The art of stone-carving as also the building-carft, including temple-building, have a very long tradition in this country. One who is well-versed in this Shastra is called a Sthapati (Architect and Engineer). But, as the granite stone is found only in southern parts of the country, those conversant with work on granite, are only in the south and that too, mostly in Tamil Nadu.

The Pallavas, Pandyas, Cholas and vijayanagaram rulers of the south built several temples which stand, to this day, a testimony to the genius of these Sthapatis in designing and excecuting mangnificent edifices.

Later, during the British rule, the Nattukottai chettiars, the famous traditional bankers of Tamil Nadu, known for their charity and religious fervour, devoted a substantial portion of the wealth they earned in their trade with far eastern countries like burma, Malaya, Singapore etc, to temple building till their trade dwindled down and their wealth diminished considerably after the 2nd world war.

This traditional community of stone-carvers traces its origin to the sage Vishwakarma. From that sage, they believe, originated their class of Shilpis capable of building cities, temples, palaces and other temporal and religious types of edifices. Among this class, those who excelled in the art were called Sthapatis and families maintaining their excellence from generation to generations, came to be known as Acharis.