Empt yTe mpl e , S t r e e t&S hops ACa s eofSwa mi ma l a i Te mpl e , Kumba k ona m
Kumba k ona mi sapa r toft hedi s t r i c tofTha nj a v ur ,a boutas i x hourdr i v ef r om Che nna i ,t he c a pi t a l of Ta mi l na du, I ndi a . Unde ri t smuni c i pa l i t ybounda r y ,t het o wnha sne a r l y2 00t e mpl e s , a ndi sdot t e dwi t hhundr e dsofs ma l l e rt e mpl e s , whi c hg i v ei tt hena me ' c i t yoft e mpl e s . ' Swa mi ma l a i Mur ug a nTe mpl ei saHi ndut e mpl e l oc a t e di nSwa mi ma l a iwhi c hi sa bout1 0kms f r omKumba k ona mont heba nksof at r i but a r yof r i v e rKa v e r i .Thet e mpl ei soneoft hes i xhol y s hr i ne sof Mur ug a nc a l l e e dAr upa da i v e e du. Thi s i st hef our t hhomeof s i xt oLor dMur ug a nwhe r e i n hi sc hi l dhood,het a ug htt heme a ni ng of ma nt r a‘ om’ t ohi sf a t he rLor dShi v a . Swa mi ma l a i hol dsas pe c i a lpl a c ei nt hehe a r t sofMur ug a n de v ot e e s .The r ea r enohi l l sa c c r os st hedi s t r i c t a ndi ti st hi sr e g i on,a na r t i f i c i a l l yma dehi l li s de di c a t e dt o Lor d Mur ug a n,a shi l l sa r ehi s a bode s . The r ea r e6 0s t e pst or e a c ht hes hr i neof t hepr e s i di ngde i t y ,r e pr e s e nt i ngt he6 0t a mi l y e a r s .
Mos ts t r e e t ss ur r oundi ngt het e mpl e sofKumba k o na ma ddal otofv a r i e t y ,c ol our ,s pi c ea ndl i f et ot he t e mpl e st he ms e l v e s . Andt heone ss ur r oundi ngs wa mi ma l a i t e mpl ei sofnodi f f e r e nt . Thes hopsa r es i t u a t e dt oe i e t he rs i deoft hes ma l lr oa d,l e a di ngt ot he t e mpl e . The ya r et hes hopswhe r et he ys e l lv a r i e t yo t hi ng sf r om pooj ai t e ms( a r c ha na it ha t t u) ,f l o we r s i dol sa ndphot osofg ods , f a nc ya c c e s or i e s , s ma l lt o y t ol otofha ndc r a f t e dg oods .Kumba k ona mi skno wn f ori t sc oppe rha ndi c r a f t s .Apa r tf r om a g r i c ul t ur e t our i s mi sapr i ma r ys our c eofi nc omeofpe opl e .
k ot he a t ut he of r s , o y s wn r e ,
I n Ta mi l Na du' st e mpl e t o wnofKumba k ona m,t he nor ma ll i v e l i ne s si smi s s i ng .I tha sbe e ns os i nc e Ma r c h2 5 , whe nt hena t i ona ls hut do wnwa si mpos e d. Hundr e dsa ndhundr e dsof de v ot e e sf r om s ur r oundi ng di s t r i c t sa ndt o wnsf l oc k e d t opr a yi nt het e mpl ea nd t a k epa r ti nt hec ul t ur a le xt r a v a g a nz a , ho we v e r be c a us eof t hel oc k do wnc ons t r a i nt s ,t he t e mpl e i s e mpt yf ort her i t ua l sa nd a c t i v i t i e s t ha t g e ne r a l l y t a k epl a c ei na nd a r ound t he t e mpl e wi t hout a ny pe opl e .
Thebe nc he si nf r ontofe a c hs hopsa r eus e dt os ho wc a s et hepr oduc t sa nda l s oi ti se a s yf or t hebuy e r st obuya swe l l . Duet ot hel oc k do wn, t hes hopsa r ec l os e da ndt hebe nc he sa r e e mpt ywi t houta nyoft hei t e mst ha tt hes hopo wnwe r sus e dt os e l lbe f or ea ndno wt he v a c a ntbe nc he sa r et hes he l t e r sf orhome l e s spe opl ea r oundt het e mpl e .
The t e mpl e ba s e d bui s ne s s ,s hop o wne r sa ndt e mpl epr i e s t sa r ea mong t hemos ti mpa c t e di nTa mi l Na dua nd t heCo v i d1 9pa nde mi cc a us e das i g ni f i c a nte f f e c tondi f f e r e ntf a c e t sof s oc i e t y .Thec ondi t i oni nt het e mpl e s i ss odi r et ha ts omet e mpl eof f i c i a l s a nds t r e e t s hopo wne r sha v ea s k e dt he g o v e r nme ntt owa i v et hee ne r g ybi l l duet ot hel oc k out , c i t i ngl o wr e v e nue .
The pr i e s t sa r ec a r r y i ng outt he da i l yr i t ua l si nt hemor ni nga nde v e ni nga spe ra g a ma s .Butt e mpl ei s notat e mpl ewi t houtt hede v ot e e s . Wi t houtpe opl e , t he r ei snobui s ne s s e v e nt houg ht hes hopsa r epa r t i a l l y ope ne d, s a y sMr . Ka nna n, whoha sa s hop on t he s i de soft he t e mpl e s t r e e twe r ehes e l l spooj ai t e ms .
Thanky ou
Sof a naS, M. De s-Publ i cSpa c eDe s i g n