Editing Tamil Nadu (section)

==Culture and heritage==
{{Main|Tamil culture}}

===Clothing===
[[File:Kanchipuram sarees (7642282200).jpg|thumb|[[Kanchipuram silk sari]]s worn by women on special occasions]]
Tamil women traditionally wear a ''[[sari]]'', a garment that consists of a drape varying from {{convert|5|to|9|yd|}} in length and {{convert|2|to|4|ft|}} in breadth that is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff, as according to Indian philosophy, the navel is considered as the source of life and creativity.<ref>{{cite book|last=Boulanger|first=Chantal|title=Saris: An Illustrated Guide to the Indian Art of Draping|year=1997|publisher=Shakti Press International|location=New York|isbn=978-0-966-14961-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Lynton|first=Linda|title=The Sari|year=1995|publisher=Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated|location=New York|isbn=978-0-810-94461-9}}</ref> Ancient Tamil poetry such as the ''Cilappadhikaram'', describes women in exquisite drapery or sari.<ref>{{cite book|last=Parthasarathy|first=R.|year=1993|title=The Tale of an Anklet: An Epic of South India – The Cilappatikaram of Ilanko Atikal, Translations from the Asian Classics|publisher=Columbia University Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-231-07849-8}}</ref> Women wear colourful [[silk sari]]s on special occasions such as marriages.<ref>{{cite book|title=Sociology of Religion|first1=Susanne|last1=C. Monahan|first2= William|last2= Andrew Mirola|first3=Michael|last3= O. Emerson|publisher=Prentice Hall|year=2001|isbn=978-0-130-25380-4|page=83}}</ref> The men wear a ''[[dhoti]]'', a {{convert|4.5|m}} long, white rectangular piece of non-stitched cloth often bordered in brightly coloured stripes. It is usually wrapped around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/dhoti|title=About Dhoti|encyclopedia=Britannica|access-date=12 January 2016|archive-date=13 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313150055/http://www.britannica.com/topic/dhoti|url-status=live}}</ref> A colourful ''[[lungi]]'' with typical [[batik]] patterns is the most common form of male attire in the countryside.<ref name="Cloth">{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/India/Clothing|title=Clothing in India|encyclopedia=Britannica|access-date=12 January 2016|archive-date=17 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317074255/http://www.britannica.com/place/India/Clothing|url-status=live}}</ref> People in urban areas generally wear tailored clothing, and western dress is popular. Western-style school uniforms are worn by both boys and girls in schools, even in rural areas.<ref name="Cloth"/> The [[Kanchipuram silk sari]] is a type of [[silk]] [[sari]] made in the [[Kanchipuram]] region in Tamil Nadu and these saris are worn as bridal and special occasion saris by most women in South India. It has been recognized as a [[Geographical indication]] by the Government of India in 2005{{ndash}}2006.<ref>{{cite news|title=Weaving through the threads|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-editorialfeatures/weaving-through-threads-of-kancheepurams-history/article3264339.ece|access-date=7 March 2015|archive-date=14 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614090426/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-editorialfeatures/weaving-through-threads-of-kancheepurams-history/article3264339.ece|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="GI">{{cite report|url=https://ipindia.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/Images/pdf/Year_wise_GI_Application_Register_-_31-08-2023.pdf|title=Geographical indications of India|publisher=[[Government of India]]|access-date=28 June 2023|archive-date=15 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015172118/https://ipindia.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/Images/pdf/Year_wise_GI_Application_Register_-_31-08-2023.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Kovai Cora Cotton|Kovai Cora]] is a type of [[cotton]] sari made in the Coimbatore.<ref name="GI"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/news/31-ethnic-Indian-products-given-GI-protection-in-0708/292305|title=31 ethnic Indian products given|newspaper=Financial Express|access-date=28 June 2015|archive-date=28 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328173207/https://www.financialexpress.com/policy/economy-31-ethnic-Indian-products-given-GI-protection-in-0708-292305/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Cuisine===
[[File:Veg_Full_Meals_in_Tamil_Nadu.JPG|thumb|Traditional meal served on a [[banana leaf]]]]

[[Rice]] is the diet staple and is served with ''[[Sambar (dish)|sambar]]'', ''[[Rasam (dish)|rasam]]'', and ''[[poriyal]]'' as a part of a Tamil meal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://faostat.fao.org/site/616/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=616#ancor|title=Food Balance Sheets and Crops Primary Equivalent|publisher=[[FAO]]|access-date=17 August 2012|archive-date=3 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003034113/http://faostat.fao.org/site/616/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=616#ancor|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Coconut]] and spices are used extensively in Tamil cuisine. The region has a rich cuisine involving both traditional non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes made of rice, [[legume]]s, and [[lentil]]s with its distinct aroma and flavour achieved by the blending of [[flavouring]]s and spices.<ref>{{cite book|last=Czarra|first=Fred|year=2009|title=Spices: A Global History|url=https://archive.org/details/spicesglobalhist0000czar|url-access=registration|publisher= Reaktion Books|page=[https://archive.org/details/spicesglobalhist0000czar/page/128 128]|isbn=978-1-861-89426-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Dalby|first=Andrew|title=Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices|publisher=Berkeley: University of California Press|year=2002|isbn=978-0-520-23674-5}}</ref> The traditional way of eating a meal involves being seated on the floor, having the food served on a [[banana leaf]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Advancing banana and plantain R & D in Asia and the Pacific|page=84|last1=Molina|first1=A.B.|last2=Roa|first2=V.N.|last3=Van den Bergh|first3=I.|last4=Maghuyop|first4=M.A.|publisher=Biodiversity International|year=2000|isbn=978-9-719-17513-1}}</ref> and using clean fingers of the right hand to take the food into the mouth.<ref>{{cite book|title=India: The Culture|first=Bobbie|last=Kalman|publisher=Crabtree Publishing Company|year=2009|page=29|isbn=978-0-778-79287-1}}</ref> After the meal, the fingers are washed; the easily degradable banana leaf is discarded or becomes fodder for cattle.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://iskconhighertaste.com/bananaleaf_sattvic.html|title=Serving on a banana leaf|publisher=ISCKON|access-date=1 January 2023|archive-date=31 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531220859/http://iskconhighertaste.com/bananaleaf_sattvic.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Eating on banana leaves is a custom thousands of years old, imparts a unique flavor to the food, and is considered healthy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatimes.com/health/healthyliving/the-benefits-of-eating-food-on-banana-leaves-242512.html|title=The Benefits of Eating Food on Banana Leaves|work=India Times|date=9 March 2015|access-date=20 March 2016|archive-date=7 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307041415/http://www.indiatimes.com/health/healthyliving/the-benefits-of-eating-food-on-banana-leaves-242512.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Idli]]'', ''[[Dosa (food)|dosa]]'', ''[[uthappam]]'', ''[[Pongal (dish)|pongal]]'', and ''[[paniyaram]]'' are popular breakfast dishes in Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{cite book|first=K.T.|last=Achaya|title=The Story of Our Food|date=1 November 2003|publisher=Universities Press|isbn=978-8-173-71293-7|page=80}}</ref> [[Palani Panchamirtham]], [[Ooty varkey]], [[Chikki|Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai]], [[Manapparai Murukku]] and [[Khoa|Srivilliputhur Palkova]] are unique foods that have been recognised as [[List of geographical indications in India|Geographical Indications]].<ref>{{cite report|url=https://ipindia.gov.in/registered-gls.htm|title=Geographical indications in India|publisher=[[Government of India]]|access-date=1 December 2023|archive-date=3 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203233006/https://ipindia.gov.in/registered-gls.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Literature===
{{see|Tamil Literature}}
[[File:The Hindu Sage Agastya.jpg|thumb|upright|Sculpture of sage [[Agastya]]]]

Tamil Nadu has an independent [[Tamil literature|literary]] tradition dating back over 2500 years from the Sangam era.<ref name="Zvelebil"/> Early Tamil literature was composed in three successive poetic assemblies known as the [[Tamil Sangams]], the earliest of which, according to legend, were held on a now vanished [[Kumari Kandam|continent]] far to the south of India.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1353/asi.2003.0031|title=Chera, Chola, Pandya: Using Archaeological Evidence to Identify the Tamil Kingdoms of Early Historic South India|journal=Asian Perspectives|volume=42|issue=2|page=207|year=2003|last1=Abraham|first1=S. A.|s2cid=153420843|hdl=10125/17189|url=http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/17189/1/AP-v42n2-207-223.pdf|access-date=6 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903211259/https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/17189/1/AP-v42n2-207-223.pdf|archive-date=3 September 2019|url-status=live|hdl-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Ramaswamy|first=Sumathi|title=The Lost Land of Lemuria: Fabulous Geographies, Catastrophic Histories|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=elYyJuYuAhwC&pg=PP1|year=2004|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-24032-2|pages=131, 156}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Jayakaran, S. C.|year=2004|url=http://www.indianfolklore.org/journals/index.php/ifrj/article/download/178/183|title=Lost Land and the Myth of Kumari Kandam|journal=Indian Folklore Research Journal|volume=1|issue=4|pages=94–109|access-date=3 June 2024|archive-date=27 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627202742/http://www.indianfolklore.org/journals/index.php/ifrj/article/download/178/183|url-status=dead}}</ref> This includes the oldest grammatical treatise, ''[[Tolkāppiyam|Tolkappiyam]]'', and the epics ''Cilappatikaram'' and ''[[Manimekalai]]''.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Women and Farm Work in Tamil Folk Songs|year=1993|first=Vijaya|last=Ramaswamy|volume=21|issue=9/11|pages=113–129|doi= 10.2307/3520429|quote=As early as the Tolkappiyam (which has sections ranging from the 3rd century BCE to the 5th century CE) the eco-types in South India have been classified into|journal=Social Scientist|jstor=3520429}}</ref> The earliest [[Epigraphy|epigraphic]] records found on rock edicts and ''[[hero stone]]s'' date from around the 3rd century BCE.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.2307/2943246|jstor=2943246|title=The Beginnings of Civilization in South India|journal=The Journal of Asian Studies|volume=29|issue=3|pages=603–616|year=1970|last1=Maloney|first1=C.|s2cid=162291987}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.2307/2053325|jstor=2053325|title=Circulation and the Historical Geography of Tamil Country|journal=The Journal of Asian Studies|volume=37|issue=1|pages=7–26|year=1977|last1=Stein|first1=B.|s2cid=144599197}}</ref> The available literature from the Sangam period was categorised and compiled into two categories based roughly on chronology: the [[Eighteen Greater Texts|Patiṉeṇmēlkaṇakku]] consisting of [[Ettuthokai|Eṭṭuttokai]] and the [[Pattupattu]], and the [[Eighteen Lesser Texts|Patiṉeṇkīḻkaṇakku]]. The existent Tamil grammar is largely based on the 13th-century grammar book ''{{IAST|Naṉṉūl}}'' based on the ''Tolkāppiyam.'' Tamil grammar consists of five parts, namely ''{{IAST|eḻuttu}}'', ''sol'', ''{{IAST|poruḷ}}'', ''yāppu'', ''{{IAST|aṇi}}''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil/lit.html|title=Five fold grammar of Tamil|work=University of Pennsylvania|access-date=8 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609115617/http://www.southasia.upenn.edu/tamil/lit.html|archive-date=9 June 2007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Giovanni Ciotti|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352695179|title=Tamil Ilakkaṇam ('Grammar') and the Interplay between Syllabi, Corpora and Manuscripts|date=June 2021|doi=10.1515/9783110741124-016|pages=315–352|isbn=978-3-11-074112-4 |access-date=3 June 2024|archive-date=3 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240603082621/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352695179_Tamil_Ilakkanam_'Grammar'_and_the_Interplay_between_Syllabi_Corpora_and_Manuscripts|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Tirukkural]]'', a book on ethics by [[Thiruvalluvar]], is amongst the most popular works of Tamil literature.<ref>{{cite book|first=M. S. Purnalingam|last=Pillai|title=Tamil literature|publisher=Asian Education Service|date=1994|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-8-120-60955-6|page=73}}</ref>

The Tamil literature that followed in the next 300 years after the Sangam period is generally called the "post-Sangam" literature which included the [[Five Great Epics]] and the [[Five Minor Epics]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Kamil|last=Zvelebil|title=Companion Studies to the History of Tamil Literature|year=1992|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|isbn=978-9-00409-365-2|pages=12–13|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qAPtq49DZfoC|access-date=15 July 2024|archive-date=16 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716133218/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Companion_Studies_to_the_History_of_Tami/qAPtq49DZfoC|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=T.V. Mahalingam|title=Proceedings of the Second Annual Conference of the South Indian History Congress|year=1981|publisher=[[University of Michigan]]|pages=28–34}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Ancient Tamil Country: Its Social and Economic Structure|author=S. Sundararajan|publisher=Navrang|year=1991|page=233}}</ref>
In the early medieval period, [[Vaishnava]] and [[Saiva|Shaiva]] literature became prominent following the [[Bhakti movement]] in the sixth century CE with hymns composed by the [[Alwars|Alvars]] and the [[Nayanmars|Nayanars]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Pillai|first=P. Govinda|title=The Bhakti Movement: Renaissance or Revivalism?|date=4 October 2022|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-000-78039-0|quote=Thirdly, the movement had blossomed first down south or the Tamil country|chapter=Chapter 11}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Padmaja|first=T.|title=Temples of Kr̥ṣṇa in South India: History, Art, and Traditions in Tamil nāḍu|date=2002|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-8-170-17398-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Nair|first1=Rukmini Bhaya|title=Keywords for India: A Conceptual Lexicon for the 21st Century|last2=de Souza|first2=Peter Ronald|year=2020|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-350-03925-4|page=208}}</ref> In the following years, Tamil literature again flourished with notable works including [[Ramavataram]], written in the 12th century CE by [[Kambar (poet)|Kambar]].<ref>{{cite book|author=P S Sundaram|title=Kamba Ramayana|date=3 May 2002|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|isbn=978-9-351-18100-2|pages=18–}}</ref> After a lull in the intermediate years due to various invasions and instability, the Tamil literature recovered in the 14th century CE, with the notable work being ''[[Tiruppukal]]'' by [[Arunagirinathar]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bergunder|first1=Michael|title=Ritual, Caste, and Religion in Colonial South India|last2=Frese|first2=Heiko|last3=Schröder|first3=Ulrike|date=2011|publisher=Primus Books|isbn=978-9-380-60721-4|page=107}}</ref> In 1578, the Portuguese published a Tamil book in old Tamil script named ''Thambiraan Vanakkam'', thus making Tamil the first Indian language to be printed and published.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/tamil-saw-its-first-book-in-1578/article476102.ece|title=Tamil saw its first book in 1578|author=Karthik Madhavan|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=8 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101181012/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/tamil-saw-its-first-book-in-1578/article476102.ece|archive-date=1 January 2016|url-status=live|date=21 June 2010}}</ref> ''[[Tamil Lexicon]]'', published by the [[University of Madras]], is the first among the [[dictionary|dictionaries]] published in any Indian language.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kolappan|first=B.|title=Delay, howlers in Tamil Lexicon embarrass scholars|newspaper=The Hindu|location=Chennai|date=22 June 2014|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/delay-howlers-in-tamil-lexicon-embarrass-scholars/article6138747.ece|access-date=25 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704063848/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/delay-howlers-in-tamil-lexicon-embarrass-scholars/article6138747.ece|archive-date=4 July 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> The 19th century gave rise to the [[Tamil Renaissance]] and writings and poems by authors such as [[Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai]], [[U.V.Swaminatha Iyer|U.V. Swaminatha Iyer]], [[Ramalinga Adigal|Ramalinga Swamigal]], [[Maraimalai Adigal]], and [[Bharathidasan]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The embodiment of bhakti|author=Karen Prechilis|pages=8|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-195-12813-0|year=1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Tamil Renaissance and the Dravidian Movement, 1905-1944|first=K. Nambi|last=Arooran|publisher=Koodal|year=1980}}</ref> During the [[Indian Independence Movement]], many Tamil poets and writers sought to provoke national spirit, social equity and secularist thoughts, notably [[Subramania Bharati]] and Bharathidasan.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.jlls.org/index.php/jlls/article/download/5312/1872|title=Bharathiyar Who Impressed Bharatidasan|journal=Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies|access-date=1 December 2023|issn=1305-578X|archive-date=24 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224200602/https://www.jlls.org/index.php/jlls/article/download/5312/1872|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Architecture===
{{Further|Architecture of Tamil Nadu}}
[[File:Andal Temple.jpg|thumb|The large ''[[gopuram]]'' is a hallmark of [[Dravidian architecture]]]]
[[Dravidian architecture]] is the distinct style of rock architecture in Tamil Nadu.<ref name="Hindu">{{cite book|last=Harman|first=William P.|title=The sacred marriage of a Hindu goddess|date=9 October 1992|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|page=6|isbn=978-8-1208-0810-2}}</ref> In Dravidian architecture, the temples consisted of porches or ''mantapas'' preceding the door leading to the sanctum, gate-pyramids or ''[[gopuram]]s'' in quadrangular enclosures that surround the temple, and ''pillared halls'' used for many purposes.  These features are the invariable accompaniments of these temples. Besides these, a South Indian temple usually has a [[temple tank|tank]] called the ''kalyani'' or ''pushkarni''.<ref>{{cite book|last= Fergusson|first= James|title= History of Indian and Eastern Architecture|orig-date= 1910|edition= 3rd|year= 1997|publisher=Low Price Publications|location= New Delhi|page= 309}}</ref> The gopuram is a monumental tower, usually ornate at the entrance of the temple forms a prominent feature of [[koil]]s and [[Hindu temple architecture|Hindu temples]] of the Dravidian style.<ref name="Gopuram">{{cite book|first=Francis D.K.|last= Ching|year= 2007|title= A Global History of Architecture|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|location=New York|isbn=978-0-471-26892-5|page=762|display-authors=etal}}</ref> They are topped by the ''kalasam'', a bulbous stone [[finial]] and function as gateways through the walls that surround the temple complex.<ref>{{cite book|first=Francis D.K.|last= Ching|year= 1995|title= A Visual Dictionary of Architecture|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|location=New York|isbn=978-0-471-28451-2|page=253}}</ref> The gopuram's origins can be traced back to the [[Pallava art and architecture|Pallavas]] who built the group of monuments in [[Mahabalipuram]] and [[Kanchipuram]].<ref name="UNC">{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/249|title=Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram|publisher=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|access-date=3 April 2022|archive-date=2 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202145914/http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/249|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Chola art and architecture|Cholas]] later expanded the same and by the [[Pandyan art and architecture|Pandya]] rule in twelfth century, these gateways became a dominant feature of a temple's outer appearance.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mitchell|first=George|title=The Hindu Temple|publisher=University of Chicago Press|year=1988|location=Chicago|pages= 151&ndash;153|isbn=978-0-226-53230-1}}</ref><ref name="Brit">{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9037402/gopura|title=Gopuram|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=20 January 2008|archive-date=19 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819003114/https://www.britannica.com/technology/gopura|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Emblem of Tamil Nadu|state emblem]] also features the [[Lion Capital of Ashoka]] with an image of a Gopuram on the background.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Which-Tamil-Nadu-temple-is-the-state-emblem/articleshow/55285143.cms|title=Which Tamil Nadu temple is the state emblem?|date=7 November 2016|newspaper=[[Times of India]]|access-date=20 January 2018|archive-date=12 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112160826/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Which-Tamil-Nadu-temple-is-the-state-emblem/articleshow/55285143.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Vimana (architectural feature)|Vimanam]]'' are similar structures built over the ''[[garbhagriha]]'' or inner sanctum of the temple but are usually smaller than the gopurams in the Dravidian architecture with a few exceptions including the [[Brihadisvara Temple]] in [[Thanjavur]].<ref>{{cite book|author=S.R. Balasubrahmanyam|title = Middle Chola Temples|publisher=Thomson Press|year=1975|isbn=978-9-060-23607-9|pages=16–29}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Neela|first1=N.|last2=Ambrosia|first2=G.|title=Vimana architecture under the Cholas|journal=Shanlax International Journal of Arts, Science & Humanities|date=April 2016|volume=3|issue=4|page=57|url=https://www.shanlax.com/wp-content/uploads/SIJ_ASH_V3_N4_008.pdf|access-date=5 July 2019|issn=2321-788X|archive-date=5 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190705140824/https://www.shanlax.com/wp-content/uploads/SIJ_ASH_V3_N4_008.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Mugal Empire|Mugal]] influence in medieval times and the [[British Empire|British]] influence later gave rise to a blend of [[Hindu]], [[Islamic]] and [[Gothic revival]] styles, resulting in the distinct [[Indo-Saracenic]] architecture. Several buildings and institutions built during the British era followed the style.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Metcalfe|first=Thomas R.|title=A Tradition Created: Indo-Saracenic Architecture under the Raj|journal=History Today|volume=32|issue=9|url=http://www.historytoday.com/thomas-r-metcalfe/tradition-created-indo-saracenic-architecture-under-raj|access-date=28 December 2012|archive-date=18 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618230153/https://www.historytoday.com/thomas-r-metcalfe/tradition-created-indo-saracenic-architecture-under-raj|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Indo-saracenic Architecture|work=Henry Irwin, Architect in India, 1841–1922|publisher=higman.de|url=http://www.higman.de/Henry%20Irwin/indo-saracenic.htm|access-date=28 December 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730131008/http://www.higman.de/Henry%20Irwin/indo-saracenic.htm|archive-date=30 July 2020}}</ref> By the early 20th century, [[art deco]] made its entry in the urban landscape.<ref>{{cite news|title=Art Deco Style Remains, But Elements Missing|date=2 September 2014|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2014/sep/02/art-deco-style-remains-but-elements-missing-655242.html|newspaper=The New Indian Express|access-date=28 December 2022|archive-date=8 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208132502/https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2014/sep/02/Art-Deco-Style-Remains-But-Elements-Missing-655242.html|url-status=live}}</ref> After Indian Independence, Tamil architecture witnessed a rise in  [[Modernism]] with the transition from lime-and-brick construction to [[concrete]] columns.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chennai looks to the skies|location=Chennai|date=31 October 2014|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/homes-and-gardens/Five-years-after-the-CMDA-allowed-buildings-to-go-above-60-metres-Chennai%E2%80%99s-skyline-finally-begins-to-look-up-finds-Vishal-Menon/article60348870.ece|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=28 December 2022|archive-date=8 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208132503/https://www.thehindu.com/features/homes-and-gardens/Five-years-after-the-CMDA-allowed-buildings-to-go-above-60-metres-Chennai%E2%80%99s-skyline-finally-begins-to-look-up-finds-Vishal-Menon/article60348870.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Arts===
{{Further|Dance forms of Tamil Nadu}}
[[File:Bharata_Natyam_Performance_DS.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|The [[Indian classical dance|classical dance]] [[Bharatanatyam]] is one of the oldest dance forms of India]]

Tamil Nadu is a major centre for music, art and dance in India.<ref>{{cite book|title=Global Soundtracks: Worlds of Film Music|first=Mark|last=Slobin|isbn=978-0-819-56882-3|year=2008|page=140|publisher=Wesleyan University Press}}</ref> Chennai is called the cultural capital of South India.<ref>{{cite book|first=Rina|last=Kamath|title=Chennai|year=2000|publisher=Orient Blackswan|isbn=978-81-250-1378-5|page=66|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bw2vDg2fTrMC&pg=PA66|access-date=24 December 2023|archive-date=3 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240603082657/https://books.google.com/books?id=bw2vDg2fTrMC&pg=PA66#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> In the Sangam era, art forms were classified into: ''iyal'' (poetry), ''isai'' (music) and ''nadakam'' (drama).<ref>{{cite book|title=Delights and Disquiets of Leisure in Premodern India|year=2023|isbn=978-9-394-70128-1|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|first=Seema|last=Bahwa}}</ref> [[Bharata Natyam|Bharatanatyam]] is a classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu and is one of the oldest dances of India.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i2vDlcIyVjUC&pg=PA262|title=World Musics in Context: A Comprehensive Survey of the World's Major Musical Cultures|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|first=Peter|last=Fletcher|isbn=978-0-19-816636-8|date=29 April 2004|access-date=24 December 2023|archive-date=3 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703055734/https://books.google.com/books?id=i2vDlcIyVjUC&pg=PA262|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=|title=India's Dances Their History, Technique, and Repertoire|last=Massey|first=Reginald|year=2004|isbn=978-8-170-17434-9|publisher=Abhinav|location=New Delhi}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Samson|first=Leela|title=Rhythm in Joy: Classical Indian Dance Traditions|year=1987|publisher=Lustre Press|location=New Delhi|page=29|isbn=978-9-9919-4155-4}}</ref> Other regional folk dances include [[Karakattam]], [[Kavadi]], [[Koodiyattam]], [[Oyilattam]], [[Parai Attam|Paraiattam]] and [[Poikkaal Kuthirai Aattam|Puravaiattam]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Handbook of Tamil Culture and Heritage|year=2000|publisher=International Tamil Language Foundation|location=Chicago|page=1201}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Banerjee|first=Projesh|title=Indian Ballet Dancing|date=1 February 1989|publisher=Abhinav Publications|location=New Jersey|page=43|isbn=978-8-170-17175-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last= Bowers|first=Faubion|title=The Dance in India|date=June 1953|publisher=AMS Press|location=New York|pages=13–15|isbn=978-0-4040-0963-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Fairs and Festivals of India|volume=2|first1=Madan Prasad|last1=Bezbaruah|first2=Krishna|last2=Gopal|year=2003|isbn=978-8-1212-0809-3|page=286|publisher=Gyan Publishing House}}</ref> The dance, clothing, and sculptures of Tamil Nadu exemplify the beauty of the body and motherhood.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Beck|first=Brenda|year=1976|title=The Symbolic Merger of Body, Space, and Cosmos in Hindu Tamil Nadu|journal=Contributions to Indian Sociology|volume=10|issue=2|pages=213–243|doi=10.1177/006996677601000202|s2cid=143220583}}</ref> [[Koothu]] is an ancient folk art, where artists tell stories from the epics accompanied by dance and music.<ref>{{cite book|title=Masks and Performance with Everyday Materials|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c4XWU6kr1_UC|author1=Gita Wolf|author2=Va Kītā|author3=V. Geetha|author4=Anushka Ravishankar|year=2003|isbn=978-8-186-21147-2|publisher=Tara Publishing|page=37|access-date=3 June 2024|archive-date=3 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240603082652/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Masks_and_Performance_with_Everyday_Mate/c4XWU6kr1_UC|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Land and people of Indian states and union territories|last1=Bhargava|first1=Gopal K.|last2=Shankarlal|first2=Bhatt|year=2006|publisher=Kalpaz Publications|location=Delhi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wyCoMKZmRBoC&q=thevaram&pg=PA467|isbn=978-8-178-35381-4|access-date=6 February 2024|archive-date=28 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328173140/https://books.google.com/books?id=wyCoMKZmRBoC&q=thevaram&pg=PA467#v=snippet&q=thevaram&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

The ancient Tamil country had its own [[Ancient Tamil music|system of music]] called Tamil Pannisai described by Sangam literature such as the ''Silappatikaram''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nijenhuis|first=Emmie te|title=Indian Music: History and Structure|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|place=Leiden|year=1974|isbn=978-9-004-03978-0|pages=4–5}}</ref> A [[Pallavas|Pallava]] inscription dated to the 7th century CE has one of the earliest surviving examples of Indian music in notation.<ref>{{cite book|last=Widdess|first=D. R.|contribution=The Kudumiyamalai inscription: a source of early Indian music in notation|editor-last=Picken|editor-first=Laurence|title=Musica Asiatica|volume=2|place=London|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=1979|pages=115–150}}</ref> There are many traditional instruments from the region dating back to the Sangam period such as [[parai]], [[tharai]], [[yazh]] and [[murasu]].<ref>{{cite book|title=When the Kurinji Blooms|first=Rājam|last=Kiruṣṇan̲|year=2002|page=124|isbn=978-8-125-01619-9|publisher=[[Orient BlackSwan]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Oxford Handbook of Applied Ethnomusicology|year=2015|isbn=978-0-199-35171-8|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|page=370|editor1=Jeff Todd Titon|editor2=Svanibor Pettan}}</ref> [[Nadaswaram]], a [[reed instrument]] that is often accompanied by the [[thavil]], a type of [[drum instrument]], are the major musical instruments used in temples and weddings.<ref>{{cite book|last=Venkatasubramanian|first=T. K.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pzurjfF3AE4C&dq=nadasvaram+music&pg=PA50|title=Music as History in Tamilnadu|date=2010|publisher=Primus Books|isbn=978-9-38060-706-1|page=50}}</ref> [[Melam]] is a group of [[madhalam]]s and other similar percussion instruments from the ancient Tamilakam which are played during events.<ref name="AA"/> The traditional music of Tamil Nadu is known as [[Carnatic music]], which includes rhythmic and structured music by composers such as [[Muthuswami Dikshitar]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/art/Karnatak-music|title=Karnatak music|encyclopedia=[[Britannica]]|access-date=1 March 2023|archive-date=7 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307064333/https://www.britannica.com/art/Karnatak-music|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gaana]], a combination of various folk musics, is sung mainly in the working-class area of North Chennai.<ref>{{cite news|title=Torching prejudice through gumption and Gaana|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/music/101019/torching-prejudice-through-gumption-and-gaana.html|last=G|first=Ezekiel Majello|date=10 October 2019|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en|access-date=12 May 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206015436/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/music/101019/torching-prejudice-through-gumption-and-gaana.html|archive-date=6 December 2020}}</ref>

[[File:Madras_museum_theatre_in_October_2007.jpg|thumb|left|[[Government Museum, Chennai|Government Museum]] in Chennai, the second oldest museum in India]]

The state is home to many museums, galleries, and other institutions which engage in arts research and are major tourist attractions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/jaya-moots-a-global-arts-fest/articleshow/17633409.cms|title=CM moots a global arts fest in Chennai|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=16 December 2012|access-date=29 December 2022|archive-date=8 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208140112/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/jaya-moots-a-global-arts-fest/articleshow/17633409.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> Established in the early 18th century, the [[Government Museum, Chennai|Government Museum]] and the [[National Art Gallery, Chennai|National Art Gallery]] are amongst the oldest in the country.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/education/college-and-university/for-a-solid-grounding-in-arts/article2042038.ece|title=For a solid grounding in arts|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=3 April 2009|access-date=29 December 2022}}</ref> The museum inside the premises of Fort St. George maintains a collection of objects of the British era.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://asi.nic.in/museum-fort-st-geroge-chennai/|title=Fort St. George museum|publisher=[[Archaeological Survey of India]]|access-date=12 October 2023|archive-date=1 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201063923/https://asi.nic.in/museum-fort-st-geroge-chennai/|url-status=live}}</ref> The museum is managed by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]], and has in its possession the first [[Flag of India]] hoisted at [[Fort St. George, India|Fort St George]] after the declaration of India's Independence on [[Independence Day (India)|15 August 1947]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Indian tri-colour hoisted at Chennai in 1947 to be on display|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/Indian-tricolour-hoisted-at-Chennai-in-1947-to-be-on-display/article20567638.ece|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=4 July 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210407182137/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/Indian-tricolour-hoisted-at-Chennai-in-1947-to-be-on-display/article20567638.ece|archive-date=7 April 2021}}</ref>

Tamil Nadu is also home to the Tamil film industry nicknamed as "Kollywood" and is one of the largest industries of film production in India.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Tamil-leads-as-India-tops-film-production/articleshow/21967065.cms|title=Tamil Nadu leads in film production|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=22 August 2013|access-date=25 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116192759/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Tamil-leads-as-India-tops-film-production/articleshow/21967065.cms|archive-date=16 November 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=[[Business Standard]]|url=http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/tamil-telugu-film-industries-outshine-bollywood/238821/|title=Tamil, Telugu film industries outshine Bollywood|date=25 January 2006|access-date=19 February 2012|archive-date=25 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210325024848/https://www.business-standard.com/article/Companies/Tamil-Telugu-film-industries-outshine-Bollywood-106012501034_1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The term ''Kollywood'' is a blend of [[Kodambakkam]] and Hollywood.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hiro|first=Dilip|title=After Empire: The Birth of a Multipolar World|year=2010|isbn=978-1-56858-427-0|page=248|publisher=PublicAffairs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zlivv_pQWnAC&q=Kollywood&pg=PA248|access-date=20 October 2020|archive-date=22 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230822035814/https://books.google.com/books?id=Zlivv_pQWnAC&q=Kollywood&pg=PA248|url-status=live }}</ref> The first silent film in South India was produced in Tamil in 1916 and the first talkie was a multilingual film, ''[[Kalidas (film)|Kalidas]]'', which was released on 31 October 1931, barely seven months after India's first talking picture ''[[Alam Ara]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Velayutham|first=Selvaraj|title=Tamil cinema: the cultural politics of India's other film industry|page=2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=65Aqrna4o5oC&q=Tamil+cinema+industry|isbn=978-0-415-39680-6|year=2008|publisher=[[Routledge]]|access-date=20 October 2020|archive-date=22 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230822035817/https://books.google.com/books?id=65Aqrna4o5oC&q=Tamil+cinema+industry|url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/from-silent-films-to-the-digital-era-madras-tryst-with-cinema/article32476615.ece|title=From silent films to the digital era — Madras' tryst with cinema|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=30 August 2020|access-date=29 June 2021|archive-date=8 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108035615/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/from-silent-films-to-the-digital-era-madras-tryst-with-cinema/article32476615.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Samikannu Vincent]], who had built the first cinema of South India in Coimbatore, introduced the concept of "Tent Cinema" in which a tent was erected on a stretch of open land close to a town or village to screen the films. The first of its kind was established in Madras, called "Edison's Grand Cinemamegaphone".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/Cinema-and-the-city/article15513259.ece|title=Cinema and the city|date=9 January 2009|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=1 March 2023|archive-date=23 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023234933/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/Cinema-and-the-city/article15513259.ece|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/farewell-to-old-cinema-halls/articleshow/8202426.cms|title=Farewell to old cinema halls|date=9 May 2011|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=19 June 2018|archive-date=5 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005001958/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Farewell-to-old-cinema-halls/articleshow/8202426.cms|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=18 October 2013|title=A way of life|work=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]]|url=https://www.frontline.in/arts-and-culture/cinema/a-way-of-life/article5189219.ece|access-date=19 June 2018|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140206150806/https://www.frontline.in/arts-and-culture/cinema/a-way-of-life/article5189219.ece|archive-date=6 February 2014}}</ref>

===Festivals===
[[File:Madurai-alanganallur-jallikattu.jpg|thumb|[[Jallikattu]], a traditional bull taming event held during [[Pongal (festival)|Pongal]] festivities]]

[[Pongal (festival)|Pongal]] is a major and multi-day [[harvest festival]] celebrated by [[Tamils]].<ref name="CushRobinson2008p610">{{cite book|author1=Denise Cush|author2=Catherine A. Robinson|author3=Michael York|title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i_T0HeWE-EAC|year=2008|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-700-71267-0|pages=610–611|access-date=30 October 2019|archive-date=21 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421115354/https://books.google.com/books?id=i_T0HeWE-EAC|url-status=live}}</ref> It is observed in the month of Thai according to the [[Tamil calendar|Tamil solar calendar]] and usually falls on 14 or 15 January.<ref name=Beteille73>{{cite journal|last=Beteille|first=Andre|title=89. A Note on the Pongal Festival in a Tanjore Village|journal=Man|publisher=Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland|volume=64|year=1964|issue=2 |issn=0025-1496|doi=10.2307/2797924|pages=73–75|jstor=2797924 }}</ref> It is dedicated to the [[Surya]], the Sun God and the festival is named after the ceremonial "Pongal", which means "to boil, overflow" and refers to the traditional dish prepared from the new harvest of rice boiled in milk with [[jaggery]] offered to Surya.<ref>{{cite book|author=R Abbas|editor=S Ganeshram and C Bhavani|title=History of People and Their Environs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=crxUQR_qBXYC|year=2011|publisher=Bharathi Puthakalayam|isbn=978-9-380-32591-0|pages=751–752|access-date=30 October 2019|archive-date=21 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421115350/https://books.google.com/books?id=crxUQR_qBXYC|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=J. Gordon Melton|title=Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lD_2J7W_2hQC|year=2011|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-598-84206-7|pages=547–548}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Roy W. Hamilton|author2=Aurora Ammayao|title=The art of rice: spirit and sustenance in Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yyQoAQAAMAAJ|year=2003|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-930-74198-3|pages=156–157|access-date=30 October 2019|archive-date=21 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421115348/https://books.google.com/books?id=yyQoAQAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> Mattu Pongal is meant for celebration of [[cattle]] when the cattle are bathed, their horns polished and painted in bright colors, garlands of flowers placed around their necks and processions.<ref>{{cite journal|title= Food for the Gods in South India: An Exposition of Data|author= G. Eichinger Ferro-Luzzi|journal= Zeitschrift für Ethnologie|volume = Bd. 103, H. 1|year= 1978|issue= 1|pages= 86–108|publisher= Dietrich Reimer Verlag GmbH|jstor=25841633}}</ref> [[Jallikattu]] is a traditional event held during the period attracting huge crowds in which a bull is released into a crowd of people, and multiple human participants attempt to grab the large hump on the bull's back with both arms and hang on to it while the bull attempts to escape.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/Governor-clears-ordinance-on-%E2%80%98jallikattu%E2%80%99/article17074093.ece|title=Governor clears ordinance on 'jallikattu'|last=Ramakrishnan|first=T.|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=1 December 2023|date=26 February 2017|language=en|archive-date=20 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520145353/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/Governor-clears-ordinance-on-%E2%80%98jallikattu%E2%80%99/article17074093.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:2019 kolam decoration for Pongal festival, South India.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tamils]] decorate their homes with colorful geometric designs called [[kolam]] made from rice powder<ref name=mercer22>{{cite book|author=Abbie Mercer|title=Happy New Year|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z3AnvD5jeDMC|year=2007|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=978-1-404-23808-4|page=22}}</ref>]]

[[Puthandu]] is known as Tamil New Year which marks the first day of year on the [[Tamil calendar]]. The festival date is set with the solar cycle of the solar [[Hindu calendar]], as the first day of the Tamil month ''Chithirai'' and falls on or about 14 April every year on the [[Gregorian calendar]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Roshen Dalal|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC|year=2010|publisher=Penguin Books|isbn=978-0-143-41421-6|page=406}}</ref> [[Karthika Deepam|Karthikai Deepam]] is a festival of lights that is observed on the [[Amavasya|full moon day]] of the [[Kārtika (month)|Kartika]] month, called the [[Kartik Purnima|Kartika Pournami]], falling on the [[Gregorian calendar|Gregorian]] months of November or December.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Spagnoli|first1=Cathy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6_Aci8KA7JEC&dq=karthigai+deepam+november+december&pg=PA133|title=Jasmine and Coconuts: South Indian Tales|last2=Samanna|first2=Paramasivam|date=1999|publisher=Libraries Unlimited|isbn=978-1-563-08576-5|pages=133|access-date=24 December 2023|archive-date=30 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930150136/https://books.google.com/books?id=6_Aci8KA7JEC&dq=karthigai+deepam+november+december&pg=PA133|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gajrani|first=S.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zh6z0nuIjAgC&dq=karthigai+deepam&pg=PA207|title=History, Religion and Culture of India|date=2004|publisher=Gyan Publishing House|isbn=978-8-182-05061-7|pages=207|access-date=24 December 2023|archive-date=30 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930145221/https://books.google.com/books?id=zh6z0nuIjAgC&dq=karthigai+deepam&pg=PA207|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Thaipusam]] is a Tamil festival celebrated on the first full moon day of the Tamil month of Thai coinciding with [[Pushya|Pusam]] star and dedicated to lord [[Murugan]]. [[Kavadi Aattam]] is a ceremonial act of sacrifice and offering practiced by devotees which is a central part of Thaipusam and emphasizes debt bondage.<ref>{{cite book|author=Kent, Alexandra|title=Divinity and Diversity: A Hindu Revitalization Movement in Malaysia|publisher=[[University of Hawaii Press]]|year=2005|isbn=978-8-791-11489-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Portals: Opening Doorways to Other Realities Through the Senses|first=Lynne|last=Hume|year=2020|isbn=978-1-0001-8987-2|publisher=Taylor & Francis}}</ref> [[Aadi Perukku]] is a Tamil cultural festival celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month of [[Tamil calendar|Adi]] which pays tribute to [[water]]'s life-sustaining properties. The worship of [[Mariamman|Amman]] and [[Ayyanar]] deities are organized during the month in temples across Tamil Nadu with much fanfare.<ref name="AA">{{cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2022/jul/26/an-ode-to-aadi-and-ayyanar-2480584.html|title=An ode to Aadi and Ayyanar|newspaper=[[Indian Express]]|date=26 July 2022|access-date=1 December 2023|archive-date=22 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222132958/https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2022/jul/26/an-ode-to-aadi-and-ayyanar-2480584.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Panguni Uthiram]] is marked on the [[purnima]] (full moon) of the month of [[Phalguna|Panguni]] and celebrates the wedding of various Hindu gods.<ref>{{cite book|first=Vijaya |last=Ramaswamy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ALUvDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA131|title=Historical Dictionary of the Tamils|date=2017-08-25|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-1-538-10686-0|pages=131}}</ref>

[[Tyagaraja Aradhana]] is an annual music festival devoted to composer [[Tyagaraja]]. In [[Tiruvaiyaru]] in [[Thanjavur district]], thousands of music artists congregate every year.<ref>{{cite book|title=Tourism in Tamil Nadu: Growth and Development|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jTmbDwAAQBAJ&dq=piranmalai&pg=PA106|page=14|last=Pillai|first=S. Subramania|publisher=MJP Publisher|year=2019|isbn=978-8-180-94432-1}}</ref> [[Chennaiyil Thiruvaiyaru]] is a music festival which has been conducted from 18 to 25 December every year in Chennai.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2018/dec/05/music-season-begins-with-chennaiyil-thiruvaiyaru-fest-1907231.html|title=Chennai music season begins with 'Chennaiyil Thiruvaiyaru' festival|date=5 December 2018|newspaper=[[Indian Express]]|access-date=1 December 2023|archive-date=22 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222132957/https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2018/dec/05/music-season-begins-with-chennaiyil-thiruvaiyaru-fest-1907231.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Chennai Sangamam]] is a large annual open [[Tamil people|Tamil]] cultural festival held in Chennai with the intention of rejuvenating the old village festivals, art and artists.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/chennai-sangamam-to-return-after-a-decade/articleshow/96609404.cms|title=Chennai Sangamam to return after a decade|date=30 December 2022|access-date=1 December 2023|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|archive-date=22 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222132958/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/chennai-sangamam-to-return-after-a-decade/articleshow/96609404.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Madras Music Season]], initiated by [[Madras Music Academy]] in 1927, is celebrated every year during the month of December and features performances of traditional [[Carnatic music]] by artists from the city.<ref>{{cite book|last=Knight|first=Douglas M. Jr.|title=Balasaraswati: Her Art and Life|year=2010|publisher=Wesleyan University Press|isbn=978-0-819-56906-6|page=78|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q3EsA2NooW4C}}</ref>