| |
| | Sample Chapter for Fuller, C.J.: The Renewal of the Priesthood: Modernity and Traditionalism in a South Indian Temple. |
 | | At the very heart of the old city stands the Arulmiku ("grace-bestowing") Minaksi-Sundaresvara Tirukkoyil ("holy temple"), which is dedicated to the goddess Minakshi and her husband, Sundareshwara, a form of the great god Shiva. |
 | | Minakshi, rather than her consort, is regarded as the preeminent deity, and the Temple is usually known simply as "Minaksi koyil," the Minakshi Temple. |
 | | The Minakshi Temple is one of the largest in India, and its most famous architectural features are the twelve towers (gopura) over its gateways; the four highest, each about 150 feet tall, straddle its outer gateways and dominate the city's skyline. |
| www.pupress.princeton.edu /chapters/s7677.html (6533 words) |
|