In this innovative study, Gita V. Pai traces the history of the Pudu Mandapam (Tamil for "new hall") — a Hindu temple structure in Madurai — through the rise and fall of empires in south India from the 17th century to the present. This wide-ranging work illustrates how south Indian temples became entangled in broader conflicts over sovereignty, from early modern Nayaka kings, to British colonial rule, to the post-independence government today. Drawing from methodologies in anthropology, religious studies, and art and architectural history, the author argues that the small temple site provides profound insight into the relationship between aesthetics, sovereignty, and religion in modern South Asia.

The author was a Townsend Fellow in 2005-06.