Religious Traditions in Tamil Nadu during the Devaram Period

Abstract

Tamil devotional literature which was prevalent in Tamil Nadu during the Devar period was heavily influenced by Sanskrit literature. On this basis, it is known that many ancient historical incidents have been mentioned in the songs of Devaram. Birth of Gods, the manner in which their relationship is taught, the historical events of the gods, and their heroic deeds can be seen in the devaram. This article explains about the daughter of Umai Malaiyarasan, God Murugan Sivashakti, the story of Brahma and Vishnu searching for a foothold, the story of Vishnu's, the attributes of Shiva bearing Umadevi and Vishnu with half of his body and about the belief in the worship of natural objects such as the moon, Ganges, and Navagraha. It is worth noting that mythological information about the characteristics of minor deities, Indra, Varuna, Agni, Atatiku Balakas, etc., etc., are scattered throughout the Devaram. The purpose of this article is to explore all these in detail.