The present book deals with the tiruvilaiyatal (Sanskrit lila) myths from the most ancient to the 18th century AD. It is the self-financed report of Dr R.K.K. Rajarajan and Dr Jeyapriya. The reflections of the theme in the art of the Pandya country is cogently traced and illustrated with 140 photographic illustrations. Two chapters deal with the artistic potentiality of theme in Maturai and Greater Maturai. The literary sources are summarized in two chapters. Few western scholars have written on Minaksi, “marriage” and Alakar heading to Vaikai from the literary point of view. The present works brings out the artistic dimension of theme. A chapter on Pandyas deals with their history purely from a literary point of view cursorily reflecting on epigraphical sources. An annexure deals with the Sanskritic sources. Another annexure examines the sculptures in the “New Pavilion” with due reference to the myths that support such illustrations. The work represents a new trekking in art historical scholar-ship, based on Tamil sources. The tiruvilaiyatals as literary motifs have been traced from the ancient (Cilappatikaram 5th century) to the Nayaka period. The photographic illustrations in colour are unpublished and add immensely to visually enjoy the theme. The study shows how a regional theme has acquired national and international recognition by virtue of its many-fold expression in art, thought and literature.

About the Author

Dr R.K.K. Rajarajan is on the Faculty of Tamil, Indian Languages & Fine Arts in the Gandhigram Rural University, Tamilnadu. He did his Master’s in the Madurai Kamaraj University and M. Phil and Ph.D with distinction in the Tamil University of Thanjavur. He did his post-doctoral work in the Free University of Berlin as Alexander von Humbodlt Fellow during 1999-2001. He was on the teaching staff of the Eritrean Institute of Technology, Asmara, Eritrea for five years. He has attended national and international conferences at New Delhi, Hyderabad, Hong Kong, Bonn, Berlin, Rome and Indonesia. He has widely published in international journals from Oxford & IBH, Rome, London, Berlin, Naples, Reinbek, Copenhagen et al. His doctoral and M. Phil thesis have been published by Sharada Publishing House, Delhi. He is a field-based scholar. His work is on Tamil in relation to Indian art without neglecting Sanskrit.

Dr Jeyapriya Rajarajan took her Master’s and M. Phil from the Madurai Kamaraj University and Ph.D. from the Tamil University. She is at present free lance and has published a number articles at home in several felicitation volumes, QJMS and JIAS. Her international publications are from Rome and Naples. Her doctoral thesis has been published by the Sharada Publishing House. Another book on Dravidian Facets of Nataraja is in the pipeline.