Held in Amma’s light: The enchantment and political efficacy of gopurams in Tamilnadu

This chapter examines the enchantment of gopurams in a discussion that extends material culture articulations of agency, iconicity, and corporeal vision to meet the comparatively nascent ‘anthropology of luminosity’ by considering the material qualities of light within politically charged a/effective ‘atmospheres’. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s pirandanaal is a particularly significant date for the AIADMK party, given that the birthdays of leaders are always marked occasions, before and after their deaths. Jayalalithaa’s packaging as Amma therefore evolved to become an image regime that pursued a material politics that would resonate within Tamil society. However, in Tamilnadu, a chief minister’s birthday is recognised through a variety of events in cities throughout the state, organised by the party and local civic leaders. Despite their purchase through public funds, Amma ‘gave’ thousands of items through highly publicised ceremonies, the photographs of which were included in scores of large posters pasted along the streets of Tamilnadu’s urban centres, including Madurai.