The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism (2 Vol Set)

Temple Cars

Name for the ceremonial carts in which
the movable image of a deity(utsava
murti) can be transported throughout
the town or, in the case of the temples of
southern India, around the processional
streets that often ring the temple in con-
centric layers. In some cases the carts
are made new every year, as at the tem-
ple of the god Jagannathin the city of
Puri; in other cases (as one finds in
many of the southern Indian temples)
the temple car is one of the deity’s

standard accouterments, and it is made

from precious metals and is richly deco-

rated. In either case the deity is being

treated in a manner parallel to that of a

king, and the car is a means to move the

deity in procession to view his or her

earthly domain.

Tengalai

One of the two main subsects in

the Shrivaishnavareligious community,

the other being the Vadagalai. The

Tengalai

Temple car from the city of Shrirangapatnam, in the state of Karnataka. It is used to transport an image of

the temple’s primary deity during festival processions.