Worshipping Traditions of the Tamil People

Abstract

In general, the traditions of worship in Tamil society can be divided into two as minor deity worship and big deity worship. The word tradition is derived from a tradition passed down from generation to generation. There are many kind of worship such as worshiping the dead ancestors, vehicle of minor deities, their weapons Nadukal deities, female deities, virgin deities, male deities and so on. Among this the appearance of minor deities, mode of following, their army, prayer, and offerings are given importance in this article. Minor deities are considered to be deities of the lay people, and the history of the minor deities have been described orally. -goddess is known as oral literature. Pujas are performed by the elders of the clan. The practice of sacrifice is also mentioned in this article. Major deity worship is about the deities in the five types of land namely Kurinji, Mullai, Marutham, Neithal and Paalai. In the major deity worship traditions, incarnations, trivia, attaining yogic status by asking for boon, attaining a house, and asking for boon in the afterlife are prominent. These deities are worshipped when there is division between love and valor, when the hero separates the heroine and for the protection of hero. This worship has also been explored through religious texts and chants and pujas. Knowledgeable peoples, siddhars and poets worship the major deities. It has also been examined in this article that the pujas, worships and festivals are conducted for these deities. This article examines the traditions of minor and major deity worship in Tamil society, worship methods and the clans of the worshippers.