Photobook

EmptyTemple,Street&Shops
ACaseofSwamimalaiTemple,Kumbakonam

Kumbakonam isapartofthedistrictofThanjavur,aboutasix-hourdrivefrom
Chennai,the
capitalofTamilnadu,India.Underitsmunicipalityboundary,thetownhasnearly200temples,
andisdotedwithhundredsofsmalertemples,
whichgiveitthename'cityoftemples.'
SwamimalaiMuruganTempleisaHindutemple
locatedinSwamimalaiwhichisabout10kms
from Kumbakonam onthebanksofatributaryof
riverKaveri.Thetempleisoneofthesixholy
shrinesofMurugancaleedArupadaiveedu.This
isthefourthhomeofsixtoLordMuruganwhere
in hischildhood,hetaughtthemeaningof
mantra‘om’tohisfatherLordShiva.Swamimalai
holdsaspecialplaceintheheartsofMurugan
devotees.Therearenohilsaccrosthedistrict
anditisthisregion,anartificialymadehilis
dedicatedtoLordMurugan,ashilsarehis
abodes.Thereare60stepstoreachtheshrineof
thepresidingdeity,representingthe60tamil
years.

MoststreetssuroundingthetemplesofKumbako
nam addalotofvariety,colour,spiceandlifetothe
templesthemselves.Andtheonessuroundingswa
mimalaitempleisofnodiferent.Theshopsaresitu
atedtoeiethersideofthesmalroad,leadingtothe
temple.Theyaretheshopswheretheyselvarietyo
thingsfrom poojaitems(archanaithatu),flowers
idolsandphotosofgods,fancyaccesories,smaltoy
tolotofhandcraftedgoods.Kumbakonam isknown
foritscopperhandicrafts.Apartfrom agriculture
tourism isaprimarysourceofincomeofpeople.

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In TamilNadu's temple
townofKumbakonam,the
normallivelinesismising.Ithasbeensosince
March25,whenthenationalshutdownwasimposed.
Hundredsandhundredsof
devoteesfrom surounding
districtsandtownsflocked
toprayinthetempleand
takepartintheculturalextravaganza,
however becauseofthelock-downconstraints,
the temple is
emptyfortheritualsand
activities that generaly
takeplaceinandaround
the temple withoutany
people.

Thebenchesinfrontofeachshopsareusedtoshowcasetheproductsandalsoitiseasyfor
thebuyerstobuyaswel.Duetothelockdown,theshopsareclosedandthebenchesare
emptywithoutanyoftheitemsthattheshopownwersusedtoselbeforeandnowthe
vacantbenchesarethesheltersforhomelespeoplearoundthetemple.

The temple-based buisnes,shop
ownersandtemplepriestsareamong
themostimpactedinTamilNaduand
theCovid-19pandemiccausedasignificantefectondiferentfacetsof
society.Theconditioninthetemples
issodirethatsometempleoficials
andstreetshopownershaveaskedthe
governmenttowaivetheenergybil
duetothelockout,citinglowrevenue.

Thepriestsarecaryingoutthe
dailyritualsinthemorningandeveningasperagamas.Buttempleis
notatemplewithoutthedevotees.
Withoutpeople,thereisnobuisnes
eventhoughtheshopsarepartialy
opened,saysMr.Kannan,whohasa
shopon thesidesofthetemple
streetwereheselspoojaitems.

Thankyou
SofanaS,M.Des-PublicSpaceDesign