Suchindram Temple

Groups of slender columns carved from single blocks of granite which sound at different pitches when struck. Several south Indian temples have examples and Suchindram’s are among the finest. They are demonstrated by temple staff rather than played by visitors, and how the effect was achieved in the carving is genuinely not fully understood — which is the interesting part. Ask specifically to be shown them, because they are easy to walk straight past.

Because it is dedicated jointly to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, which the name Thanumalayan encodes — a joint dedication to all three is rare. It is also very large for a temple most visitors treat as a roadside stop: a gopuram of about forty metres, long pillared corridors dense with Nayak-period sculpture, the musical pillars, and a Hanuman figure of about twenty-two feet carved from a single block of stone.

Men are required to remove their shirts to enter the inner areas, which is standard at many Tamil temples and catches visitors out with some regularity. Everyone should have shoulders and knees covered, and footwear comes off outside. Non-Hindu visitors are generally welcome in the outer areas; the innermost sanctum is restricted, which is normal across south India and is not a slight.

Morning and late afternoon into the evening, with a closure of several hours in the middle of the day as at most Tamil temples. Morning is cooler and quieter and is when most itineraries pass; late afternoon is when the temple is busiest with worshippers and most alive. Timings vary, so check the day rather than assuming — arriving during the midday closure is a common and avoidable disappointment.

Forty-five minutes covers the gopuram, the corridors and the musical pillars properly. Twenty minutes is what a hurried comfort stop allows and it sells the place badly short. An hour if a demonstration of the pillars can be arranged, which is worth asking for and for which a small offering is customary. Every itinerary that drives the coast to or from Kanyakumari breaks the journey here.

The stone floors get extremely hot underfoot from mid-morning onward and you will be barefoot — socks are a reasonable solution and are commonly worn by visitors. Cameras and phones are restricted inside and there is a deposit counter, which is easier than arguing at the gate. Small change is useful for the deposit, for guides and for offerings. The floors are uneven old stone throughout.