivan), depicted as a sngle deity with one side representing each. The form symbolizes the unity of the Vaishnava and Saiva traditions.
HR and CE - இந்து சமய அறநிலையத் துறை: Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department. In Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry the respective departments under the state and union territory, own and manage almost all Hindu temples. Similar institutions are found in other southern states and some other states elsewhere in India. In Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry they are responsible for the administration, finances and maintenance of the temples. It is a controversial institution.
I
Iraivan -இறைவன்: A Tamil word meaning God, Lord, or the Supreme Being. In Tamil devotional literature, it is commonly used to refer to the presiding deity or to God, particularly Sivan in the Saiva tradition.
J
Jyeshtha - ஜயேஸ்தா: An ancient Hindu goddess associated with misfortune and adversity, whose images occur in several early Pallava and Chola temples of Tamil Nadu. She is typically depicted seated, often accompanied by a crow-banner and attendant figures.
K
Karuvarai - கருவறை: It is the innermost sanctum or central shrine in a temple. It is literally the womb of the temple.
Kodimaram - கொடிமரம்: Flagstaff. The towering pole at the front of the temple as soon as you enter. It is made of wood and often plated with copper or other metals. It is in straight alignment to the sanctum between the rajagopuram and the balipeetam. A ceremonial flag in honor of the deity is raised on special days.
Koyil or Kovil - கோயில் or கோவில்: Temple in Tamil.
Kshetram - க்ஷேத்திரம் or சேத்திரம்: Sacred site or temple. Tamilised Sanskrit.
L
Lingam – லிங்கம்: The aniconic form in which Shiva is most commonly worshipped, usually consisting of a cylindrical stone set within a yoni or avudaiyar. It represents Sivan and, more broadly, his divine, formless nature.
Lingodbhavar – லிஙகோத்பவர்: A form of Sivan emerging from an infinite pillar of fire, illustrating the legend in which Brahma and Vishnu are unable to find its beginning or end. The image is commonly found in the central niche of the rear (western) wall of the sanctum in Tamil Shiva temples.
M
Mandapam - மண்டபம்: In a temple it is a hall or pavilion where devotees gather, rest or meditate.
Mahamandapam - மகாமண்டபம்: The great hall in a temple. It is a large pillared hall often found between the entrance and the arthamandapam. Often used for congregational worship and performances.
Moolavar - மூலவர்: The main deity or idol fixed inside the temple. It is usually found in the Karuvarai or sanctum sanctorum. Usually, but not always, carved out of stone, it is quite often a heavy object. In most Sivan temples it is a Sivalingam.
Murti - மூர்த்தி: The duly consecrated idol or image of a deity, usually a statue made of stone, metal or other material. It is the symbolic icon of the deity in that space.
N
Navagraham - நவக்கிரகங்கள்: These are the nine celestial points in Hindu or Sanatana religious practice and often called the nine celestial influencers in Indian astrology. They are often erroneously referred to as planets. They are the Sun, Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Mercury and the Lunar Nodes, Ragu and Kethu. Only five of them are planets in the solar system. Rahu (Raahu) and Kethu are the northern and southern lunar nodes, where the lunar orbit intersects the solar ecliptic. It is when eclipses usually occur and they are often referred to as shadow planets. Most temples have a shrine for the Navagraham. There are some temples dedicated to a single deity of the Navagrahams.
Nayanmar - நாயன்மார்: The 63 Saivite saints who lived in the Tamil country from the 6th to 9th centuries and were ardent followers of Lord Sivan. They were the leading figures of the Bhakti movement which revived the Saivite Hindu religion. They came from all walks of life and across the caste spectrum. Among them, the Moovar or Trio of Appar (Thirunavukkarasar), Sampanthar (Thirugnanasampanthar) and Sundarar (Sundaramoorthy Nayanar) are the most important and were the authors of the Thevaram verses.
O
Odhuvar – ஓதுவார்: A tradtional temple singer who recites and sings the Thevarams and other Tamil Saiva devotional hymns during worship in Sivan temples, particularly in Tamil Nadu.
P
Paadal Petra Sthalam - பாடல் பெற்ற தலம்: Temples that have dedicated Pathikams in the Thevaram hymns sung by the Moovar - Thirugnasampanthar, Thirunavukkarasar and Sundaramoorthy Nayanar. Paadal means song. Petra means got. Sthalam or thalam means temple.
Pathikam - பதிகம்: A song or hymn of ten verses sung about Lord Siva at a temple or a general topic.
Perumal - பெருமாள்: This is another name for Lord Vishnu. Peru means great. Mal is another name for Lord Vishnu.
R
Rajagopuram - ராஜகோபுரம்: The largest and most prominent gopuram in the temple, usually built over the main entrance. Sometimes visible for miles around.
S
Sthalavirutcham - தல விருட்சம்: It is the sacred tree associated with a temple. Most temples have a special tree that is associated with that temple and is preserved on the temple premises.
T
Theertham - தீர்த்தம்: Theertham is sacred water. It could mean the water that is used for abishekam of the deity and which the priest distributes to the devotees. It is either consumed or applied to the forehead. It also signifies the holy water bodies like tanks, ponds, lakes, rivers, the sea etc that are associated with a temple. It is considered sacred to bathe in these waters.
Thevaram - தேவாரம்: Theva means divine and Aaram means garland and it literally translates as a divine garland. The Thevarams are divine garlands in verse and often set to music and sung in temples across the Tamil lands. They are specifically those compositions sung by the Moovar, the three most important Tamil Saivite saints, Thirugnanasampanthar, Thirunavukkarasar and Sundaramoorthy Nayanar. They comprise the first seven Thirumurai of the twelve-volume Panniru Thirumurai, the sacred canon of the Tamil Saivites. Most but not all of the Thevaram are sung in praise of Lord Sivan at a specific temple. Those temples are known as the Paadal Petra Sthalams. The verses express deep devotion and unconditional love for the Lord.
U
Utsavar or Utchavar - உற்சவர்: The festival or processional deity or idol. Most temples have two main idols. The Moolavar is a heavy and fixed idol that is in the sanctum sanctorum. The other idol, the Utsavar, is a movable sculpture usually fashioned out of metal. It is secured to a palanquin or chariot (Ther) during festivals and other special occasions and taken in procession, often on the streets outside.
V
Vimanam - விமானம் - Tower above the sanctum or karuvarai of a temple
Y
Yali – யாளி: A mythical leonine creature frequently depicted in South Indian temple sculpture and architecture. Usually shown with a lion-like body and and features of other animals, Yalis commonly appear on pillars, brackets and decorative friezes, where they serve both ornamentral and protective roles.