What to wear, and what happens inside

Cover your shoulders and your knees. For women a saree, salwar kameez or a long skirt with a top that covers the shoulders is always safe; for men, trousers or a dhoti with a shirt. Shorts, short skirts and sleeveless tops are the usual reasons someone is turned away at the door. Nothing needs to be new or formal — it needs to be modest.

At certain traditional Shaivite temples, yes — men are asked to remove their upper garment before entering the inner sanctum, leaving the chest bare, sometimes with an angavastram over the shoulder. It is not universal and it is not usually enforced at the larger heritage temples, but it does catch visitors out. If you would rather not, ask before you join the queue rather than at the sanctum.

Yes, always, and usually before the outer wall rather than at the sanctum. Most temples have a footwear stand outside, often for a small fee. The stone can get genuinely hot by midday — socks are permitted at most temples and are worth carrying if you feel the heat.

It varies, and the distinction that matters is between the temple grounds and the inner sanctum. Photography in the grounds is commonly allowed; photography of the main deity is very commonly forbidden. Many temples charge separately for a camera and again for video. Look for the sign, and if there isn't one, ask — the rule is enforced by people, not gates.

At most temples in Tamil Nadu, yes, including the great Chola temples at Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram, which are visited freely by people of every background. A small number of temples restrict the innermost sanctum to Hindus. Where that applies it is signposted, and the rest of the complex is normally still open.

Prasadam is food that has been offered to the deity and is given back to worshippers — often sweet pongal, sugar, or vibhuti (sacred ash) and kumkum. Accepting it with the right hand is the courteous thing to do. There is no obligation to eat it immediately.

Nothing is compulsory. If a priest performs an archanai in your name, a small offering is customary — what people actually give varies enormously and nobody will be counting. Temples also have hundi collection boxes if you would rather give that way.

Darshan is the act of seeing, and being seen by, the deity — the moment you reach the sanctum. How long you wait for it depends entirely on the temple and the day: minutes at a quiet village shrine, hours during a festival at a major one. Several temples offer a paid special-darshan queue that is shorter.

Do not point your feet at the sanctum or at a deity, do not turn your back on the sanctum as you leave (people step back a few paces first), do not touch the sculptures, and keep your voice down inside. Leather items are discouraged at some temples. None of this is tested — the general expectation is that you follow what the people around you are doing.

Early morning, for three reasons: the stone underfoot is cool, the crowds are thinner, and most temples close for several hours in the middle of the day and reopen in the late afternoon. Our own tours depart early for exactly this reason.