Hinduism

Abbe Dubois's account of south Indian customs published

Abbe J. A. Dubois's account of south Indian customs and institutions appeared in London in an English translation.

Madras Regulation VII of 1817 on temple endowments

The Madras government passed Regulation VII of 1817, the first explicit Company legislation on the management of temple endowments.

Birth of Ramalinga Swamigal (Vallalar)

Ramalinga Swamigal, the Tamil saint-poet known as Vallalar, was born at Marudur near Chidambaram.

Death of composer Syama Sastri

Syama Sastri, the eldest of the Trinity of Carnatic music, died in 1827.

Ayya Vaikundar begins his mission

Ayya Vaikundar began the teachings that gave rise to Ayyavazhi, a movement that challenged caste rules in southern Travancore.

Ayya Vaikundar imprisoned by the Travancore king

Ayya Vaikundar, founder of Ayyavazhi, was arrested on the orders of the Travancore king and held at Singarathoppe jail.

Arumuka Navalar receives his title at Thiruvaduthurai

Travelling to Madras to acquire a printing press, Jaffna scholar Arumuka Pillai received the title Navalar from the Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam.

Ayya Vaikundar's mission ends

Ayyavazhi tradition records that Ayya Vaikundar's earthly mission ended on 2 June 1851.

Vallalar starts the Samarasa Vedha Sanmarga Sangam

Vallalar, or Ramalinga Swamigal, formed a fellowship of devotees against caste distinctions, which was later renamed the Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Sathya Sangam.

Vallalar opens the Sathya Gnana Sabhai at Vadalur

At Vadalur, Ramalinga Swamigal (Vallalar) opened the Sathya Gnana Sabhai, which taught compassion for every living being regardless of caste.

Disappearance of Vallalar

Ramalinga Swamigal shut himself in a room and told followers not to open it; when officials broke in that May, nobody was inside.

Death of Shaiva reformer Arumuka Navalar

Arumuka Navalar, the Jaffna scholar who revived Shaiva Tamil learning in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu and printed early Tamil classics, died.

Theosophical Society moves headquarters to Adyar

Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott moved the headquarters of the Theosophical Society to Adyar in Madras.

Salem riots of 1882

Hindu-Muslim riots broke out in Salem over a procession route past a new mosque; the trials that followed made C. Vijayaraghavachariar famous.

Brahmavadin journal launched in Madras

Brahmavadin, a journal of Vedanta, was launched by Alasinga Perumal and fellow Madras followers of Swami Vivekananda.

Ramana Maharshi arrives at Tiruvannamalai

Aged sixteen, Venkataraman, afterwards known as Ramana Maharshi, left Madurai for Arunachala hill at Tiruvannamalai and remained there until his death.

Prabuddha Bharata journal founded in Madras

Started in Madras in July 1896 on Swami Vivekananda's encouragement, Prabuddha Bharata was an English-language journal of the Ramakrishna movement.

Swami Vivekananda visits Madras

Returning from the West, Swami Vivekananda stayed at the Ice House on the Madras beach from 6 to 14 February 1897.

Chandrasekharendra Saraswati becomes head of the Kanchi Matha

On 13 February 1907 Swaminathan was installed as the 68th pontiff of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, taking the name Chandrasekharendra Saraswati.

Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act

A law passed under the Justice Party government placed Hindu temple endowments under the oversight of a statutory board.

Travancore Temple Entry Proclamation

The Maharaja of Travancore opened state temples to all Hindus regardless of caste, including temples in present-day Kanyakumari district.

Madras Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act enacted

The Madras legislature outlawed the dedication of girls to temples as devadasis, ending a long reform campaign.

Death of Ramana Maharshi at Tiruvannamalai

The sage Ramana Maharshi died at Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, where he had lived for over five decades.

Order allowing people of all castes to become temple priests

A 1970 order of the Karunanidhi government opened priesthood in public temples to all castes; in 1972 the Supreme Court struck it down.

Vivekananda Rock Memorial opened at Kanyakumari

A memorial to Swami Vivekananda was completed on a rock off the coast of Kanyakumari after a nationwide fundraising campaign.

Hindu Munnani founded in Tamil Nadu

The Hindu Munnani, a Hindutva organisation set up with RSS backing, was founded in Tamil Nadu by Ramagopalan.

Meenakshipuram mass conversion

Several hundred Dalits in Meenakshipuram village in Tirunelveli district converted from Hinduism to Islam, citing caste discrimination.

Mandaikadu Hindu-Christian clashes

Tensions between Hindus and Christians in Kanyakumari district escalated during the Mandaikadu temple festival, leading to police firing and deaths.

Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur, declared a World Heritage Site

The 11th-century Brihadisvara Temple built by Rajaraja I at Thanjavur was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Srirangam temple Rajagopuram completed

The 73-metre main gateway tower of the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam was completed after centuries.

Mahamaham stampede at Kumbakonam

A stampede at the Mahamaham tank in Kumbakonam during the 12-yearly festival killed 48 pilgrims.

Coimbatore communal riots

The killing of a traffic constable in Coimbatore was followed by communal riots in which 18 Muslims and 2 Hindus were killed.

Annadhanam free meal scheme in temples

Jayalalithaa launched free daily meals for devotees in 63 temples, funded by endowments from donors; it was later expanded to hundreds of temples.

Arrest of the Kanchi Shankaracharya

Jayendra Saraswathi of the Kanchi math was arrested in the Sankararaman murder case; he and the other accused were acquitted in 2013.

Ram Setu affidavit controversy

A government affidavit telling the Supreme Court there was no historical proof that Adam's Bridge was built by Rama intensified opposition to the Sethusamudram canal.

Sripuram golden temple consecrated near Vellore

The gold-covered Sri Lakshmi Narayani temple at Sripuram near Vellore was consecrated on 24 August 2007.

Palani panchamirtham gets geographical indication

Palani Murugan temple's panchamirtham offering was the first temple prasadam in Tamil Nadu to receive a GI tag.

Priests of all castes appointed to state temples

The government appointed trained archakas from many castes, including non-Brahmins, to temples under the HR and CE department.

Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks on Sanatana Dharma

Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's call to eradicate Sanatana Dharma drew national controversy and court cases.