Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan. "Tamil Bhakti Literature: An Introduction". September 7, 2024


The Saiva and Vaishnava bhakti literature in Tamil form a rich repository of religious, spiritual, cultural and historic knowledge. Written around the fifth to the ninth century CE, these were composed by the Saiva Nayanmars and Vaishnava Azhwars, poet-saints who traveled widely to sacred towns on pilgrimage, singing about their temples. The entire Indian sacred topography is measured by these verses that describe the city, the flora and fauna and the people of the lands the poets visited. These verses were a milestone in the development of Tamil literature and played a significant role in popularizing the language. Prolific speaker and heritage enthusiast, Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan introduces these important works and delves into what makes them special, in his Talk on "Tamil Bhakti Literature: An Introduction". The online Talk in English is at 5.30 pm IST on Saturday, September 7, 2024. About the Speaker: Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan, an architecture graduate and a gold medalist in his post graduation, specializes in conservation and architectural research. He has been an academic for a decade, mentoring students of popular schools of architecture. He is currently pursuing his doctoral research on “Temple Town Planning” and also serves on Government instituted panel for conservation of temples in Tamil Nadu. ​ He is an active heritage enthusiast and his contributions have earned him several awards and accolades. He is well versed in fields of art, architecture, heritage, cultural studies and vernacular practices. He is also a popular speaker on a wide range of topics associated with heritage, religion, culture, and literature. He is the youngest recipient of the coveted Vedavalli memorial award for outstanding service by a young achiever in the field of south Indian heritage(2018). He received the title, “Ilakkiya Chemmal”, recognizing his mastery over Tamil literature (2019) and "Saiva Thamizh Arignar"(2022) from his acharya Sri Dharumapuram Adheenam. He is the first recipient of the THT-Prof Swaminathan Heritage Award (2020) for his service in the field of heritage and culture. Madhusudhanan curates and conducts tours to places of architectural & cultural heritage since 2012. He has been writing columns on popular print media covering subjects like epigraphy, not so popular temples and archeology. He has been nominated as a member of academic council of Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalitha Music and Fine Arts University.