| Temples & Legends Of Kerala |
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| Temples & Legends Of India |
INTRODUCTION |
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| Then there
were small groups of the priestly class who began to enter Kerala in increasing numbers
1from the fifth century onwards. They succeeded in persuading the royalty to conduct
ritual sacrifices for longevity and victory in war. They thus won the moral! Support and
allegiance of the rulers. They also made, them believe that protection of the Brahmins was
an act of virtue on their part. The increased
influx of Aryans had its impact on the religious and cultural fields as vvell at a time
when Jainism land Buddhism started declining. The new Aryan missionaries devoted all their
attention to propaganda against Jainism and Buddhism whose hold on the people was a
stumbling block to their ideological pursuits. They even resorted to iconoclasm of
Buddhist images and At the same time the Nambudiris filled the land with Hindu
temples which by there fixed times of worship enforced a wholesome discipline in the daily
life of the People. In fact it has been rightly said "the temple, as an institution
was an Aryan gift to South India." Several temple arts and festivals were instituted
to attract; devotees. The worship of Hindu gods and goddesses like Vishnu, Siva, etc; were
made popular. |
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About Introduction |
