94-805: 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
188-591: A talai , while the line is referred to as the ati . The sutras of the Tolkappiyam – particularly after sutra 315 – state the prosody rules, enumerating the 34 component parts of ancient Tamil poetry. The prosody of an example early Sangam poem is illustrated by Kuruntokai : Traditional ciṟuveḷ ḷaravi ṉavvarik kuruḷai kāṉa yāṉai aṇaṅki yāaṅ kiḷaiyaṇ muḷaivā ḷeyiṟṟaḷ vaḷaiyuṭaik kaiyaḷem maṇaṅki yōḷē – Kuruntokai 119 , Author: Catti Nataanr The prosodic pattern in this poem follows
282-729: A bardic corpus. It comprises an Urtext of oldest surviving Tamil grammar (Tolkappiyam), the Ettuttokai anthology (the "Eight Collections"), the Pathuppaattu anthology (the "Ten Songs"). The Tamil literature that followed the Sangam period – that is, after c. 250 CE but before c. 600 CE – is generally called the "post-Sangam" literature. This collection contains 2381 poems in Tamil composed by 473 poets, some 102 anonymous. Of these, 16 poets account for about 50% of
376-583: A description of the Chola capital, the king Karikal, the life in a harbor city with ships and merchandise for seafaring trade, the dance troupes, the bards and artists, the worship of the Hindu god Vishnu , Murugan and the monasteries of Buddhism and Jainism. This Sangam era poem remained in the active memory and was significant to the Tamil people centuries later, as evidenced by its mention nearly 1,000 years later in
470-637: A fine edition of Tirukkuṟaḷ by 1860. Navalar – who translated the Bible into Tamil while working as an assistant to a Methodist Christian missionary, chose to defend and popularize Shaiva Hinduism against missionary polemics, in part by bringing ancient Tamil and Shaiva literature to wider attention. He brought the first Sangam text into print in 1851 ( Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai , one of the Ten Idylls ). In 1868, Navalar published an early commentary on Tolkappiyam . C.W. Damodaram Pillai , also from Jaffna ,
564-425: A metal image inside it. He constructed a hall for the recitation of Thevaram hymns and engraved the hymns in copper plates. Tourism forms the economic base of Chidambaram. There are household industries like weaving is present within town limits, otherwise, there are no major industries in the town. As of 2001, the worker population constituted 18,249 people amounting to 31.6 per cent of the total population. Out of
658-454: A minimum of 24 °C (75 °F). Like the rest of the state, April to June are the hottest months and December to January are the coldest. Chidambaram receives an average of 10 mm (0.39 in) annually, which is lesser than the state average of 1,008 mm (39.7 in). The South west monsoon, with an onset in June and lasting up to August, brings scanty rainfall. Bulk of the rainfall
752-653: A part of Ettuttokai ): These claims of the Sangams and the description of sunken land masses Kumari Kandam have been dismissed as frivolous by historiographers. Noted historians like Kamil Zvelebil have stressed that the use of 'Sangam literature' to describe this corpus of literature is a misnomer and Classical literature should be used instead. According to Shulman, "there is not the slightest shred of evidence that any such [Sangam] literary academies ever existed", though there are many Pandya inscriptions that mention an academy of scholars. Of particular note, states Shulman,
846-414: A particular variety of a tree or shrub and the same variety of tree or shrub sheltering the presiding deity. The traditional name of the temple complex, Chidambaram Thillai Nataraja-koothan Kovil. The mangrove forests of Thillai trees ( Excoecaria agallocha ) were abundant in the town once. The temple and the town were once in the midst of Thillai trees. The Thillai trees of the nearby Pichavaram wetlands,
940-399: A scholar of Tamil language and literature, the Tamil tradition believes that the Sangam literature arose in distant antiquity over three periods, each stretching over many millennia. The first has roots in the Hindu deity Shiva , his son Murugan , Kubera as well as 545 sages including the famed Rigvedic poet Agastya . The first academy, states the legend, extended over four millennia and
1034-568: A total of 17,102 people constituting 30 per cent of the total population lived in them. The municipality maintains the water supply and garbage collection of all these slums. As of 2001, nearly 5,000 people constituting 10 per cent of the population were below the poverty line . As per the religious census of 2011, Chidambaram had 89.73% Hindus , 8.22% Muslims , 1.18% Christians , 0.02% Sikhs , 0.01% Buddhists , 0.43% Jains , 0.39% following other religions and 0.02% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference. The temple complex
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#17327722929641128-470: A window into some aspects of the ancient Tamil culture, secular and religious beliefs, and the people. For example, in the Sangam era Ainkurunuru poem 202 is one of the earliest mentions of "pigtail of Brahmin boys". These poems also allude to historical incidents, ancient Tamil kings, the effect of war on loved ones and households. The Pattinappalai poem in the Ten Idylls group, for example, paints
1222-542: Is a classical Tamil poetic work and traditionally the fifth of the Eight Anthologies ( Ettuthokai ) in the Sangam literature. According to Tolkappiyam , Paripadal is a kind of verse dealing only with love ( akapporul ) and does not fall under the general classification of verses. Sangam literature (200 BCE to 500 CE) mentions Mayon or the "dark one," as the Supreme deity who creates, sustains, and destroys
1316-602: Is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district . The English word is derived from French municipalité , which in turn derives from the Latin municipalis , based on the word for social contract ( municipium ), referring originally to the Latin communities that supplied Rome with troops in exchange for their own incorporation into the Roman state (granting Roman citizenship to
1410-408: Is an elected councillor for each of those wards. The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: general administration/personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, city planning and Information Technology (IT). All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 33 members, one each from
1504-453: Is an example of mutual love poetry. Similar tiṇai s pertain to puram poems as well, categories are sometimes based on activity: vetchi (cattle raid), vanchi (invasion, preparation for war), kanchi (tragedy), ulinai (siege), tumpai (battle), vakai (victory), paataan (elegy and praise), karanthai , and pothuviyal . The akam poetry uses metaphors and imagery to set the mood, never uses names of person or places, often leaves
1598-517: Is based on the location or landscape in which the poetry is set. These are: kuṟiñci (குறிஞ்சி), mountainous regions; mullai (முல்லை), pastoral forests; marutam (மருதம்), riverine agricultural land; neytal (நெய்தல்) coastal regions; pālai (பாலை) arid. In addition to the landscape based tiṇai s, for akam poetry, ain-tinai (well matched, mutual love), kaikkilai (ill matched, one sided), and perunthinai (unsuited, big genre) categories are used. The Ainkurunuru – 500 short poems anthology –
1692-442: Is bathed only 6 times a year, and on the previous night of Ardra , the bath rituals are performed on a grand scale. Pots full of milk, pomegranate juices, coconut water, ghee, oil, sandal paste, curds, holy ashes, and other liquids and solids, considered as a sacred offering to the deity are used for the sacred ablution. Natyanjali is a prominent festival celebrated during February every year when bharatanatyam dancers from all over
1786-519: Is broadly classified into akam ( அகம் , inner), and puram ( புறம் , outer). The akam poetry is about emotions and feelings in the context of romantic love, sexual union and eroticism. The puram poetry is about exploits and heroic deeds in the context of war and public life. Approximately three-fourths of the Sangam poetry is akam themed, and about one fourth is puram . Sangam literature, both akam and puram , can be subclassified into seven minor genre called tiṇai (திணை). This minor genre
1880-399: Is located close to the shores of Bay of Bengal . The topography is almost plain with forests around the town, with no major geological formation. There are no notable mineral resources available in and around the town. The soil types are alluvial and red that are conducive for crops like paddy , pulses and chili peppers . The temperature ranges from a maximum of 32.7 °C (90.9 °F) to
1974-894: Is maintained by the State Highways Department and 6 km (3.7 mi) by the National Highways Department. It is located at a distance of 223 km (139 mi) from Chennai, 335 km (208 mi) from Madurai, 375 km (233 mi) from Rameswaram , 340 km (210 mi) from Bengaluru . The national highway NH- 32 (the Chennai - Villupuram - Puducherry - Cuddalore -Chidambaram- Nagapattinam - Thoothukudi Highway) passes through Chidambaram and NH81 connects Chidambaram with Coimbatore through Kattumannarkoil , Tiruchirapalli and Karur . The Cuddalore road, Pitchavaram Road, Sirkazhi Road, Kattumanarkoil road and Old Bhuvanagiri road are
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#17327722929642068-417: Is not much else in any Indian literature equal to these quiet and dramatic Tamil poems. In their values and stances, they represent a mature classical poetry: passion is balanced by courtesy, transparency by ironies and nuances of design, impersonality by vivid detail, austerity of line by richness of implication. These poems are not just the earliest evidence of the Tamil genius." The Sangam literature offers
2162-541: Is received during the North East monsoon in the months of October, November and December. The average number of rainy days ranges from 35 to 40 every year. According to 2011 census , Chidambaram had a population of 62,153 with a sex-ratio of 1,032 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 5,869 were under the age of six, constituting 2,990 males and 2,879 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 6.81% and .09% of
2256-482: Is spread over an area of 40 acres (160,000 m) in the heart of the city. The main complex is dedicated to Shiva Nataraja and the complex contains shrines to deities such as Shivakami Amman, Ganesh , Murugan and Vishnu in the form Govindaraja Perumal. The temple's earliest structures were designed and erected by ancient craftsmen called Perunthakkan. The golden tiled roof for the Chitrambalam (the vimanam)
2350-529: Is the acai (metreme ), itself of two types – ner and nirai . The ner is the stressed/long syllable in European prosody tradition, while the nirai is the unstressed/short syllable combination ( pyrrhic (dibrach) and iambic ) metrical feet, with similar equivalents in the Sanskrit prosody tradition. The acai in the Sangam poems are combined to form a cir (foot), while the cir are connected to form
2444-606: Is the historic evidence of indigenous literary developments in South India in parallel to Sanskrit , and the classical status of the Tamil language. While there is no evidence for the first and second mythical Sangams, the surviving literature attests to a group of scholars centered around the ancient Madurai (Maturai) that shaped the "literary, academic, cultural and linguistic life of ancient Tamil Nadu", states Zvelebil. On their significance, Zvelebil quotes A. K. Ramanujan , "In their antiquity and in their contemporaneity, there
2538-406: Is the nearest airport located around 66 kilometres north of Chidambaram. Municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term municipality may also mean the governing body of a given municipality. A municipality
2632-594: Is the tenth-century CE Sinnamanur inscription that mentions a Pandyan king who sponsored the "translation of the Mahabharata into Tamil" and established a "Madhurapuri (Madurai) Sangam". According to Zvelebil, within the myth there is a kernel of reality, and all literary evidence leads one to conclude that "such an academy did exist in Madurai (Maturai) at the beginning of the Christian era". The homogeneity of
2726-806: 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 Palvannanathar Temple are
2820-599: The Mahabharata , Kama, goddesses such as Ganga, divine characters from classical love stories of India. One of the poems also mentions the "merciful men of Benares ", an evidence of interaction between the northern holy city of the Hindus with the Sangam poets. Some of the Paripaatal love poems are set in the context of bathing festivals ( Magh Mela ) and various Hindu gods. They mention temples and shrines, confirming
2914-531: The Thiruchitrambalakkovaiyar (aka Thirukovaiyar ), which has been sung entirely in the temple. Manikkavasagar is said to have attained spiritual bliss at Chidambaram. The Chidambaram Mahatmiyam composed during the 12th century provides the subsequent evolution and Sanskritization of cults. There are several inscriptions available in the temple and referring to the Chidambaram temple in neighbouring areas. Most inscriptions available pertain to
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3008-479: The Velir . The evidence on the early history of the Tamil kingdoms consists of the epigraphs of the region, the Sangam literature, and archaeological data. The fourfold Vedic system of caste hierarchy did not exist during the Sangam period. The society was organised by occupational groups living apart from each other. The Sangam literature was composed by 473 poets, some 102 anonymous. According to Nilakanta Sastri,
3102-670: The state . Municipalities may have the right to tax individuals and corporations with income tax , property tax , and corporate income tax , but may also receive substantial funding from the state. In some European countries, such as Germany, municipalities have the constitutional right to supply public services through municipally-owned public utility companies . Terms cognate with "municipality", mostly referring to territory or political structure, are Spanish municipio (Spain) and municipalidad (Chile), Catalan municipi , Portuguese município . In many countries, terms cognate with "commune" are used, referring to
3196-587: The 11th- and 12th-century inscriptions and literary work. Sangam literature embeds evidence of loan words from Sanskrit, suggesting on-going linguistic and literary collaboration between ancient Tamil Nadu and other parts of the Indian subcontinent. One of the early loan words, for example, is acarya– from Sanskrit for a "spiritual guide or teacher", which in Sangam literature appears as aciriyan (priest, teacher, scholar), aciriyam or akavar or akaval or akavu (a poetic meter). The Sangam poetry focuses on
3290-822: The 33 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected chairperson assisted by a deputy chairperson. Chidambaram comes under the Chidambaram assembly constituency and it elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years. From the 1977 elections, All India Anna Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) won the assembly seat four times (in 1980, 1984, 2006 and 2016 elections), three times by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK, 1977, 1989 and 2001 elections) and once each by Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M), 2011 election), Indian National Congress (INC, 1991 elections) and Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC, 1996). The current MLA of
3384-412: The 4-4-3-4 feet per line, according to akaval , also called aciriyam , Sangam meter rule: = – / = – / – = / = – – – / – – / = – / – – = – / = – / = – = = / – = / = – / – – Note: "=" is a ner , while "–" is a nirai in Tamil terminology. A literal translation of Kuruntokai 119 : little-white-snake of lovely-striped young-body jungle elephant troubling like
3478-600: The Kali meter in Kalittokai and the mixed Paripatal meter in Paripatal . The works of Sangam literature were lost and forgotten for most of the 2nd millennium. They were rediscovered by colonial-era scholars such as Arumuka Navalar (1822–1879), C.W. Damodaram Pillai (1832–1901) and U. V. Swaminatha Aiyar (1855–1942). Arumuka Navalar from Jaffna first inaugurated the modern editions of Tamil classics, publishing
3572-766: The Kannada Hoysalas of Dwarasamudra in 1311, Sultan Ala ud Din Khalji's infamous eunuch Muslim general, Malik Kafur , and his Delhi Sultanate forces in 1311 went deeper into the Deccan peninsula for loot and to establish annual tributes to be paid by the Hindu kings . The records left by the court historians of the Delhi Sultanate state that Malik Kafur raided Chidambaram, Madurai , Srirangam , Vriddhachalam , Rameswaram and other sacred temple towns, destroyed
3666-400: The Sangam poetry a "wonderful conciseness, terseness, pithiness", then an inner tension that is resolved at the end of the stanza. The metrical patterns within the akaval meter in early Sangam poetry has minor variations. The later Sangam era poems follow the same general meter rules, but sometimes feature 5 lines (4-4-4-3-4). The later Sangam age texts employ other meters as well, such as
3760-612: The Spanish term ayuntamiento , referring to a municipality's administration building, is extended via synecdoche to denote the municipality itself. In Moldova and Romania , both municipalities ( municipiu ; urban administrative units) and communes ( comună ; rural units) exist, and a commune may be part of a municipality. In many countries, comparable entities may exist with various names. Sangam literature The Sangam literature ( Tamil : சங்க இலக்கியம், caṅka ilakkiyam ), historically known as 'the poetry of
3854-401: The Supreme god of Tamils where as Skanda was considered young and a personal god of Tamils . Mayon is indicated to be the deity associated with the mullai tiṇai (pastoral landscape) in the Tolkappiyam . Tolkappiyar Mentions Mayon first when he made reference to deities in the different land divisions. The Paripādal ( Tamil : பரிபாடல் , meaning the paripadal-metre anthology )
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3948-479: The Thillai forests resided a group of sages who believed in the supremacy of magic — that the gods could be controlled by rituals and mantras . Shiva , hearing this, assumed the form of Bhikshatana , a simple mendicant seeking alms, and went walking in Thillai. He was followed by his consort, Vishnu as Mohini . The sages and their wives were enchanted by the beauty of the pair. On seeing their womenfolk enchanted,
4042-519: The angry sages performed a ritual to create serpents ( nāga ). Shiva lifted the serpents and donned them as ornaments on his matted locks, neck and waist. Further enraged, the sages invoked a fierce tiger, whose skin was used by Shiva as a shawl around his waist. Then followed a fierce elephant, which was ripped to death and devoured by Shiva (an episode depicted in the Gajasurasamhara ). The sages gathered all their spiritual strength and invoked
4136-468: The area known as southern India today, consisting of the territories of the present-day Indian states of Tamil Nadu , Kerala , parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka . Sri Lanka is distinguished from it and is known as Ilam or Eelam , although also influenced by the Sangam Period. In Indian history, the Sangam period or age ( Tamil : சங்ககாலம் , caṅkakālam ) is the period of
4230-534: The community living in the area and the common interest. These include terms: The same terms "Gemeente" (Dutch) or "Gemeinde" (German) may be used for church congregations or parishes, for example, in the German and Dutch Protestant churches. In Greece, the word Δήμος ( demos ) is used, also meaning 'community'; the word is known in English from the compound democracy (rule of the people). In some countries,
4324-510: The conduct of the daily rituals. Donations of gold and jewels have been made by various kings, rulers and patrons to the temple from 9th to 16th century —including the Maharaja of Pudukottai , Sethupathy (the emerald jewel still adorns the deity). Naralokaviran, the General of the king Kulothunga Chola I was responsible for building a shrine for child saint Thirugnana Sambanthar and installed
4418-623: The constituency is K. A. Pandiyan (AIADMK). Law and order in the town is maintained by the Chidambaram sub division of the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu Police headed by a Deputy Superintendent. There is one police station in the town located in West Car street. The Chidambaram municipality maintains 64.12 km (39.84 mi) of road. The town has 8.44 km (5.24 mi) concrete roads and 48.69 km (30.25 mi) bituminous road. A total of 5 km (3.1 mi) of state highways
4512-401: The context as well that the community will fill in and understand given their oral tradition . The puram poetry is more direct, uses names and places, states Takanobu Takahashi. The early Sangam poetry diligently follows two meters, while the later Sangam poetry is a bit more diverse. The two meters found in the early poetry are akaval and vanci . The fundamental metrical unit in these
4606-413: The country converge to present dance offering to Nataraja. Chidambaram is administered by a selective-grade municipality formed as third-grade municipality in 1873, upgraded to a second-grade in 1949, first-grade in 1974 and a selection-grade in 1998. The municipality covers an area of 11.16 km (4.31 sq mi) and also the taluk headquarters. The Chidambaram municipality has 33 wards and there
4700-509: The culture and people. It is religious as well as non-religious, as there are several mentions of the Hindu gods and more substantial mentions of various gods in the shorter poems. The 33 surviving poems of Paripaatal in the "Eight Anthologies" group praises Vishnu , Durga and Murugan . Similarly, the 150 poems of Kalittokai – also from the Eight Anthologies group – mention Krishna, Shiva, Murugan, various Pandava brothers of
4794-564: The earliest mention is found in Tamil literature . The temple and the deity were immortalized in Tamil poetry in the works of Thevaram by three poet-saints belonging to the seventh century - Thirugnana Sambanthar , Thirunavukkarasar and Sundaramoorthy Nayanar . Thirugnana Sambanthar has composed two songs in praise of the temple, Thirunavukkarasar aka Appar eight songs in praise of Nataraja and Sundarar one song in praise of Nataraja. Sundarar commences his Thiruthondar Thogai (the sacred list of Lord Shiva's 63 devotees) paying his respects to
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#17327722929644888-528: The eighth century CE – describes this legend. The earliest known mention of the Sangam legend, however, appears in Tirupputtur Tantakam by Appar in about the seventh century CE, while an extended version appears in the twelfth-century Tiruvilaiyatal puranam by Perumparrap Nampi. The legend states that the third Sangam of 449 poet scholars worked over 1,850 years in northern Madurai (Pandyan kingdom). He lists six anthologies of Tamil poems (later
4982-658: The evening or the fourth puja, the chaturdasi of Aavani (August–September) indicates the fifth puja and the chaturdasi of the month of Puratasi (October–November) indicates the sixth pooja or Arthajama. Of these, the Marghazhi Thiruvaadhirai (in December–January) and the Aani Thirumanjanam (in June–July) are the most important festivals. During these festivals, the festive deity is brought outside
5076-639: The festivals of the temple. The Marghazhi Thiruvaadhirai festival celebrated in December–January indicates the first puja, the fourteenth day after the new moon ( Chaturdashi ) of the month of Masi (February–March) indicates the second pooja, the Chittirai Thiruvonam (in April–May), indicates the third pooja or uchikalam, the Uthiram of Aani (June–July) also called the Aani Thirumanjanam indicates
5170-785: The five main district roads connecting Chidambaram to other cities of Tamil Nadu. Minibus service operated by private companies cater to the local transport needs. The main bus stand is located in the heart of the town and has 46 bus bays. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates daily services connecting various cities such as Bengaluru , Madurai , Palani , Salem , Tindivanam , Kallakkurichi , Tiruvannamalai , Velankanni , Rameswaram , Tiruppur , Trichy , Perambalur , Karaikudi , Sivagangai , Paramakudi , Sayalkudi , Mudukulathoor , Panruti , Vriddhachalam , Erode , Mettur , Chennai , Puducherry , Viluppuram , Tirupathur and Neyveli with Chidambaram. The State Express Transport Corporation operates long-distance buses connecting
5264-536: The fragrance; among the stones, you are the diamond; in speech, truth; among virtues, you are love; in valour—strength; in the Veda, you are the secret; among elements, the primordial; in the burning sun, the light; in moonshine, its sweetness; you are all, and you are the substance and meaning of all. To Seyyon ( Skandha ): We pray you not for wealth, not for gold, not for pleasure; But for your grace, for love, for virtue, these three, O god with
5358-516: The health care needs of the citizens. As of 2011, the municipality maintained a total of 1,856 street lamps: 339 sodium lamps, 1,500 tube lights and 17 high mast beam lamps. The municipality operates four markets, namely the Daily Market West Car street, Gnanaprakasam market, North Main road fish market and Omakulam fish market that cater to the needs of the town and the rural areas around it. The festivals in Chidambaram are centred on
5452-457: The historical Sangam literature era, also called the Sangam period , spanned from c. 300 BCE to 300 CE, while others variously place this early classical Tamil literature period a bit later and more narrowly but all before 300 CE. According to Kamil Zvelebil , a Tamil literature and history scholar, the most acceptable range for the Sangam literature is 100 BCE to 250 CE, based on
5546-425: The history of ancient Tamil Nadu and Kerala (then known as Tamilakam ), and parts of Sri Lanka from c. 300 BCE to 300 CE. It was named after the literature of poets and scholars of the legendary Sangam academies centered in the city of Madurai . In the period between 300 BCE and 300 CE, Tamilakam was ruled by the three Tamil dynasties of Pandya , Chola and Chera , and a few independent chieftains,
5640-501: The inhabitants) while permitting the communities to retain their own local governments (a limited autonomy). A municipality can be any political jurisdiction , from a sovereign state such as the Principality of Monaco , to a small village such as West Hampton Dunes, New York . The territory over which a municipality has jurisdiction may encompass: Powers of municipalities range from virtual autonomy to complete subordination to
5734-642: The inscriptions from the descendant of Cheramaan Perumal Nayanar, Ramavarma Maharaja has been found. In the north of India, the Indian subcontinent was conquered by the Delhi Sultanate . Muslim armies began raiding central India for plunder by the late 13th century. After subduing and extracting huge wealth along with promised annual tributes from the Marathas Yadavas of Devagiri in 1308, the Telugu Kakatiyas of Warangal in 1310 and
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#17327722929645828-625: The known Sangam literature, with Kapilar – the most prolific poet – alone contributing just little less than 10% of the entire corpus. These poems vary between 3 and 782 lines long. The bardic poetry of the Sangam era is largely about love ( akam ) and war ( puram ), with the exception of the shorter poems such as in Paripaatal which is more religious and praise Vishnu and Murugan . The Sangam literature also includes Buddhist and Jainist epics. Sangam literally means "gathering, meeting, fraternity, academy". According to David Shulman,
5922-403: The linguistic, prosodic and quasi-historic allusions within the texts and the colophons . The Sangam literature had fallen into oblivion for much of the second millennium of the common era, but were preserved by and rediscovered in the monasteries of Hinduism , near Kumbakonam , by colonial-era scholars in the late nineteenth century. The rediscovered Sangam classical collection is largely
6016-861: The monastery head Subrahmanya Desikar for access to its large library of preserved manuscripts. Desikar granted Aiyar permission to study and publish any manuscripts he wanted. There, Aiyar discovered a major source of preserved palm-leaf manuscripts of Sangam literature. Aiyar published his first print of the Ten Idylls in 1889. Together, these scholars printed and published Kalittokai (1887), Tholkappiyam , Nachinarkiniyar Urai (1895), Tholkappiyam Senavariyar urai (1868), Manimekalai (1898), Silappatikaram (1889), Pattuppāṭṭu (1889), Patiṟṟuppattu (1889). Puṟanāṉūṟu (1894), Aiṅkurunūṟu (1903), Kuṟuntokai (1915), Naṟṟiṇai (1915), Paripāṭal (1918) and Akanāṉūṟu (1923) all with scholarly commentaries. They published more than 100 works in all, including minor poems. The Sangam literature
6110-891: The most mentioned god in the Sangam literature. Cēyōṉ "the red one", who is identified with Murugan , whose name is literally Murukaṉ "the youth" in the Tolkāppiyam ; Extant Sangam literature works, dated between the third century BCE and the fifth century CE glorified Murugan, "the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and resplendent," as "the favoured god of the Tamils." There are no Mentions of Shaivism in Tolkappiyam . Shiva and Brahma are said to be forms Of Maha Vishnu and considers Vishnu as The Supreme god in Paripāṭal . There are two poems depicted as example of Bhakti in Ancient Tamil Nadu , one in
6204-487: The noble ones' ( Tamil : சான்றோர் செய்யுள், Cāṉṟōr ceyyuḷ ), connotes the early classical Tamil literature and is the earliest known literature of South India . The Tamil tradition and legends link it to three legendary literary gatherings around Madurai and Kapāṭapuram: the first lasted over 4,440 years, the second over 3,700 years, and the third over 1,850 years. Scholars consider this Tamil tradition-based chronology as ahistorical and mythical. Most scholars suggest
6298-437: The other three ancient Shiva temples in the region. Chidambaram covers an area of 25.5 km (9.8 sq mi) and had a population of 1,15,913 as of 2011. It is administered by a Selective grade municipality . Tertiary sector involving tourism is the major occupation. Roadways are the major means of transportation with a total of 64.12 km (39.84 mi) of district roads including one national highway passing through
6392-874: The periods of Cholas - Rajaraja Chola I (985-1014 CE), Rajendra Chola I (1012-1044 CE), Kulothunga Chola I (1070-1120 CE), Vikrama Chola (1118-1135 CE), Rajadhiraja Chola II (1163 -1178 CE), Kulothunga Chola III (1178-1218 CE) and Rajaraja Chola III (1216-1256 CE). Pandya inscriptions date from Thribhuvana Chakravarthi Veerapandiyan, Jataavarman Thribhuvana Chakravarthi Sundarapaandiyan (1251-1268 CE) and Maaravarman Thribhuvana Chakravarthi Veerakeralanaagiya Kulashekara Pandiyan (1268-1308 CE). Pallava inscriptions are available for king Avani Aala Pirandhaan Ko-perum-Singha (1216-1242 CE). Vijayanagara Kings mentioned in inscriptions are Veeraprathapa Kiruttina Theva Mahaaraayar (1509-1529 CE), Veeraprathaapa Venkata Deva Mahaaraayar, Sri Ranga Theva Mahaaraayar, Atchyutha Deva Mahaaraayar (1529-1542 CE) and Veera Bhooopathiraayar. One of
6486-419: The poets came from diverse backgrounds: some were from a royal family, some merchants, some farmers. At least 27 of the poets were women. These poets emerged, states Nilakanta Sastri, in a milieu where the Tamil society had already interacted and inseparably amalgamated with north Indians (Indo-Aryan) and both sides had shared mythology, values and literary conventions. The available literature from this period
6580-489: The population respectively. The average literacy of the city was 83.24%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The city had a total of 15,166 households. There were a total of 22,194 workers, comprising 241 cultivators, 180 main agricultural labourers, 489 in household industries, 16,110 other workers, 5,174 marginal workers, 83 marginal cultivators, 213 marginal agricultural labourers, 401 marginal workers in household industries and 4,477 other marginal workers. As of 2001,
6674-419: The powerful demon Muyalakan — a symbol of complete arrogance and ignorance. Shiva smiled gently, stepped on the demon's back to immobilise him, and performed the Ánanda Thandavam (the dance of eternal bliss), thus disclosing his true form. The sages surrendered, realizing that rituals cannot control the gods. There is reference to the temple or the town in Sangam literature of the first to fifth centuries and
6768-413: The praise of Maha Vishnu and other of Murugan To Tirumal ( Maha Vishnu ): தீயினுள் தெறல் நீ; பூவினுள் நாற்றம் நீ; கல்லினுள் மணியும் நீ; சொல்லினுள் வாய்மை நீ; அறத்தினுள் அன்பு நீ; மறத்தினுள் மைந்து நீ; வேதத்து மறை நீ; பூதத்து முதலும் நீ; வெஞ் சுடர் ஒளியும் நீ; திங்களுள் அளியும் நீ; அனைத்தும் நீ; அனைத்தின் உட்பொருளும் நீ; In fire, you are the heat; in blossoms,
6862-610: The priests of the Thillai temple - "To the devotees of the priests at Thillai, I am a devotee". The works of the first three saints, the Thirumurai were stored in palm leaf manuscripts in the temple and were recovered by the Chola King Rajaraja Chola under the guidance of Nambiandarnambi. Manikkavasagar , the tenth century saivite poet has written two works, the first called Thiruvasakam (The sacred utterances) which largely has been sung in Chidambaram and
6956-706: The prominent colleges in the town. Electricity supply to Chidambaram is regulated and distributed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). The town along with its suburbs forms the Cuddalore Electricity Distribution Circle. A Chief Distribution engineer is stationed at the regional headquarters. Water supply is provided by the Chidambaram Municipality from the two mini power pumps, borewells and Deep borwell located in various parts of
7050-408: The prosody, language and themes in these poems confirms that the Sangam literature was a community effort, a "group poetry". The Sangam literature is also referred sometimes with terms such as caṅka ilakkiyam or "Sangam age poetry". In Old Tamil language , the term Tamilakam ( Tamiḻakam , Purananuru 168. 18) referred to the whole of the ancient Tamil-speaking area, corresponding roughly to
7144-461: The rich garland of kaṭampu flowers with rolling clusters! – Pari. v.: 78–81 The other gods also referred to in the Tolkappiyam are Vēntaṉ "the sovereign" (identified with Indra ) and Korravai "the victorious" (identified with Durga ) and Varunan "the sea god". The Sangam literature also emphasized on fair governance by Kings, who were often described as Sengol-valavan,
7238-434: The sanctum sanctorum in a procession that includes a temple car procession followed by a long anointing ceremony. Several hundreds of thousands of people flock the temple to see the anointing ceremony and the ritualistic dance of Shiva when he is taken back to the sanctum sanctorum. Shiva, in his incarnation of Nataraja, is believed to have born on full moon day in the constellation of Ardra , the sixth lunar mansion. Lord Shiva
7332-525: The second largest mangrove forest in the world, extends to the temple area. The shrine is venerated as Thillai ambalam literally meaning the open stage of Thillai. The name of the town of this shrine, chit ambara means 'ether of consciousness' or 'atmosphere of wisdom' in the Sanskrit Language. This composite word comes from its association with Nataraja (Shiva), the cosmic dancer and the cultural atmosphere for arts. According to Hindu legend, in
7426-565: The significance of such cultural festivals and architectural practices to the Tamil culture. Religion in the Sangam age was an important reason for the increase in Tamil Literature . Ancient Tamils Primarily followed Vaishnavism (Who consider Vishnu as the Supreme Deity) and Kaumaram (who worship Murugan as the Supreme god). According to Kamil Zvelebil , Vishnu was considered ageless (The god who stays for ever) and
7520-514: The temples which were sources of gold and jewels. He brought back enormous loot from Dwarasamudra and the Pandya kingdom to Delhi in 1311. Chidambaram is located at 11°23′N 79°41′E / 11.39°N 79.69°E / 11.39; 79.69 . The town is located in Cuddalore district of the South Indian state, Tamil Nadu, 215 km (134 mi) from Chennai . Chidambaram
7614-561: The total workforce, 16,059 constituting 88 per cent people were employed in the tertiary sector, 1,277 people constituting 7 per cent were involved in the secondary sector and 912 people constituting 5 per cent were involved in primary sector activities. The primary sector consists of local and regional marketing, with paddy being the primary traded product, followed by cereals, black gram, pulses, sugarcane and gingelly. The secondary sector activities consist of household activities and cane furniture manufacturing. The tertiary sector activities are
7708-747: The tourism-related activities centred on the Thillai Natarajar temple. The town has a floating population of around 100,000 every year being mainly religious tourists. Annamalai University, located in the outskirts of the town is also another major industrial driver. The town is a centre for trading for the surrounding villages, housing provisional stores, food grain stores, vegetable shops, hotels, markets and fertilizer shops. As of 2011, there were eleven government schools: six primary schools, three middle schools and two higher secondary schools in Chidambram. There were nine other private schools within
7802-496: The town by the municipality had an efficiency of 100% as of 2001. There is no underground drainage system in the town and the sewerage system for disposal of sullage is through septic tanks, open drains and public conveniences. The municipality maintained a total of 23.372 km (14.523 mi) of storm water drains in 2011. As of 2011, there was one government hospital namely Kamaraj Government Hospital, one municipal maternity home and 17 private hospitals and clinics that take care of
7896-575: The town covered an area of 480 hectares (4.8 km). Out of the total area, 88 per cent of the land constituting 432 hectares (4.32 km) is marked developed and the remaining area is used for agriculture and remains under water. Residential areas make up 55 per cent (265.75 hectares (2.6575 km)) of the town's total area while commercial enterprises and industrial units make up 5 per cent (23.62 hectares (0.2362 km)) and 1 per cent (3.63 hectares (0.0363 km)) respectively. As of 2008, there 31 notified slums having 3,954 houses in Chidambaram and
7990-515: The town to important cities like Chennai , Coimbatore , Trichy , Salem , Madurai, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil. Three wheelers, called autos , are also a common public transport system. Chidambaram railway station is located in the rail line from Mayiladuthurai to Viluppuram . There are daily express trains to Chennai , Rameswaram , Tirupathi , Cuddalore and Manamadurai . There are passenger trains to Mayiladuthurai , Cuddalore , Villupuram , Nagore and Bengaluru . Pondicherry Airport(PNY)
8084-402: The town. As of 2011, there were eleven government schools: six primary schools, three middle schools and two higher secondary schools in Chidambaram. Annamalai University , established in 1929 in Chidambaram, is one of the oldest and most prominent universities in the state. Chidambaram is one of the many temple towns in the state which is named after the groves, clusters or forests dominated by
8178-641: The town. Chidambaram is home to the Annamalai University . Annamalai University is a public university located in Annamalai Nagar, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. Rajah Muthiah Medical College , Rajah Muthiah Dental College, Muthiah Polytechnic College, Government Arts College, Ragavendra Arts and science college, C.S. Jain College of Pharmacy and Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Institute of Maritime and Science Engineering College(pkimsec) are some of
8272-439: The town. In the period 2000–2001, a total of 7.5 million litres of water was supplied every day for households in the town. As per the municipal data for 2011, about 31 metric tonnes of solid waste were collected from Chidambaram every day by door-to-door collection and subsequently the source segregation and dumping was carried out by the sanitary department of the Chidambaram municipality. The coverage of solid waste management in
8366-590: The universe and was worshipped in the Plains and mountains of Tamilakam .The Earliest verses of Paripadal describe the glory of Perumal in the most poetic of terms. Many Poems of the Paripadal consider Perumal as the Supreme god of Tamils . He is regarded to be the only deity who enjoyed the status of Paramporul (achieving oneness with Paramatma ) during the Sangam age . He is also known as Māyavan, Māmiyon, Netiyōn, and Māl in Sangam literature and considered as
8460-496: The young-girl sprouts-brightness toothed-female bangle(s) possessing hand(s)-female" – Translator: Kamil Zvelebil English interpretation and translation of Kuruntokai 119 : As a little white snake with lovely stripes on its young body troubles the jungle elephant this slip of a girl her teeth like sprouts of new rice her wrists stacked with bangles troubles me. – Creative translator: A.K. Ramanujan (1967) This metrical pattern, states Zvelebil, gives
8554-622: Was categorised and compiled in the tenth century CE into two categories based roughly on chronology. The categories are the Patiṉeṇmēlkaṇakku ("Eighteen Greater Texts") comprising Ettuthogai (or Ettuttokai , "Eight Anthologies") and the Pattuppāṭṭu ("Ten Idylls") and Patiṉeṇkīḻkaṇakku ("Eighteen Lesser Texts"). According to Takanobu Takahashi , the compilation of Patiṉeṇmēlkaṇakku poems are as follows: The compilation of poems from Patiṉeṇkīḻkaṇakku are as follows: Sangam literature
8648-544: Was laid by the Chola King Parantaka I (907-950 CE) following which he was given the title "Thillaiyambalathhukku porkoorai veiyntha thevan", meaning the one who constructed the golden roof. Kings Rajaraja Chola I (reign 985-1014 CE) and Kulothunga Chola I (1070-1120 CE) made significant donations to the temple. Gold and riches to the temple were donated by Rajaraja Chola's daughter Kundavai II while Chola king Vikrama Chola (1118-1135 CE) made donations for
8742-518: Was located far to the south of modern city of Madurai, a location later "swallowed up by the sea", states Shulman. The second academy, also chaired by a very long-lived Agastya, was near the eastern seaside Kapāṭapuram and lasted three millennia. This was swallowed by floods. From the second Sangam, states the legend, the Akattiyam and the Tolkāppiyam survived and guided the third Sangam scholars. A prose commentary by Nakkiranar – likely about
8836-526: Was the earliest scholar to systematically hunt for long-lost manuscripts and publish them using modern tools of textual criticism. These included: Aiyar – a Tamil scholar and a Shaiva pundit, in particular, is credited with his discovery of major collections of the Sangam literature in 1883. During his personal visit to the Thiruvavaduthurai Adhinam – a Shaiva matha about twenty kilometers northeast of Kumbhakonam , he reached out to
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