Four years ago, this temple was almost forgotten. The 650-year-old Kalkulam Sri Govindaraja Perumal Temple stood in ruins. Broken walls, worn-out structures, and fading memories were all that remained of what was once a magnificent temple. But perhaps Perumal had other plans. In 2022, the first steps towards restoring the temple began. Since it comes under the...
What are the odds of meeting someone at a random temple event who knows the goodness of appa? At the Muthalamman Mariamman Temple in Kalkulam, a Chennai family had gathered for their annual abhishekam to their kuladeivam. About fifty of them—silk-clad women with gold necklaces and big jimmikis stirring ven pongal and chakkara pongal; men arranging chairs; children...