How Darasuram temple inspired young Madhusudanan Kalaichelvan

The moments spent at the temple made him pursue history and architecture with passion

A frail old man approached a family entering the temple at Darasuram, asking if he could take them on a guided tour to share information about the art and architecture of the temple. The family agreed. As they went around the premises, the man pointing at a sculpture of Saraswathi, called the little boy in the group and asked him to observe the details. His storytelling style kept the boy engrossed and the moments spent at the temple inspired him to pursue architecture and history when he grew up.

Today Madhusudanan Kalaichelvan is a historian, epigraphist, heritage enthusiast and conservationist, lecturer and storyteller all rolled into one.

After graduating from Anna University, he joined the Ohio State University for further studies. An accident brought him back to India, and while recuperating he decided not to go back. He became a lecturer, which made him financially independent to pursue his passion — heritage and culture.

“Temples were the only art spaces I was introduced to as a child, so I began my journey there. One weekend armed with the book, Medieval Chola Temples by S.R. Balasubramaniam, I went to Chidambaram, which further strengethened my love for these ancient architectural marvels. Soon these weekend visits became frequent and I realised that temples were not merely places of worship, they were a record of our history, tradition and literature. I needed to educate myself on a whole lot of things. I read books on bronze sculptures. I also went to art galleries to look at the pieces on display and sketch them, which led to a study of iconography. I enrolled for a course on epigraphy, which opened my eyes to the vast information available in inscriptions on temple walls,” says Madhusudanan.

His documentation is based on five important factors. Puranas are the starting point for the etymology of the place, and then the architecture and the different dynasties that have added many layers to the spaces. Epigraphy and literature associated with the temple and festivals are also crucial to his research.

The desire to share his experiences led him to develop his storytelling skills. What began as a classroom exercise in college, moved to the proscenium stage, and he started delivering lectures on varied subjects. He reaches out to a wider audience through webinars and online talks. He also streams short videos on temples.

As part of his initiative RATHAM (Road Access to Temples, Heritage and Monuments), he takes people on guided tours to temples and monuments. A deep interest in Carnatic music led him to add music to this experience by involving musicians on these trips.