Temples of Alappuzha District

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The background of taking up this exhaustive study needs little elaboration The Census Organization of India undertook a study on temples of Madras State as an ancillary study of the 1961 Census. This study evoked keen interest among scholars, the Government and statutory bodies of Kerala Late Sree R. Vasudeva Poduval a renowned Archaeologist, requested the Registrar General, India date Sree A Chandrasekhar) as early as 199 to launch a study on temples of Kerala similar to the one that was conducted in Madras state and the latter readily agreed to this suggestion. The study could not be taken up due to heavy pressure of work in connection with the 1971 Census. In 1973, the Travancore Devaswam Board also came up with a similar request, but the backlog of census work of 1971 Census stood in the way in launching the study. In 1979, the Advisor to the Government of Kerala on Temples and Traditional Arts again requested the Director of Census Operations to commence the study. Some unforeseen circumstances prevented the organization from taking up the study at that time. However, in May 1990, the Government of Kerala again requested the Census Directorate to take up a detailed survey on temples of Kerala and the then Registrar General (Sree AR Nanda IAS) directed the Census Directorate, Kerala to commence the survey in June 1991. The schedule, which was canvassed throughout the State, was finalized in consultation with lantris and silpis. Sree AR Nanda, IAS (former Registrar General, India), Dr. K. P. Itäman (former Deputy Registrar General, India) and Sree K.C. Nārāyaṇa Kurup (former Deputy Director of Census Operations, Madras) gave invaluable suggestions in designing and finalizing the schedule.

The present monograph of Temples of Alappuzha district is the eleventh publication in the District series of Study of Temples of Kerala. This monograph contains detailed write-up on 118 temples of the district, in addition to attractive photographs.

The present report is the outcome of the concerted efforts of Shri S. Jayashanker, retired Deputy Director of Census Operations, Kerala The present work meticulously completed by him reveals his basic understanding of the intricacy of the various facets of the Indian temples.

It is expected that the voluminous details presented in the current report will definitely fulfill the purpose and the aim of which the study is undertaken The efforts made by the author will definitely go a long way to enrich the already existing literature on the subject. I do hope that this work will be received by the readers as well as by the research scholars alike.