Temple Worship Traditions of the Ancient Tamils

Abstract

The people of Tamil Nadu worshipped the deities according to the land in which they lived. The Sangam literature spelled out the worship of God in the lands of Kurinji, Mullai, Marutham, Neithal, and Paalai very well. There is a lot of information in the Sangam literature about the worship of God Muruga. The worship of God Muruga is best described in ancient Tamil texts. The beautiful image of God Muruga is depicted in a mind-blowing way. He who is red in colour like the sun that sprouts in the sea and who has the Kandhal (Gloriosa superba) flower as a symbolic flower wears a Sengadambu (Small Indian Oak) garland on his chest. Thirumal, the land God of Mullai, was worshipped by the Tamil people as a deity and built temples in all the lands. The ancient deity Thirumal is sung when it is said that Tirumal is praised for the glory of Pandyan. The various Gods in the Vedas and the Epics were also worshipped by the Tamil people of the Sangam age. This can be seen in the Kurinji song section titled "The God in Different Forms". It is known from the Sangam texts that Kollippavai is situated in the Kolli Hills, that nothing gets damaged by wind or rain, and that it is a beautiful female form of youth. There are also references to the ways in which people worshipped God Muruga in the Sangam texts. Some of the shrines where there were temples dedicated to God Muruga were famous in ancient times