A mural in Tiruppudaimarudhur celebrates saint-composer Annamacharya, his son and wife
The Hindu
How a temple in Tirunelveli has paintings of Annamacharya and his wife Timmakka
Tiruppudaimarudhur, a village on the banks of the Tamiraparani river, is home to the revered Narumpoonathar Shiva temple, a must-visit for anyone passionate about history. The temple boasts a five-tiered rajagopuram, with a narrow staircase that ascends to its apex. Each tier is adorned with stunning murals and wooden carvings that date to the Vijayanagara and Nayak periods.
The paintings illustrate the sthalapurana of Tiruppudaimarudhur.
The paintings illustrate the sthalapurana of Tiruppudaimarudhur, events from Tiruvilaiyadal Puranam and Periyapuranam, as well as scenes from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and Valli Thirumanam. The artwork also offers a glimpse into the socio-political and economic events of the time and an intricate imagery of the Venad-Nayak war, highlighting the temple’s historical significance.
The Tiruppudaimarudhur temple painting depicting a scene from the Ramayana. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
S. Balusami, associate professor of Tamil at the Madras Christian College, Chennai, has conducted an extensive research about Tiruppudaimarudhur paintings. He has concluded that these artworks vividly depict the ‘Tamiraparani battle’ of 1532 CE, fought between the armies of the Travancore king Bhoothala Veera Udaya Marthanda Varma and the Vijayanagara emperor Achyutadevaraya.
A painting representing the army of Vijayanagara emperor Achyutadevaraya seen inside the Tiruppudaimarudhur temple. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Khalid Rahman is reuniting with Malayalam superstar Mammootty after Unda (2019). The Thallumaala director has teamed up with the veteran for Mattancherry Mafia.
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar paid tribute to the martial arts grandmaster and Hollywood’s action star, Chuck Norris, who passed away on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
Renowned Odissi dancer Madhumita Raut, aged 59, dies of cardiac arrest, leaving behind a legacy of artistic achievements.
Chuck Norris, iconic martial arts master and actor, dies at 86, leaving behind a legendary legacy and internet memes.
South African naturalist Steve Boyes speaks on ghost elephants, ancestral tracking, and Werner Herzog’s documentary exploring Angola’s elusive highland giants
Actor-director Amol Palekar will receive META's Lifetime Achievement award for 2026 on March 25 in New Delhi.
India's artists unite against rising censorship, advocating for creative freedom and support for marginalized voices in the arts.
Written and directed by Kunal, the film also stars Sparsh Shrivastava and Vanshika Dhir
This year, Bharatnatyam artistes will present the Tyagaraja Aradhane as a dance performance
This year, Bharatnatyam artistes will present the Tyagaraja Aradhane as a dance performance
The actor, along with director Sushant Shah, speak about their upcoming series ‘Chiraiya’, Divya’s process of working on the dialect, Sushant’s approach to telling a story about women, and more
An independent video, ‘Feel the Spark’ by Raleigh Rajan with vocals by Ciera Dumas that celebrates Tamil literary giants, garnered 1.4 million views in less than 36 hours.
In ‘Jack Ryan: Ghost War’, John Krasinski is back as the savvy CIA analyst, diving headfirst into a high-stakes mission that unravels a deadly conspiracy and pits him against a rogue black-ops unit