The Pallava temples in the Pennar and Palar regions, the Cholas temples in Kaveri basin are well known to the scholarly world and a number of researches have been done in these areas. The temples in the Vaigai and Tamiraparani region belonging to the Pandya territories and their artistic significance are not studied adequately by scholars. Villages in the Pandya country (Vaigai, Tamiraparani regions) are also accommodated very beautiful and artistically significant temples with richly embellished features apart from the major towns like Madurai, Srivilliputtur, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Suicindram, etc.

The present collection of essays is an outcome of a two day ICHR seminar on Koils in the Vaigai and Tamiraparani regions. There are sixteen articles included in the volume focusing on diversified aspects adhering to temples.

These erudite essays are like a mosaic depicting Pandya country particularly in Vaigai and Tamiraparani basins in its great splendor with different textures and flourish. These sixteen erudite essays are supplemented excellently with neatly produced photographs and bibliography after each essay. This volume brings a fresh perspective of the particular region and also very useful to the scholars who are working on the south Indian aspects and teachers and students as well.

About the Author

Dr A. Mahalingam (b. 1975) did M.A. in History and pursued his M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Art-History at the Madurai Kamaraj University. He has worked as research associate in the UPE project of the same institution for three years. At present, he is Assistant Professor in the Department of Medieval History, School of Historical Studies, Madurai Kamaraj University. He has more than 25 articles in the national, regional and international level proceedings and journals to his credit. He has also served as Editorial Committee Member in the Proceedings of three annual volumes of South Indian History Congress. He has been awarded the UGC major research project in 2011 and he has organized three national seminars. His book on The Vijayanagara-Nayakas: Art and Culture is a comprehensive work published in 2012.