hi, am forwarding a mail invite from Swaminathan sir and also adding an interesting bio of the author from the site below. Interesting reading, especially
*"The upper sanctum of the temple originally housed a venerated image of Vishnu. Following the tenth-century conquest of the region by the Badami Chalukya dynasty, this statue was removed and lost. However, Prof. Hudson’s explication of the sculptured panels on the first level of the temple revealed that one of these panels is a representation of the missing statue. On a visit to Kanchipuram in 2003, he was surprised to learn that devotees had begun to worship this newly identified representation. How many of us have had the good fortune literally to discover God for others?"*
read on....
Romila Thapar releases the book "Vaikunta Perumal Temple Kanchipuram" as interpreted by D.Dennis Hudson and gives the Dennis Hudson memorial lecture on "Cyclical and Linear time in ancient India" 6 pm Kalakshetra, Thiruvanmiyur Chennai on 7th January 2010. All are welcome. www.prakritifoundation.com