ABSTRACT
Section V of the handbook emphasizes the extensive sacred geography of early temples that included both the natural environment, other significant shrines, and settlements, as the image of the deity travelled beyond its physical sacred precincts to connect with communities or patrons, worshippers, retainers, royalty and other devotees. These peregrinations of the deity are crucial to comprehend the social and cultural landscape of the temple, as additional structures, such as monasteries were included and the shrine acquired functions as alms houses and centres of learning. In many cases, the temple itself became the nucleus of economic growth and trade in metals, salt and ritual objects such as camphor. Temples were the locales for fairs and markets during festivals and for pilgrims and devotees visiting the shrines. Scholars refer to the difficulty in separating the growth of religious architecture in the Tamil region from that of towns and suggest that both followed a parallel formation.
