Exploring the musical pillars of Nellaiyappar Temple in Tamil Nadu

The musical pillars in the Arulmigu Nellaiyappar Temple in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, consist of many clusters, varying from 4 to 48 pillars each. These pillars were built in the 7th century and are made of a specific kind of granite rock. By tapping one of the pillars by hand, musical notes are produced. Interestingly, this tapping causes the vibrations to be transmitted to the nearby sub-pillars. To comprehend on how the musical notes are produced and how vibrations are transferred to the clusters, an extensive experimental investigation was carried out. By positioning the accelerometers at a few pillars and tapping at the same pillar or other sub-pillars, the vibrations were measured. Along with the vibrations, a microphone was used to record the sound produced. A metrological laser type 3-D scanner was used to generate 3-D CAD models of the pillars. The free vibration characteristics of the pillars are subsequently determined using finite element methods, and the results are then compared with data that has been measured. A transient analysis has been carried out to understand how the wave is propagated from the stimulated pillar to the neighbouring pillars. Comparisons of simulation results with experimental measurements are presented.