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Thirupugazh
The ''Tiruppugal'' (Tamil: , ''Thiruppugazh'', IPA/Tamil: , meaning 'Holy Praise' or 'Divine Glory'), sometimes spelled ''Thiruppugazh'', is a 14th-century anthology of Tamil religious songs dedicated to Murugan (Kartikeya), the son of Shiva, written by the poet-saint Arunagirinathar (Tamil: , ', ). The anthology is considered one of the central works of medieval Tamil literature, both for its poetical and musical qualities, and for its religious, moral and philosophical content. Description There are no historical records of the life of Arunagirinathar, and what we know of the composition of the Thiruppugazh is largely derived from oral traditions and legends recorded in commentaries on the work. According to these, Arunagirinathar led a hedonistic life as a young man. His disgust at his own conduct led him to attempt suicide by jumping off the temple tower at Tiruvannamalai. He was saved by Murugan himself. Arunagirinathar was transformed, and began a long pilgrimage, visi ...
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Tamil Language
Tamil (, , , also written as ''Tamizhil'' according to linguistic pronunciation) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. It is one of the longest-surviving classical languages in the world,. "Tamil is one of the two longest-surviving classical languages in India" (p. 7). attested since 300 BC, 300 BCE.: "...the most acceptable periodisation which has so far been suggested for the development of Tamil writing seems to me to be that of A Chidambaranatha Chettiar (1907–1967): 1. Sangam Literature – 200BC to AD 200; 2. Post Sangam literature – AD 200 – AD 600; 3. Early Medieval literature – AD 600 to AD 1200; 4. Later Medieval literature – AD 1200 to AD 1800; 5. Pre-Modern literature – AD 1800 to 1900" at p. 610 Tamil was the lingua franca for early maritime traders in South India, with Tamil inscriptions found outside of the Indian subcontinent, such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Egypt. The language has a well-documented history wit ...
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Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India by population, sixth largest by population, Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, who speak the Tamil language—the state's official language and one of the longest surviving Classical languages of India, classical languages of the world. The capital and largest city is Chennai. Located on the south-eastern coast of the Indian peninsula, Tamil Nadu is straddled by the Western Ghats and Deccan Plateau in the west, the Eastern Ghats in the north, the Eastern Coastal Plains lining the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait to the south-east, the Laccadive Sea at the southern Cape (geography), cape of the peninsula, with the river Kaveri bisecting the state. Politically, Tamil Nadu is bound by the Indian sta ...
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Karaikudi
Karaikudi is the largest city of Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the centre of the Karaikudi Metropolitan Area, the 21st largest urban Agglomeration of Tamil Nadu based on 2011 census data. It is part of the area commonly referred to as '' Chettinad'' and has been declared a City Municipal Corporation by the Government of Tamil Nadu, on account of the palatial houses built with limestone called ''Kaarai veedu''. which undergoes major developments as part of Government Schemes. Karaikudi comes under the Karaikudi Assembly constituency, which elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years, and it is a part of the Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency, which elects its member of parliament (MP) once in five years. The city is administered by the greater Karaikudi Municipal corporation. This metropolitan city had a population of 303,291 in 2023. This metropolitan area consists of Karaikudi City Corporation which includes ...
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Carnatic Music
Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha. It is one of three main subgenres of Indian classical music that evolved from ancient Hindu texts and traditions, particularly the Samaveda. (The other two are Hindustani music and Odissi music.) The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in ''gāyaki'' (singing) style. Although there are stylistic differences, the basic elements of (the relative musical pitch), (the musical sound of a single note), (the mode or melodic formulae), and (the rhythmic cycles) form the foundation of improvisation and composition in both Carnatic and Hindustani music. Although improvisation plays an important role, Carnatic music is mainly sung ...
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Bhajan
Bhajan is an Indian term for any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Dharmic religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' (Sanskrit: भज्), which means ''to revere'', as in 'Bhaja Govindam' (''Revere Govinda'')''. ''The term bhajana also means ''sharing''. The term bhajan is also commonly used to refer to a group event, with one or more lead singers, accompanied with music, and sometimes dancing. Normally, bhajans are accompanied by percussion instruments such as ''tabla'', dholak or a tambourine. Handheld small cymbals (''kartals'') are also commonly used to maintain the beat. A bhajan may be sung in a temple, in a home, under a tree in the open, near a river bank or a place of historic significance.Anna King, John Brockington, ''The Intimate Other: Love Divine in Indic Religions'', Orient Longman 2005, p 179. A group of bhajan performers m ...
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Chidambaram
Chidambaram is a major town and municipality in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, on the banks of the Vellar River where it meets the Bay of Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Chidambaram taluk. The town is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by the Pallavas until ninth century, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Vijayanagara Empire, Thanjavur Nayakas, Marathas and the British. The town is known for the Thillai Nataraja Temple and Thillai Kali Temple, and the annual chariot festival held in the months of December–January (In the Tamil month of Marghazhi known as "Margazhi Urchavam") and June to July (In the Tamil month of Aani known as "Aani Thirumanjanam"). One of the Divya Desams Divya Sri Govindaraja Perumal Temple (Thiruchitrakoodam) is a part of Thillai Nataraja Temple complex. Thiruvetkalam Shiva Temple, Vadakiruppu, Thirunelvayil Shiva Temple, Sivapuri and Tirukkazhippalai Palvannan ...
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Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including all of present-day Andhra Pradesh, almost all of Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha and Telangana in the modern day. The city of Madras was the winter capital of the presidency and Ooty (Udagamandalam) was the summer capital. The Madras State was neighboured by the Kingdom of Mysore to the northwest, the Kingdom of Cochin and Kingdom of Travancore to the southwest, the Kingdom of Pudukkottai in the center, and the Hyderabad State to the north. Some parts of the presidency were also flanked by Bombay State ( Konkan Districts) and Central States (modern Madhya Pradesh). In 1639, the English East India Company purchased the village of Madraspatnam and one year later it establis ...
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Vallimalai
Vallimalai is a village in Katpadi taluk ( Vellore North Taluk ) of Vellore district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is located from Vellore City and it is near Ponnai. It is known for Subramaniyar temple, a Hindu temple for Murugan. is the place where , the daughter of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi was born (according to legends, via the sweat drop from Lakshmi that fell on the grass at this place, and later on consumed by a female deer, thereafter was born to the Deer). Raised up by the Chief of the tribe, grew up to be a beautiful damsel. Narada muni recounted about to thereafter went to woo the damsel . After several vain attempts and finally with Lord Ganesha's help, and are united. They elope from and get married, settle down at Thanigai ( Thirutthani). There is another place by name Vellimalai, near Kanyakumari and Nagercoil bordering with Kerala State, which subscribes to the same story, where in Valli was born to marry with Murugan in a love marriage. is a dear ...
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Sadhu
''Sadhu'' (, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female), also spelled ''saddhu'') is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. They are sometimes alternatively referred to as'' yogi'', ''sannyasa, sannyasi'' or ''vairagi''. Sādhu means one who practises a 'sadhana' or keenly follows a path of spiritual discipline.″Autobiography of an Yogi″, Yogananda, Paramhamsa, Jaico Publishing House, 127, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Bombay Fort Road, Bombay (Mumbai) – 400 0023 (ed.1997) p.16 Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogi, yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. A sādhu's life is solely dedicated to achieving moksha, mokṣa (liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth), the fourth and final Ashrama (stage), aśrama (stage of life), through meditation and contemplation of Brahman. Sādhus often wear simple clothing, such as saffron-coloured clothing in Hinduism and white or nothing in Jainism, ...
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Valli
Valli () is a devi, Hindu goddess, and the second consort of the deity Murugan. An incarnation of the goddess Sundaravalli, daughter of Vishnu, Valli is born on earth as the daughter of a chieftain, leading a life of a huntress. Murugan, the god of war, eventually woos and weds her, according to Tamil mythology, Tamil folklore. Both of their legends originate from the mountain region also known as Sangam landscape, Kurunji in Tamilakam. Her sister, Devasena, Amritavalli (Devasena), also succeeds in marrying Murugan as the adopted daughter of Indra, making them sister-wives. Nomenclature ''Vaḷḷi'' is used to refer to many Village deities of South India, local or Grāmadevatā, Village gods in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in India and by the Rodiya and Vedda peoples of Sri Lanka. Vaḷḷi is also known as ''Pongi'' at Vallimalai in Vellore district, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, and the pond from which she drew water to quench the thirst of Murugan is still there. This pond, though in an o ...
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Narikurava
The Narikkuṟava are an indigenous group from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. During British rule in India they were placed under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871. Hence they stigmatized for a long time, including after Independence. They were denotified in 1952. The stigma continues. Origins A theory propounded in 1966 by Werth and Fraser, authorities on the "Gypsies" of Europe, they believe that the Domar are the ancestors of the Romani people and, therefore, the Narikuravas are related to the Romani. Conservation and Mobile Indigenous Peoples, p 265 Language The Narikuravas speak the unclassified Indo-Aryan language called Vaagri Booli., Pg 48 Due to this reason, they are also known as Vagris or Vagrivalas. Conservation and Mobile Indigenous Peoples, p 264 Almost all Narikuravas are well-versed in Tamil. However, most of the Narikurava liturgical hymns and folk songs are in Vagriboli. Sub-divisions Although all vagirivala or kuruvikarar come under one roof ba ...
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Sangam Landscape
The Sangam landscape (Tamil language, Tamil: அகத்திணை "inner classification") is the name given to a poetic device that was characteristic of love poetry in classical Tamil language, Tamil Sangam literature. The core of the device was the categorisation of poems into different ''tiṇai''s or modes, depending on the nature, location, mood and type of relationship represented by the poem. Each ''tiṇai'' was closely associated with a particular landscape, and imagery associated with that landscape—its flowers, trees, wildlife, people, climate and geography—was woven into the poem in such a way as to convey a mood, associated with one aspect of a romantic relationship. Symbolism Classical Tamil love poetry assigns the human experiences it describes, and in particular the subjective topics that those experiences relate to, to specific habitats. Every situation in the poems is described using themes in which the time, the place and the floral symbols of each ...
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