Hindu temple legends in South India: Kanchipuram’s Māhātmyas in text, iconography, and ritual
DATE: September 25th 2025, 6.00 pm
SPEAKER: Prof. Dr. Ute Huesken
LANGUAGE: German
LOCATION: Museum in Dahlem / Small lecture hall at Takustraße 40, 14195 Berlin
I will present the program of the long-term Academy of Sciences funded project “Hindu Tempel Legends in South India”, with research offices in Heidelberg and Pondicherry. I do so by taking one of Kanchipuram’s central Viṣṇu temples as an example.
The Yathoktakārī temple is one of the oldest Viṣṇu temples in Kanchipuram, and even today has a very vibrant ritual tradition. I will introduce the textual narratives pertaining to the temple, and the more recent history of the temple. This includes major festivals celebrated at this temple today, its ritual tradition, its current position among the Vaiṣṇavas sacred sites (divyadeśas), and developments that I could witness since the beginning of the 21st century. I will introduce lesser-known oral narratives connected to the temple and give the background and circumstances of the building of copies of two further Kanchi divyadeśas in the Yathoktakārī temple premises. The presentation is based on my frequent visits to the temple since 2003, on my interactions with the temple trustees, arcakas, and other individuals connected to the temple, on ‘grey literature’, and on my observations during festivals.
Photo: © Ute Huesken
