A Tale of Two Cēvais: Araiyar Cēvai and Kaittala Cēvai at the Āṇṭāḷ Temple in Srivilliputtur

Archana Venkatesan

A Tale of Two Cēvais: Araiyar Cēvai and Kaittala Cēvai at the Āṇṭāḷ Temple in Srivilliputtur

Authors

Archana Venkatesan

Keywords:

Āṇṭāḷ, Araiyar Cēvai, Kaittala Cēvai, Srivilliputtur, liturgical performance, Divya Prabandham

Abstract

The article A Tale of Two Cēvais by Archana Venkatesan explores the dual ritual performance traditions at the Āṇṭāḷ temple—Araiyar Cēvai and Kaittala Cēvai. Venkatesan highlights how liturgical drama and hand-gestured storytelling transform Tamil bhakti poetry into embodied, multisensory theology enacted in sacred space.