This is not a scientific treatise, but a popular primer to interest saivites in their temple architecture etc. I have called this small book “Sivalaya Silpangal etc.” because most of the examples I have referred to are about saivite temples, but almost all the remarks will equally apply to Vishnu temples also ; I have also to. mention that the word ‘Silpam' in Tamil includes architecture, sculpture, and painting also.
The one great defect of this book is that I have not been able to publish illustrations of the various things mentioned herein; as a great authority says, “an illustration would probably show clearly what has to be described in several pages even "... I have collected the illustrations necessary, but the great cost of preparing blocks thereof and the scarcity of suitable paper to print them, have made me guilty of omitting to illustrate this book. I hope to rectify this defect in the second edition, by which time I hope and trust that the necessary materials could be had for their pre-war-price.
Another difficulty I had to contend with was, that I could not find suitable words in Tamil to translate English words and expressions used in standard English works like those of the late Sir J. Fergusson, Burgess etc. In this and other respects I will be immensely thankful to my readers if they would send me suitable words and expressions better than those that I have used. I will also be thankful for any corrections in the mistakes that I might have made in writing this book, for I claim no originality herein.
I have to conclude by saying, that I intend this work as a sort of introduction to another voluminous work entitled “Siva shrines in India—and beyond" which I have begun publishing. .
