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The Cultural Geography of Temple Towns in Tamil Nadu

Research articleOpen accessVol. 13, Issue 5, April 2025

  • Piya JainIndependent Researcher, Ghaziabad, India
Published
30 April 2025
Licence
CC BY 4.0
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Abstract

Temple towns in Tamil Nadu serve not only as centers of religious devotion but also as historical and cultural epicenters that shape the socio-spatial fabric of the region. These towns are deeply interwoven with Dravidian architectural heritage, ritualistic practices, festivals, and economic networks. This manuscript explores the cultural geography of Tamil Nadu’s temple towns by examining how religious institutions have historically influenced urban development, spatial organization, and socio-cultural identity. It draws upon historical texts, ethnographic insights, spatial mapping, and regional case studies to analyze the interplay between sacred spaces and temporal realities. The paper aims to bridge the gap between religious geography and cultural landscape studies by showing how temples function as anchoring institutions that define not only the physical terrain but also the spiritual and cultural lifeworld of communities. Furthermore, this study explores the evolving dynamics of these temple towns in the face of urbanization and modernization.

Keywords: Temple Towns; Cultural Geography; Tamil Nadu; Sacred Spaces; Urban Morphology; Dravidian Architecture; Pilgrimage; Religious Landscapes; Heritage Cities; Socio-Spatial Identity

References

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How to cite

Piya Jain (2025). The Cultural Geography of Temple Towns in Tamil Nadu. International Journal of Research in All Subjects in Multi Languages, 13(5), 9-17. https://doi.org/10.63345/ijrsml.v13.i5.2

Licence

This article is open access, published under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Copyright remains with the authors.