Vishnu, Śiva, Dévī

Introduction

Śrī Muttusvāmi Dīkshitar has composed songs relating to many different deities.  This is an example of his inclusive outlook.  Many of these deities probably have origins in folk culture. Geographically speaking, folk culture is very localized. Over time, many folk deities became popular deities and their geographic reach expanded — people came on pilgrimage to these places from farther away also.

Broadly speaking, the three main deities addressed in Dīkshitar’s songs are Vishnu (the sustainer), Shiva (the dissolver), and Devi (the Mother Goddess).

Exercises

First, here is our database. The exercises are given after the database. Use this database to complete the exercises. Share your answers in the comments area below the post.

Share your findings, answers, comments, etc. in the comments box below. 
If you are a student, share the full name and location of your institution, and
the grade/class/standard in which you are studying. 

Equally importantly, ask your own geography questions in the comments box.

Some text is in blue, bold, italics in this section —
this is to help you identify some of the geography concepts here.
(Even if you have problems with seeing color, you can still identify these points)
Explore and find others.

1. Name any five (5) places for each of these deities: Vishnu, Shiva, and Devi. Toponymy — place names. Sometimes, the place names directly connect to the name of the deity.
2. In each of these places, identify the local name of the deities. Local names are often manifestations of particular aspects of a deity. They often connect to local place legends (sthala.purāna).
3. How many songs on each of these deities do not have a place identified? This gets you to explore the database in depth. You may find quick and easy ways of doing this — that is the challenge here.
4. Locate the five (5) places you identified in the first task on this Google map. Remember, the spellings of place names in India vary wildly. Why is this? This connects to the diversity of languages in India.
   

Featured image: Corridor in the Akhilāndéśvarī temple, Tiruvānaikkāval, Tamil Nadu, India. © The Institute of Geographical Studies, 2022.