Biographical and Cultural Evolution of Paanar

Abstract

Tamil literary tradition registers 'tinai' divisions which is "a language with in a language" comments A.K. Ramanujan as it provides infinite possibilities to create in a finite frame. Along with people in respective landscapes, there are a nomadic group of paanar who visited all five landscapes spreading the oral tradition. References about the paanar, their oral tradition and nomadic lifestyle are found in cankam literature. There are different kinds of paanar referred performers, singers, declaimers, kuttar, viraliyar, poribar and panar along with their female counterparts and characteristic instruments. Records correspond that they were nomadic and visited kings to sing their praise and receive gifts. Their female counterparts were called 'viraliyar'. The Bard community depended on Kings and patrons for their livelihood. They are also called as 'isai panar' or musical paanar. They are further classified into three 'isai panar', 'yazh panar' and 'mandai panar'. This classification is also considered as separate caste by some and separate sect by others. These three sects of paanar are the ancestors of paanar. This research paper intends to study whether this nomadic lifestyle, singing the praise of kings, depending on kings' gifts for livelihood gave the paanar contentment in life from anthropological perspective.