Tamil culture is the culture of the Tamil people. Tamil culture is rooted in the arts and ways of life of Tamils in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and across the globe. Tamil culture is expressed in language, literature, music, dance, theatre, folk arts, martial arts, painting, sculpture, architecture, sports, media, comedy, cuisine, costumes, celebrations, philosophy, religions, traditions, rituals, organizations, science, and technology.

Religion:

The Tamils are nature lovers and their relation to the religion is based on the nature. Currently, 88% of the population in Tamil Nadu are Saivam, Vainavam & Atheist/Agnostic, 6% are Christians, 5.57% are Muslims and the rest consists of different religions including Buddhists. This could largely be attributed to several cultural diffusion between India and other countries through trade,colonization and increasing improvement in technology. Murugan, Lord Muruga is the supreme deity of the Tamil Culture. He is usually referred to as the Tamil god because it is said that when Lord Muruga was young he had an argument over a fruit with his brother Lord Ganesh and he got very angry when his father Lord Shiva said that Ganesh should have it and he moved out of Kailash to find his own group of people, the Tamils and decided to make Tamil Nadu his residence. The Tamils worship him as their main God. The original Six Abodes of Lord Muruga are currently located in Tamil Nadu,India.

Sculpture:

From around the 3rd century BC Tamil sculpture ranges from elegant stone sculptures in temples, to bronze icons with exquisite details. The medieval Chola bronzes are considered to be one of India's greatest contributions to the world art. Unlike most Western art, the material in Tamil sculpture does not influence the form taken by the sculpture; instead, the artist imposes his/her vision of the form on the material. As a result, one often sees in stone sculptures flowing forms that are usually reserved for metal. As with painting, these sculptures show a fine eye for detail; great care is taken in sculpting the minute details of jewellery, worn by the subjects of the sculpture. The lines tend to be smooth and flowing, and many pieces skillfully capture movement. The cave sculptures at Mamallapuram are a particularly fine example of the technique, as are the bronzes of the Chola period. A particularly popular motif in the bronzes was the depiction of Shiva as Nataraja, in a dance posture with one leg upraised and a fiery circular halo surrounding his body.onwards, three local royal dynasties-the Chola dynasty, the Chera dynasty and the Pandyan Dynasty-rose to dominate the ancient Tamil country. Each of these dynasties had its own realm within the Tamil-speaking region. Classical literature and inscriptions also describe a number of Velirs, or minor chieftains, who collectively ruled over large parts of central Tamil Nadu. by nearly 300 people. The literature shows that many of the cultural practices that are considered peculiarly Tamil date back to the classical period.

Music and Dance:

Ancient Tamil works, such as the Cilappatikaram, describe a system of music, and a 7th-century Pallava inscription at Kudimiyamalai contains one of the earliest surviving examples of Indian music in notation. Contemporary dance forms such as Bharatanatyam have recent origins but are based older temple dance forms known as Catir Kacceri as practised by courtesans and a class of women known as Devadasis.
Contemporary dance forms such as Bharatanatyam have recent origins but are based older temple dance forms known as Catir Kacceri as practised by courtesans and a class of women known as Devadasis. One of the Tamil folk dances is karakattam. In its religious form, the dance is performed in front of an image of the goddess Mariamma. The kuravanci is a type of dance-drama, performed by four to eight women. The drama is opened by a woman playing the part of a female soothsayer of the kurava tribe(people of hills and mountains), who tells the story of a lady pining for her lover. The therukoothu, literally meaning "street play", is a form of village theater or folk opera. It is traditionally performed in village squares, with no sets and very simple props. The performances involve songs and dances, and the stories can be either religious or secular. The performances are not formal, and performers often interact with the audience, mocking them, or involving them in the dialogue. Therukkuthu has, in recent times, been very successfully adapted to convey social messages, such as abstinence and anti-caste criticism, as well as information about legal rights, and has spread to other parts of India.Tamil Nadu also has a well developed stage theatre tradition, which has been influenced by western theatre. A number of theatrical companies exist, with repertoires including absurdist, realist, and humorous plays.

Martial Art Traditions:

Various martial arts including Kuttu Varisai, Varma Kalai, Silambam, Adithada, Malyutham and Kalarippayattu, are practised in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The warm-up phase includes yoga, meditation and breathing exercises. Silambam originated in ancient Tamilakam and was patronized by the Pandyans, Cholas and Cheras, who ruled over this region. Silapathiharam a Tamil literature from 2nd century AD, refers to the sale of Silamabam instructions, weapons and equipment to foreign traders. Since the early Sangam age, there was a warlike culture in South India. War was regarded as an honorable sacrifice and fallen heroes and kings were worshiped in the form of a Hero stone. Each warrior was trained in martial arts, horse riding and specialized in two of the weapons of that period Vel (spear) Val (sword) and Vil (bow).The Tamil kings and warriors followed a code of honor and committed suicide to save the honor, like the seppuku from Japan. The forms of martial suicide were known as Avipalli, Thannai, Verttal, Marakkanchi and Vatakkiruttal. Avipalli was mentioned in all the works except Veera Soliyam. It was a self-sacrifice of a warrior to the goddess of war for the victory of his commander.The Martial suicide culture was practiced during the Sri Lankan civil war by the Tamil rebels. Tamil rebels carry a Suicide pill around their neck to escape the captivity and torture.

Tamil Cuisine:

Tamil cuisine including vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Many Tamils, especially those belonging to the Brahmin caste are vegetarian because of religious reasons. Tamils like to eat, very hot and spicy food. During the British Raj, a hot spice mix was famously known as the Hot Madras Masala Powder. Rice is the staple food in most Asian countries and has great importance in the Tamil culture. Tamils were among the first peoples who cultivated rice, probably the word "rice" has its origin in Tamil word "Arisi". Rice is mostly eaten with vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries. Traditionally, the Tamils sitting on the soil and the food is served on a banana leaf. The traditional foods are eaten with right hand. Dishes such as Dosa, Idli, Vada are served with Sambar and coconut sambal. The rasam replace the soup in Tamil cuisine. The Tamil cuisine in Sri Lanka differs little from that of South India. A famous Sri Lankan Tamil specialty is Kottu Roti, it is available in most Sri Lankan restaurants in the country and abroad.

To contact Newcastle Tamil Sangam, please email ncthamilsangam@gmail.com