They were a family of Brahmins from Hyderabad – or Cyberabad, as they liked to call it – and they were all computer programmers. They talked proudly of the booming high-tech industry that had sprung up in their city: of the outsourcing deals they were negotiating with US companies, of the programming contracts they had just closed with a group in Houston, and of the 'health-care software solutions' they were finalising with the National Health Service in the UK. None of this, however, had in the least bit altered their desire to do darshan – to glimpse the gods – in all the most ancient Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu.
The Venkatramans were two weeks into their tour when I met them – heads bowed, palms raised just outside the main image-chamber in the Ekambareswarar temple in the great South Indian temple city of Kanchipuram. All around stood some of the finest medieval sculptures in India. The shrine at the heart of the temple was built by the great Pallava kings who ruled over much of South India during the seventh century AD, and around us superb mithuna couples – beautiful divine lovers – were entangled amorously around the jambs of the doorway. This did not, however, seem to be of much interest to the Venkatramans, who were all too busy with the temple's evening aarti (fire) ceremony.
As cymbals clashed and drums clattered, the giant temple nagashwaram blew a succession of fanfares that echoed around the thousand-pillared hall like a great screech of peacocks. Inside the sanctuary, in the light of flickering camphor lights, three half-naked Brahmins with oiled torsos, threads over their shoulders and rudraksha rosaries circled the central Shiva lingam with burning splints reciting Sanskrit prayers. Peering over the railings, the Venkatramans jostled to catch a glimpse of the earthen lingam at the shadowy heart of the sanctuary. Several chanted 'Mahadev!' (Great lord!) as the camphor flames licked higher. Then they all crowded around to have their heads anointed with vibhuti (sacred ash) by the temple priests. Other Brahmins handed around jasmine flowers and sweets blessed by the deity, in return for which the Venkatramans handed over their offerings.
Afterwards, we sipped chai in one of the tea stalls that had sprung up in the outer cloisters of the temple. The family talked about their whistlestop Tamil pilgrimage, and their plan to see no less than ten of the great South Indian temples in two weeks: