Religious belief Ancient Dravidian religion constituted of an
animistic and non-
Vedic form of religion which may have influenced the
Āgamas, Vedic and non-
Vedic texts which post-date the Vedic texts. The
Agamas are
Tamil and
Sanskrit scriptures chiefly constituting the methods of temple construction and creation of
murti, worship means of deities, philosophical doctrines, meditative practices, attainment of sixfold desires and four kinds of yoga. The worship of
village deities, as well as sacred flora and fauna in Hinduism is recognised as a survival of the pre-Vedic Dravidian religion. Hinduism can be regarded as a religious and cultural fusion or synthesis between ancient Dravidians and Indo-Aryans, and other local elements. , father of Tamil literature Ancient Tamil grammatical works
Tolkappiyam, the ten anthologies
Pattuppāṭṭu, and the eight anthologies
Eṭṭuttokai shed light on early ancient Dravidian religion.
Murugan (also known as Seyyon) was glorified as
the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and resplendent, as
the favoured god of the Tamils.
Sivan was also seen as the supreme God. and
Sivan and their association with native flora and fauna goes back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. The
Sangam landscape was classified into five categories,
thinais, based on the mood, the season and the land. Tolkappiyam mentions that each of these
thinai had an associated deity such as Seyyon in
Kurinji (hills),
Thirumaal in
Mullai (forests), and
Kotravai in
Marutham (plains), and
Wanji-ko in the
Neithal (coasts and seas). Other gods mentioned were
Mayyon and
Vaali, now identified with Krishna and Balarama, who are all major deities in Hinduism today. This represents an early religious and cultural fusion or synthesis between ancient Dravidians and Indo-Aryans, which became more evident over time with sacred iconography, traditions, philosophy, flora and fauna that went on to influence and shape Indian civilisation. , dedicated to Goddess
Meenakshi, tutelary deity of Madurai city Throughout
Tamilakam, a king was considered to be divine by nature and possessed religious significance. The king was 'the representative of God on earth' and lived in a "koyil", which means the "residence of a god". The Modern Tamil word for temple is
koil (). Ritual worship was also given to kings. Modern words for god like "kō" ( "king"), "iṟai" ( "emperor") and "āṇḍavar" ( "conqueror") now primarily refer to gods. These elements were incorporated later into Hinduism like the legendary marriage of
Shiva to Queen Mīnātchi who ruled
Madurai or
Wanji-ko, a god who later merged into
Indra. Tolkappiyar refers to the
Three Crowned Kings as the "Three Glorified by Heaven", (). In Dravidian-speaking South India, the concept of divine kingship led to the assumption of major roles by state and temple. The cult of the mother goddess is treated as an indication of a society which venerated femininity. This mother goddess was conceived as a virgin, one who has given birth to all and one, and were typically associated with
Shaktism. The temples of the Sangam days, mainly of Madurai, seem to have had priestesses to the deity, which also appears predominantly as a goddess. In the Sangam literature, there is an elaborate description of the rites performed by the Kurava priestess in the shrine Palamutircholai. Among the early Dravidians, the practice of erecting memorial stones,
Natukal and Viragal, had appeared, and it continued for quite a long time after the Sangam age, down to about the 16th century. It was customary for people who sought victory in war to worship these
hero stones to bless them with victory
. Architecture and visual art , example of
Chola Empire bronze has become notable as a symbol of
Hinduism.
Mayamata and
Manasara shilpa texts estimated to be in circulation by the 5th to 7th century AD, are guidebooks on the Dravidian style of
Vastu Shastra design, construction, sculpture and joinery technique.
Isanasivagurudeva paddhati is another text from the 9th century describing the art of building in India in south and central India. In north India,
Brihat-samhita by
Varāhamihira is the widely cited ancient Sanskrit manual from the 6th century describing the design and construction of
Nagara-style Hindu temples. Traditional Dravidian architecture and symbolism are also based on Agamas. The Agamas are non-
Vedic in origin The
Agamas are a collection of Tamil and
Sanskrit scriptures chiefly constituting the methods of temple construction and creation of
murti, worship means of deities, philosophical doctrines, meditative practices, attainment of sixfold desires and four kinds of yoga. • The porches or
Mantapas, which always cover and precede the door leading to the cell. • Gate-pyramids,
Gopuras, which are the principal features in the quadrangular enclosures that surround the more notable temples. Gopuras are very common in Dravidian temples. • Pillared halls (
Chaultris or
Chawadis) are used for many purposes and are the invariable accompaniments of these temples. Besides these, a south Indian temple usually has a tank called the
Kalyani or
Pushkarni – to be used for sacred purposes or the convenience of the priests – dwellings for all the grades of the priesthood are attached to it, and other buildings for state or convenience. Ancient literary works, such as the
Cilappatikaram, describe a
system of music. Dance forms such as
Bharatanatyam are based on older temple dance forms known as
Catir Kacceri, as practised by
courtesans and a class of women known as
Devadasis.
Carnatic music originated in the Dravidian region. With the growing influence of Persian and Sufi music on Indian music, a clear distinction in style appeared from the 12th century onwards. Many literary works were composed in Carnatic style and it soon spread wide in the Dravidian regions. The most notable Carnatic musician is
Purandara Dasa who lived in the court of
Krishnadevaraya of the
Vijayanagara empire. He formulated the basic structure of Carnatic music and is regarded as the
Pitamaha (
lit, "father" or the "grandfather") of Carnatic Music.
Kanakadasa is another notable Carnatic musician who was Purandaradasa's contemporary. Each of the major Dravidian languages has its own film industry like
Kollywood (Tamil),
Tollywood (Telugu),
Sandalwood (Kannada),
Mollywood (Malayalam). Kollywood and Tollywood produce most films in India.
Clothing Dravidian speakers in southern India wear varied traditional costumes depending on their region, largely influenced by local customs and traditions. The most traditional dress for Dravidian men is the
lungi, or the more formal
dhoti, called
veshti in Tamil,
panche in Kannada and Telugu, and
mundu in Malayalam. The lungi consists of a colourful checked cotton cloth. Many times these lungis are tube-shaped and tied around the waist, and can be easily tied above the knees for more strenuous activities. The lungi is usually everyday dress, used for doing labour while dhoti is used for more formal occasions. Many villagers have only a lungi as their article of clothing. The dhoti is generally white in colour, and occasionally has a border of red, green or gold. Dhotis are usually made out of cotton for more everyday use, but the more expensive silk dhotis are used for special functions like festivals and weddings. Traditional dress of Dravidian women is typical of most Indian women, that of the sari. This sari consists of a cloth wrapped around the waist and draped over the shoulder. Originally saris were worn bare, but during the Victorian era, women began wearing blouse (called a ravike) along with sari. In fact, until the late 19th century most Kerala women did not wear any upper garments, or were forced to by law, and in many villages, especially in tribal communities, the sari is worn without the blouse. Unlike Indo-Aryan speakers, most Dravidian women do not cover their head with the pallu except in areas of North Karnataka. Due to the complexity of draping the sari, younger girls start with a skirt called a
pavada. When they get older, around the age when puberty begins, they transition to a
langa voni or half-sari, which is composed of a skirt tied at the waist along with a cloth draped over a blouse. After adulthood girls begin using the sari. There are many different styles of sari draping varying across regions and communities. Examples are the
Madisar, specific to Tamil Brahmin Community, and the
Mundum Neriyathum.
Martial arts and sports In
Mahabharata,
Bhishma claimed that southerners are skilled with sword-fighting in general and
Sahadeva was chosen for the conquest of the southern kingdoms due to his swordsmanship. In South India various types of martial arts are practised like
Kalaripayattu and
Silambam. In ancient times there were
ankams, public duels to the death, to solve disputes between opposing rulers. Among some communities, young girls received preliminary training up until the onset of puberty. In
vadakkan pattukal ballads, at least a few women warriors continued to practice and achieved a high degree of expertise. Sports like
kambala,
jallikattu,
kabaddi,
vallam kali,
lambs and tigers, and
maramadi remain strong among Dravidian ethnic groups. ==See also==