Healthcare Concepts in Sangam Literature: An Analytical Study

2026-07-21T10:13:30+00:00

The ancient Tamils of the Sangam period viewed health and medicine as inseparable from food and everyday life. They embraced the principle that "food itself is medicine, and medicine itself is food," integrating dietary practices with preventive healthcare. Sangam literary works such as the Pattinappālai, Puranānūru, and Sirupāṇāṟṟuppaṭai describe nutritious foods including honey, milk, fruits, bamboo rice, and millet as essential for maintaining physical well-being. Similarly, texts such as the Akanānūru and Malaipaṭukaṭām record the dual use of pepper, ginger, and turmeric as both food and medicinal substances. The Puranānūru further extols the medicinal value of the Indian gooseberry (nellikkani), describing it as nectar-like and possessing remarkable healing properties. Sangam literature also provides evidence of advanced healthcare practices, including communal food-sharing for well-being, physical exercise, wound dressing, surgical procedures, and the use of natural antiseptics such as mustard, turmeric, and neem for preventing infections. In addition to physical treatments, the literature reflects an understanding of mental health through practices such as fasting, meditation, emotional resilience, guidance and counselling, and music therapy, all of which were employed to promote psychological well-being. This article examines the medical knowledge preserved in Sangam literature, highlighting the preventive, curative, and holistic healthcare practices of the ancient Tamils. The study demonstrates that Sangam texts embody a comprehensive medical tradition that integrates nutrition, herbal medicine, surgery, hygiene, and psychological care, revealing the remarkable depth of early Tamil medical wisdom and its continuing relevance to contemporary health studies.

Discovery and Restoration of an Obsolete Form of Mahidikkoothu in the Mullaitivu Region - A Study

2026-04-06T11:23:05+00:00

Mullaitivu is a region in the northern part of Sri Lanka with a long tradition and history in the development of Kooththu Art. Here, talented Annavimars, Performers of Kooththu, script writers, Pakkapattu artists, costume and makeup artist, etc., are found. The lifestyle of the people is revealed in this village in a special way through Kooththu. Thus, the Mahidikkooththu practiced here is a people-centred stage-based form, combining stories, societies, and events of the time and performing it in an open space with specific stage elements. This Kooththu has not changed with the passage of time, the arrival of modern theatre, and place names. However, this form of Kooththu is necessary to connect people with the contemporary theatre trend and to express their creative potential. In addition, it is a medium to pass on theatre techniques and its unique features to the younger generation. Thus, the social, economic and cultural factors that led to the obsolescence of the Mahidikkooththu, which was performed fifty years ago in the Mullaitivu region, are identified and re-examined, its performance system and its subsequent status are examined through the process. Since this study is a sociological study, the research methodology of Exploratory Method and Qualitative Research Design were followed. When the performance is performed through fieldwork, data is collected and analyzed. The purpose of the study is to revive an obsolete performance form. The research problem is the failure to revive Mahidikkooththu.

Indian Journal of Tamil

Healthcare Concepts in Sangam Literature: An Analytical Study

Discovery and Restoration of an Obsolete Form of Mahidikkoothu in the Mullaitivu Region - A Study