A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c18.19

c18.19

‘Adult education’ was provided throughout the country by endowments in temples for the recitation and exposition of the epics and Purāṇas. An intelligent and popular expositor seldom confined himself to the words of his text, but at once instructed and amused his audience by ranging over a variety of topics including shrewd comments on current affairs. This form of popular instruction is not unknown even at the present day. The singing of devotional hymns in temples by choirs regularly maintained for that purpose and the training of young men for the same purpose in schools generally attached to *mathas* is another side of education that deserves notice. Besides *mathas*, Jain *pallis* and Buddhist *vihāras* played a part in educating the people wherever they existed, and they had large libraries of books in all branches of learning which were being copied from time to time.