In a field in southern India, a short distance from the road, Big Brother "rides" an ocher-colored, garlanded horse that stands on a platform, somewhat like the wooden horses of Scandinavian folklore. Dressed in all his finery, Big Brother shows off on his mount. Beside him, Little Brother, more soberly attired, "walks" the steed. Some twenty meters ahead, the wild boar the hunters are giving chase to "runs" on a concrete base.
A five-minute drive down the road, a tall, hieratic character gazes intently at passing traffic. Seated upright on a simple throne, right leg folded inside, fists resting on knees, the sculpted king deters potential lawbreakers. An aide, standing by his side, looks after three mounts, ready to carry him away.
These shrines, located along the road from Salem to Erode, are typical of the many thousands of temples of deified heroes, tutelary divinities, and guardian (or frontier) gods and goddesses scattered across central Tamil Nadu, India's southernmost state.
Village deities
These non-Vedic gods are referred to as "village," "folk," or "Dravidian" deities and are found nowhere else. Though their shrines far outnumber the Vedic temples, they have not been subjected to much scholarly study and are generally snubbed by the followers of urban Hinduism. This tradition of Dravidian gods has been very close to the common people, however, and those of all castes, including the lowliest of the lowly, travel to worship at these sites. Here, there is no discrimination, even against women.
Actually, these holy places are temples in name only. Located on the outskirts of villages or forests, on the shores of lakes or reservoirs, or on riverbanks, these open-air shrines are often nothing more than a simple earth platform, on and around which clay colossi (statues five to six meters tall) are assembled. There may be as many as twenty figures crowded on top, and there is a family likeness among them. They are fierce looking, with protruding teeth, and often sport mustaches. They wear kingly garments, appropriate jewelry, and high, elaborately decorated crowns. Always, they pose in a straight-backed sitting position, right foot braced against the left knee, and their clenched fists often hold swords or elephant prods.
Another common practice is to install terra-cotta figures of the deities around the inside of a low, walled enclosure. In
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