The ancient Tamil country of the classical era extended from River Krishna to the Cape Comorin(Kanyakumari). The classical Tamil literature(Sangam) gives information on the people, their cultural practices and the kingdoms. The Krishna River is one of the longest rivers of India (about 900 km in length). ... The Tiruvalluvar statue The Vivekananda memorial The Gandhi Mandepam Kanyakumari is a town and a cape at the southernmost tip of the Indian peninsula. ... Tamil literature is literature in the Tamil language which most prominently includes the contributions of the Tamil country (or Tamizhagam) history, a large part of which constitutes the modern state of Tamil Nadu in India and some parts of Kerala, Karnataka and Andra pradesh. ... The Sangam is a collection of Tamil literature composed between 1,500 and 2,000 years ago. ...

Ancient Tamil Gods

The Pantheon of Tamil Gods were led by Siva the supreme, Vaiyai or Uma the KoRRavai( Kullabai), Muruga or Vela the Kurinci-Marudak kadavul, ThiruMaal or Maayoan the Mullaikkadavul, VaNCi-IRai( Indira ), NeithaRman( Varuna ), Uthi or JNyaayiRu the El( the Sun ) and Nanna the Mathi( the Moon) . Lord Muruga , Lord Thirumaal , Goddess Vaiyai , Lord VaNCi-IRai and Lord NeithaRman are the lords of KuRiNCi, Mullai, Paalai, Marutham and Neithal lands respectively . Pantheon may refer to: Buildings: Pantheon, Rome, a temple built in 27 BC to all Roman gods, now a Christian church. ... This article is about the Hindu God. ... Uma can refer to: A Hindu goddess, see Uma (goddess). ... This article is about the Hindu deity Skanda; for the Buddhist bodhisattva Skanda, see Skanda (Bodhisattva). ... Bel can mean: A unit of measurement for proportions and ratios; see Decibel and dB(A) The title of a Semitic god; see Bel (god) A Celtic deity; see Belenus Hindi name of the Bengal Quince tree or its fruit. ... Marduk [märdook] (Sumerian spelling in Akkadian AMAR.UTU solar calf; Biblical Merodach) was the name of a late generation god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon, who, when Babylon permanently became the political center of the Euphrates valley in the time of Hammurabi... Narayana (नारायण) or Narayan originates as an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu and is in many contemporary vernaculars, a common Indian name. ... Indira could be related to any of these. ... This article is about the god. ... EL or El may mean: Electroluminescence, an optical and electrical phenomenon where a material such as a natural blue diamond emits light when an electric current is passed through it. ... For other uses, see Sun (disambiguation). ... Nanna is the name of two deities: God of the moon in Sumerian mythology and Nanna, the wife of Balder in Norse mythology There is also a kind of Corsican music called nanna. ... Crust composition Oxygen 43% Silicon 21% Aluminium 10% Calcium 9% Iron 9% Magnesium 5% Titanium 2% Nickel 0. ...

Tamil months and the six seasons

They were Thai( starting on January 14) , Moanji , Polanurrai , Ootrai, Puyaazhi, Aandri , Eyyann , Iruvann , Pulatrtrai , Eenjam , Itrtrai and Panmizh aka Pozhimizh( December last half and January first half ). Starting from Thai thingall, every two seasons constitute a season or Perumpozhuthu , such as :

• Ilavaenil , the spring in Thai and Moanji ,
• Muthuvaenil , the summer in Polanurrai , Ootrai
• Kaar , the rainy season in Puyaazhi, Aandri
• Koo Uthir , the autumn in Eyyann , Iruvann
• Munpani , the first winter in Pulatrtrai , Eenjam and the
• Pinpani , the second winter in Itrtrai and Panmizh aka Pozhimizh

Ancient Tamil festivals

• Pongal, the festival of harvest and spring, thanking Lord Muruga and Lord El , comes on January 14/15 .
• PeruVaenil Kadavizha, the festival for wishing quick and easy passage of the mid-summer months , on the day when the Sun or El stands directly above the head at noon( the start of Agni Natchaththiram ) at the southern tip of ancient Tamil land . This day comes on April 14/15 .
• Mazhai Vizha, aka Indhira Vizha, the festival for want of rain , celebrated for one full month starting from the fullmoon in Cittirai and completed on the fullmoon in Vaikaasi( coincides with Buddhapurnima ) .
• Thaip-poosam and Vaikaasi-visaagam, the festivals of Tamil God Muruga's birth and accession to the Thirupparankundram Koodal Academy , coming on the day before the fullmoons of Thai and Vaikaasi .
• Suranazhivu Vizha, the slaying of legendary Kadamba Ashur king Surabadma, by Lord Muruga , comes on the sixth day after newmoon in Kaarthigai .
• Vaadai Vizha or Vadavazhi Vizha, the festival of welcoming the Lord El back to home , as He turns northward , celebrated on December 21/22 (Winter Solstice) .
• the Arudra Darisanam , the occasion of Lord Siva coming down from the ThiruCitRRambalam and taking a look at the vaigarai Arudra star in the early morning of the day before the fullmoon in Margazhi .

This article is about the Hindu deity Skanda; for the Buddhist bodhisattva Skanda, see Skanda (Bodhisattva). ... EL or El may mean: Electroluminescence, an optical and electrical phenomenon where a material such as a natural blue diamond emits light when an electric current is passed through it. ... This article is about the Hindu deity Skanda; for the Buddhist bodhisattva Skanda, see Skanda (Bodhisattva). ... Asshur, son of Shem, the son of Noah. ... This article is about the Hindu deity Skanda; for the Buddhist bodhisattva Skanda, see Skanda (Bodhisattva). ... EL or El may mean: Electroluminescence, an optical and electrical phenomenon where a material such as a natural blue diamond emits light when an electric current is passed through it. ... This article is about the Hindu God. ...

Ancient Tamil People

The land was divided into five types- KuRiNCi, Mullai, Marutam, Neithal and Paalai . The ancient Tamil people were divided into five different clans (kudi) based on their profession. They were

• the VaeLir - the farmers,
• the Mazhavar - the hill people who gather hill products, and traders,
• the Naagar - people in charge of border security,
• the Kadambar - people who thrive on forests and
• the Thiraiyar - the sea-farers.

Later various subsects formed based on more later specific professions in each of the five landscapes .

• Poruppan(the soldiers), Verpan(the leaders of the tribe/weaponists), Silamban(masters of martial arts/the art of fighting), Kuravar(the hunters and the gatherers, the people of foothills) and Kaanavar(the people of the mountaineous forests ) in KuRiNCi ,

• KuRumpoRai naadan-Kizhaththi(the landlord of the small towns amidst the forests in the valleys), ThonRal-Manaivi(the ministers and other noble couples), Idaiyar(the milkmaid and family), Aaiyar(the cattle-rearers) in Mullai ,

• Vidalai(the innocent people and the victims of robbery, KaaLai(the robust native tribe who work to restore the fertility of the spoiled land), MeeLi(the saviours/people who are in charge of protecting and recovering the lost wealth from the robbers), Eyinar(the soldiers who guard the remote, isolated forts- that are permanently endangered by pyrates), MaRavar(stubborn natives who go to the cities to work as soldiers for the king ) in Paalai ,

• Uran(small landlords), Magizhnan(successful small scale farmers), Uzhavar(the farm workers), Kadaiyar(the merchants) in Marutham , and

• Saerppan(the seafood vendors and traders), Pulampan(the vegetarians who thrive on coconut and palm products), Parathar(people who ived in the seas-the merchants and the pyrates), NuLaiyar(the wealthy people who both do fishing and grow palm farms) and ALavar(the deepsea fishermen) in Neithal .

The Five Artists

Apart from these subsects, there were people who were musicians, stage artists and performers, who entertained the kings, the noble , the rich and the general mass. They were:

• the Thudian, the mastesr of thudi -a small percussion instrument;
• the PaRaiyan, who beat maeLam(drums ) and perform kooththu a stage drama in dance form and also, proclaim king's announcements;
• the Muzhavan, who blow into a murasu -a pipe instrument, for the army indicating the start, the end of the day and the victory in the battlefield and also performs in kooththu alongside other artists .
• the Kadamban, who beat large bass-like drum , the kadampaRai and blow a long bamboo kuzhal , the ceRioothuthi ( similar to the present Naagasuram ) .
• the PaaNan, who sang sweet songs in all paNN(tunes, that are specific for each landscape ) and were masters of yaazh -a stringed instrument with a wide range of frequency.

Together with the poets(pulavar) and the academic scholars(saanRoar), these people of special talents appeared to be from all walks of life, irrespective of their native profession.

Later fragmentations

After the tenth century C.E., even more subsects appeared in the Tamil society. Till date there are about 247 subsects in total spread in all the five early native clans of ancient Tamil people. The number is still growing at the rate of 1-2 per generation(~30 years).

See also : Tamil chronometry, Sangam Literature , and Chronological standpoints in Tamil history

Ancient Tamil kingdoms

Empires or large kingdoms were the legendary Cholas, the Pandyas and the Cheras . The small kingdoms and city states amidst these big brothers were : The lists of legendary early Chola Kings are recorded in Tamil literature and in the inscriptions left by the later Chola kings. ... The Cholas were the most famous of the three dynasties that ruled ancient Tamil Nadu. ... The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient state at the tip of South India, founded around the 6th century BCE. It was part of the Dravidian cultural area, which also comprised other kingdoms such as that of the Pallava, the Chera, the Chola, the Chalukya and the Vijayanagara. ... The Cheras were one of the three ancient Tamil dynasties who ruled the southern tip of the peninsula of India for most of its early history. ...

• Naanjil- in the present Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu.
• Pothigai (Aai) nadu- the Cardamom hills and Palani hills of Southwest Tamil Nadu .
• Kaandhal KuRa Nadu- TenKasi and Kutrraalam, Thirunelvaeli dt .
• Koadai malai- Kodaikkanal , Dindigul dt .
• Malai Nadu- the Anaimalai Range in Kerala.
• Evvi's Needoor-Mizhalai- Pudukottai district in TN.
• Parampu malai- West Namakkal dt.
• Thoandri malai- Pachchai malai ,Perambalur dt .
• MuLLur Nadu and capital ThirukKoilur - West Vizhuppuram, West Thiruvannamalai dt's.
• Kolli malai nadu- East Namakkal dt.
• Oaymaan Nadu in the Aruva Nadu and Aruva vadathalai nadu region- East Thirvannamalai and East Vellore dt.
• Punnaadu- East Thiruvannamalai dt .
• VaaNar Nadu- West Vellore and Chittor dt's .
• ThoNdai Nadu- Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur dt's .
• Mukkaaval Nadu - Vellore dt .
• Kaankezhu Nadu or Thirumunaippadi- East Vizhuppuram dt.
• Mudhira malai- Chennai dt .
• Athigan Nadu and its capital Thagadur- Dharmapuri dt .
• Kudhirai malai- West Dharmapuri and East Mandya dt's .
• Payalanadu( Vaiyaavi )- Krishnagiri , Kolar , Anantpur , Bellary dt's .
• VaeLaavi Nadu( Vaengi )- Guntur and Cudappah dt's and along Nallamalai Range .
• Vellimalai Nadu- North of Thiripathi .
• Vaengada Nadu- Rayalaseema dt .
• Pungi Nadu- West Chittoor dt.
• Mazhampula Nadu- South of Kalahasthi upto Pulicat .
• Pulli Nadu- South East coast of A.P.
• Erumai Nadu- Central and Northwest Mysore dt .
• VeLimaan Nadu-West Mysore
• Oonoor Kosar- Raichur dt .
• Idaichchura Nadu- Raichur dt .
• Irungoe Nadu or Araiya Nadu and Citraraiyam and Paeraraiyam forts- Tumkur and Chitradurga dt's .
• Vichchikoe Nadu- North of Ooty dt .
• Thoatti malai- Ooty dt.
• Kuda Nadu or SengaNmaa Nadu- Coorg dt .
• Kuttuva Nadu- North Malbar dt .
• Cera Paayal malai- North Malabar dt .
• Kadamba Nadu-Hangal, Hampi(Banavasi), Uchchangi ,Dharwar dt's and KoNkan coast upto Goa .
• KoNkaana Nadu- Southwest Maharashtra's KoNkan coast, north of Goa .
• Malli Nadu- Udipi dt .
• Karuvoor Chera Nadu- West Karur dt .

Ancient City states

• Naalai city state- Nanguneri, Thirunelvaeli dt .
• Poandhai city state- Kulachchal, Kanyakumari dt .
• Koodalpattinam- Tootukudi dt .
• Eyilpattinam- North coastal Ramanathapuram dt .
• Pidavoor- Thuraiyur tk. , Thiruchchi dt .
• Sirukudi- Thiruchchi dt .
• Kaanappaereyil- North Sivagangai dt.
• Azhunthur- South Salem dt.
• Moagur- South East Naamakkal dt .
• Pazhai Nadu- East Karur and South Namakkal dt's.
• Vallaar- North Pudukottai dt .
• Aali- North Thanjaavoor dt .
• Cellur- North Bangalore dt .
• Eernthur- North Thiruchi dt .

References:

• P.T.Srinivasa Iyengar's "History of the Tamil from the earliest times to 600 AD" , Madras, 1929 .
• A.L.Basham's "A Wonder that was India" , London, 1954 .
• Tolkappiyam
• Purananuru
• Paripadal
• K.Appatturai's "Battles of South India "