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The Supreme Court has asked a committee appointed by the Madras High Court to identify Agamic temples in Tamil Nadu rather than non-Agamic temples within three months.

What are the Agamas?

• The Agamas are a compilation of post-Vedic scriptures that provide ritual knowledge and serve as manuals for temple management. 
• The name literally means tradition or "that which has come down," and the Agama writings describe cosmology, epistemology, philosophical concepts, precepts on meditation and practices, four types of yoga, mantras, temple architecture, deity worship, and methods for achieving sixfold wants. 
• The origins and chronology of Agamas are uncertain.
• The Agamic traditions are occasionally referred to as Tantrism, while the name "Tantra" is more commonly used to refer to Shakta Agamas.

Focus on four aspects:

• Jnana (Knowledge)
• Yoga (Meditation)
• Kriya (Rituals)
• Charya (Ways of Worship)

Main Branches:

• Shaiva Agamas—Worship of Lord Shiva.
• Vaishnava—Worship of Lord Vishnu.
• Shakta Agamas—Worship of Adi Shakti (Goddess Durga/Kali).

Important Agamic text:

• Isvara-Samhita
• Narada-Pancharatra
• Spanda-Pradipika
• Mahanirvana-Tantra

Vedic Significance

• Do not receive authority from the Vedas, but possess a Vedic spirit and character.
• Some verses dispute Vedic authority, while others support Vedic beliefs.

Historic Significance

• Some researchers argue that they are post-Vedic, while others say they precede the Vedas.
• According to epigraphic evidence, Agamas existed throughout the Pallava dynasty (mid-1st millennium CE).
• Many South Indian temples, particularly in Tamil Nadu, use Agamic traditions for daily rituals and festivals.

Source: The Hindu