September 24, 2025
Meeting the Arayar Sami of Srivilliputhur
During my fieldwork in Srivilliputhur this weekend, I had the rare privilege of meeting the Arayar, a hereditary temple artist-priest and custodian of a centuries-old tradition…
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Category: Andal
August 19, 2025
Āṇḍāḷ’s Birthday and the Diplomacy of Devotion: A Solo Journey to Srivilliputhur
My next journey to Srivilliputhur was a solo adventure in the Joey car. I drove myself from Madampatti, weaving through the early morning light all the…
Read moreAugust 16, 2025
When the Goddess Rewrites the Itinerary: Srivilliputhur, July 2025
My next visit to Srivilliputhur and the temple town of Āṇḍāḷ took place from July 4th through 8th, 2025. I had planned everything well in advance,…
Read moreAugust 12, 2025
Bhakti Without Borders: My Middle Journey Between Srivilliputhur Visits
Between my second and third trips to Srivilliputhur, something shifted. I found myself in the in-between: physical stationed in Kovai, and immersed in the stories, voices,…
Read moreAugust 9, 2025
Srivilliputhur Part 2: Margazhi Miracles: Andal in mornings of December
Srivilliputhur Travel Blog Date of Journey: December 27, 2024 – December 31, 2024 There is something about the month of Margazhi that glows in my heart.…
Read moreAugust 7, 2025
Prologue: Andal Keeps Calling Me Back
Srivilliputhur Travel Blog Series There are places that you visit once and leave behind. Then, there are those that never quite let you go. Srivilliputhur is…
Read moreJanuary 1, 2024
All things Andaal
Andaal, or Andal, is considered an Alwar Saint of the Sri Vaishnava tradition in Tamil Nadu. The only female alwar in a group of 12, Margazhi…
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