Page 8 - Jul - Sep 2021

SANGAM SAGA DID YOU

KNOW?

The earliest manuscripts from South India, written in an archaic Tamil, are collectively During the Sangam period,
known as Sangam literature! Sangam works include songs, poems, texts on grammar, Tamilakam was ruled by
the Cheras, Cholas and
etc., composed between 3rd century BCE and 3rd century CE and compiled into Pandyas.
anthologies in mid-8th century CE.

‘SANGAM’ LEGEND POETRY PERSONIFIED LIFE IN LORE

According to an ancient legend, Sangam poems, written by 473 poets, The Sangam poems tell us
the manuscripts were composed are of two genres – akam poems on love a great deal about aspects
in three Sangams or literary and puram poems on war and heroism. of everyday life – society,
gatherings at Madurai and Puram poetry was orally recited for a polity, culture, economy –
Kapatapuram. The last Sangam long time before it was written down. from the times when they
is considered as a historical Pattuppattu, or the Ten Idylls, is the were composed.
possibility since some of the kings oldest anthology of poems in Tamil!
and poets associated with it are
historical fi gures.

OTHER LITERATURE

TAMIL VEDA
EPICS
Thiruvalluvar composed
Like the epics of north DEVOTIONAL POETRY and wrote the iconic
India, Ramayana and ‘Tamil Veda’, Tirukkural,
Mahabharata, the southern Intense devotional poetry of in c. 5th or 6th
epics of Silappadikaram and the Vaishnava and Shaiva saints century CE. Its three
Manimekalai were composed in survive as important manuscripts. books contain
5th – 6th centuries CE and later For example, in the tenth century, 1,330 seven-word-
written down as manuscripts. Nathamuni compiled Alvar hymns couplets or kurals Ilustration by R. Chinmaya,
in the manuscript, Nalayira Divya Class 7, St. Isabel's Girls
R. Chinmaya, Class 7, St. Isabel's Girls on ethics, morality, Higher Secondary School,
Higher Secondary School, Pattukkottai Prabhandham. Pattukkottai
polity, and love.

ACTIVITY-LEGENDS
& LORES

Here are comic strips from the Amar Chitra
Katha depicting the Silappadikaram and
Manimekalai stories. Draw a comic strip for
one of these epics in your own style

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