Tamil Heritage Trust

19/10/2025

THT DOCENT 3.O TRAINING - MALLAI MODULE - SESSION 01 -

THT started the Docent Training program 3rd batch - Mallai module on saturday 11th October.
Earlier sessions on Module -I - Temples was conducted on 6,13,20 at Arkay Centre , Mylapore and Manimangalam temples ..

The objectve of the day was to make participant familiar with History, Architecture , sculpture and inscriptions of Mahabalipuram by way of lectures & Interactions
Another interesting innovation is 4 of the Docent Training Batch 2 Heritage guides - Suresh Priyan and Krishnakumar G taking the leap and handling sessions , showcasing the suceess of the training program

the coverage was
01 Itinery Planning & Mallai - Sivasankar Babu
02 Structural Rock Temples - Kishone Mahadevan
03 Bas Relief - Krishna Kumar G
04 Cave Mandapas - Suresh Priyan
05 Mamallology - Ravishankar T
06 Monolithic Rathas & Inscriptions - Badri

Next week plan is for the mentors will given practical demo to the participants on how to present monumnets o the tourists , at onsite mallai location ..

Thanks for the THT community in actively supporting this and sharing widely to bring more members for expanding the base.

If anyone is interested in participating such future batches , you can contact
Shanthi Balu - Program Manager - ‪+91 94443 64075‬ OR
Sivasankar Babu - Program Mentor - ‪+91 98400 68123‬

20/09/2025

THT DOCENT TRAINING BATCH 3 - SESSION 3 UPDATES - 20TH SEP 2025
Following the first two sessions of Temples module , with session 1 on the concepts session in-house and session 2 on mentors doing demo live at a monument , the session 3 was on the reverse presentation by the participants ..
This was held in manimangalam village ( 10 kms from tambaram) where the mentor demos happened last week ..
The mentor team who graduated from Docent Training 2.0 - Suresh, Krishnakumar, Jayakamala, Priya were available to support this and give feedback based on their experience .

Under guidance of Mentor Sivasankar Babu and program manager Shanthi Balu, the participants did demo of how to interpret and convey the History , the kings , architecture , sculpture and inscriptions in these temples in following assigments as a team of two docents ..
01 Manimangalam History and Extant temples
02 Kailasanatha Temple - full coverage
03 Rajagopala Temple - history and overview
04 Rajagopala Temple - interiors - sanctum, prakara & ardha mandapa & iconogrpahy
05 Rajagopala Temple - exteriors - layout - architecture and inscriptions
06 Dharmeswara Temple - interiors - sanctum, ardha mandapa & Architecture
07 Dharmeswara Temple - Exteriors - prakara, iconography & Herostones

The participants were really enthusiastic and did the preparation well and came out with innovative kits like lego bricks , handouts , water to highlight inscriptions . In fact it was a good learning and fresh thinking for the batch 2.0 docents who attended it ..

After Lunch at A2B , Padappai, the program wound up for the day ..
They will be attempting an MCQ Exam tomorrow to complete the Temples module and continue with Mallai module from OCt 11th onwards in the same model.

If anyone is interested in participating such future batches , you can contact
Shanthi Balu - Program Manager - +91 94443 64075 OR
Sivasankar Babu - Program Mentor - +91 98400 68123

14/09/2025

THT DOCENT TRAINING BATCH 3 - SESSION 2 UPDATES - 13TH SEP 2025
Following the theortof the Temple art and architecture and mandalas, in 6 talks , the second session is planned about explaining the concepts by mentors in a live site. This was held in manimangalam village ( 10 kms from tambaram) with a good representation of shiva and vishnu temples. The program started at 0730 in morning with breakfast at Sangeetha , perungalathur and going to manimangalam afterwards in around 7 cars and 2 bikes

The mentor team who graduated from Docent Training 2.0, and who did the presentations last week - Vijay , Krishnan, Hemanth were there, along with additonal docents Krishnakumar, Jayakamala , Priya to support this ..
Under guidance of Mentor Sivasankar Babu and program manager Shanthi Balu they did demo of how to interpret and convey the History , the kings , architecture , sculpture and inscriptions in these temples ..
01 Kailasanatha Temple
02 Rajagopala Temple
03 Dharmeswara Temple
04 Vaikuntha Perumal Temple
The bonus was krishna Madam where two lion pillars of mahendra period from another temple is used in the construction .

The participants were really enthusiastic and with out disturbances , enjoyed the discussions , toucing the inscriptions, tracing the key elements , exploring the sculptures in a very interactive way ..

After Lunch at A2B , Padappai, the program wound up for the day ..

Next week Sep 20th , the participants are being grouped into pairs and given assignements to explain certain sequence within a temple using the interpretation methods they learnt and will be reviewed with constructive feedback from the mentor team .

If anyone is interested in participating such future batches , you can contact
Shanthi Balu - Program Manager - ‪+91 94443 64075‬ OR
Sivasankar Babu - Program Mentor - ‪+91 98400 68123‬

14/09/2025

Tamil Heritage Trust is delighted to share that, Falak Chowdhary, Mumbai-based lecturer, researcher and heritage walk leader, received the THT - Prof S Swaminathan Heritage Award 2025. The winner received the award at a ceremony held at Arkay Convention Center, Mylapore, Chennai on 13-Sep-2025.

The Award instituted by Tamil Heritage Trust, and now in its sixth year, aims to honour the work of individuals under the age of fifty who have made significant contributions in the field of heritage. Falak Chowdhary is the youngest recipient of this award so far.

The award is named after Prof S. Swaminathan, retired Professor from IIT-Delhi and co-founder of the THT. Prof S Swaminathan handed over the award to Falak Chowdhary at the award ceremony.

In her award lecture titled "Mumbai through my lens", Falak Chowdhary spoke about her journey as a learner and heritage walk leader in Mumbai. Her walk outlined the history of Mumbai and its 7 islands, the unification of these islands, and how they have evolved over the centuries. She gave a first hand account of how she brings people from various walks of life through her curated walks at Mumbai’s diverse neighborhoods like Bhendi Bazaar, Mahim, Chor Bazaar and Byculla.

Those event can also be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxbCSs63_60

14/09/2025

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we wish to inform you that next week's Mallai Study Tour stands cancelled.

We plan to conduct this tour on a future date (to be announced later).

Those who registered will receive their registration fee refunded soon.

THT-Mallai Study Tour is a 1.5 day program that introduces elements of temple architecture, Hindu iconography and inscriptions that make Mamallapuram a rich repository of Pallava culture.

The Tour consists of lectures and a guided tour of the monuments.

20 & 21 Sep 2025 (Sat, Sun)

Register : https://bit.ly/THT-Mallai

07/09/2025

THT started the Docent Training program 3rd batch on saturday 6th september .
This session was on Module -I - Temples at Arkay Centre , Mylapore from 9 am to 5 pm
The objectve of the day was to make participant familiar with Heritage and Temple concepts by way of lectures & Interactions
Another interesting innovation is 4 of the Docent Training Batch 2 guides taking the leap and handling sessions , showcasing the suceess of the training program
the coverage was
01 Heritage & Temples - Shanthi Balu
02 Temple architecturel - Sivasankar Babu
03 Temple Mandalas & Evolution - Krishnan Balaraman
04 Temple sculptures - Vijay Bhat
05 Scripts & Inscriptions - Hemanth
06 Guiding Principles - Sivasanakr Babu ( to be handled online)

Next week 13th we are going to Manimangalam temple where the mentors will given practical demo to the participants on how to present this shaiva and vaishnava temple to the tourists

Thanks for the THT community in actively supporting this and sharing widely to bring more members for expanding the base.

If anyone is interested in participating such future batches , you can contact
Shanthi Balu - Program Manager - ‪+91 94443 64075‬ OR
Sivasankar Babu - Program Mentor - ‪+91 98400 68123‬