Looong post alert!
My earliest memories of temple visits are from my childhood when I was dragged, rather reluctantly, from temple to temple by my mother. Those memories include sweaty corridors, long queues, and a lot of jostling and craning to see the deity, as my mother breathlessly rattled a whole bunch of things that didn't make any sense to me - at that age. The 20s and 30s followed, with my so-called rationale self convincing me that my spirituality lies within, and I don't need to visit temples to discover that.
But something has changed in the last few years. In my 40s, I am discovering or rediscovering (i dont know which one) a whole new path. To cut a long story short, I am filled with a sudden curiosity and desire to know more about my culture and tradition. And this journey includes temple visits too - in my own way, at my own pace - for various reasons: from spirituality, devotion and faith to architecture, aesthetics, and fun too. Fun?
Yes, temple visits can be fun. Especially when you find traditional games etched on the floors.
Just a couple of months ago, I had interviewed
@VinitaSidharth of
@Kreeda_games. (Do read the piece here:
yourstory.com/herstory/2026/…) Vinita, who is on a unique quest to document and revive games people played, has found many game carvings in temples and forts in Chennai and Andhra Pradesh. So I was delighted beyond words to serendipitously discover traditional games etched on temple floors and steps during a recent visit to Srirangam and Tirunelveli.
Thank you, Vinita, for nudging me towards this fascinating trail. Now I have one more reason to temple-hop. Sharing a few pictures: Aadu Puli Aatam (Bagh aur Bakri) and the Daya Kattam grid game, from Rajagopalaswamy temple, Mannarkovil in Tirunelveli and Kattazhagiya Narasimha Perumal Temple, Srirangam.