Portal:Tamils

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The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar (Tamil: தமிழர், romanized: Tamiḻar, pronounced [t̪amiɻaɾ] in the singular or தமிழர்கள், Tamiḻarkaḷ, [t̪amiɻaɾɡaɭ] in the plural), Tamilians, or simply Tamils (/ˈtæmɪlz, ˈtɑː-/ TAM-ilz, TAHM-), are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group who natively speak the Tamil language and trace their ancestry mainly to India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, to the union territory of Puducherry, and to Sri Lanka. The Tamil language is one of the world's longest-surviving classical languages, with over 2000 years of Tamil literature, including the Sangam poems, which were composed between 300 BCE and 300 CE. People who speak Tamil as their mother tongue and are born in are considered Tamils.

Tamils constitute 5.9% of the population in India (concentrated mainly in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry), 15% in Sri Lanka (excluding Eelam Moors), 7% in Malaysia, and 5% in Singapore.

From the 4th century BCE, urbanisation and mercantile activity along the western and eastern coasts of Tamilakam -- what is today Kerala and Tamil Nadu -- led to the development of four large Tamil empires, the Cheras, Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas, and velirs and a number of smaller states, all of whom were warring amongst themselves for dominance. The Jaffna Kingdom, and vanni chieftaincies inhabited by Eelam Tamils, was once one of the strongest kingdoms of Sri Lanka and controlled much of the north of the island. (Full article...)

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A panoramic view of Nagore Dargah; dome, sacred water tank and the five minarets

Nagore Dargah (also called Nagoor Dargah or Syed Shahul Hameed Dargah or Nagore Andavar dargah) is a dargah built over the tomb of the Sufi saint Shahul Hameed (1490–1579 CE). It is located in Nagore, a coastal town in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The outer doors of the dargah are kept open always, while the internal doors are open from 4:00 am to 07:00 am and from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. On Fridays, the doors are additionally kept open between 12:00 pm and 2:30 pm. Shahul Hamid is believed to have performed many miracles in Nagore, and cured the physical affliction of king Achuthappa Nayak, a 16th-century Hindu ruler of Thanjavur. He is locally referred to as Nagore Andavar, meaning the "Ruler of Nagore" and Qadir wali baba. Nagore dargah as it stands now, is believed to have been built by ardent devotees of Shahul Hamid, with major contribution from Hindus. There are five minarets in the dargah, with the Hindu Maratha ruler of Thanjavur Pratap Singh (1739–1763 CE), building the tallest minaret. The dargah is a major pilgrimage centre that attracts pilgrims from both sufi Islam and Hinduism, symbolizing peaceful coexistence between the two religions.

The most prominent event celebrated at Nagore Dargah is the Kanduri festival (Urus Mubarak), a fourteen-day commemoration of the death anniversary of Shahul Hamid. Common worship practices at Nagore dargah include the presentation of offerings, accompanied by the playing of musical instruments like nadaswaram, typical of Hindu religious tradition. The Shifa Gunta, a pool within the precincts of the dargah, is considered sacred; pilgrims take a holy dip in it. The hereditary board of trustees performs all the official and religious duties of the dargah. The governance and upkeep of the dargah are overseen by an 11-member board of trustees, which operates under a court-decreed scheme established by the Madras High Court. (Full article...)

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General images

Image 1 Map of ancient oceanic trade, and ports of Tamilakam (from Tamils)
Image 2The Tamil Chola Empire at its height, 1030 CE (from Tamils)
Image 3The Om symbol in Tamil script (from Tamils)
Image 4Meenakshi Amman temple, dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi, tutelary deity of Madurai city (from Tamils)
Image 5Aiyanar, guardian folk deity of Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 6A Megalithic burial jar from north-western Sri Lanka, 5th-2nd century BCE, similar to South Indian and Deccan jars of the time. (from Tamils)
Image 7Tamil girls in Malaysia (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 8The Brihadeshswar Temple at Thanjavur, also known as the Great Temple, built by Rajaraja Chola I (from Tamils)
Image 9Two Tamil girls who follow Vaishnavaite Hinduism (from Tamils)
Image 10Grey pottery with engravings, Arikamedu, 1st century CE (from Tamils)
Image 11Erwadi durgah in Ramanathapuram district is a major pilgrimage shrine of the Tamil Muslims. (from Tamils)
Image 12Katar, Tamil dagger which was popular throughout South Asia (from Tamils)
Image 13Sri Kandaswamy Temple, Brickfields, Malaysia. (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 14Batu Caves temple built by Tamil Malaysians in c. 1880s. (from Tamils)
Image 15The New York City Metropolitan Area, including Central New Jersey, as well as Long Island and Staten Island in New York, is home to the largest Tamil American population. (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 16The Mahishasuramardhini cave bas relief at Mahabalipuram from 7th century CE (from Tamils)
Image 17 Virampatnam jewelry from funerary burial, 2nd century BCE, Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 18Tamiḻakam during Sangam Period (from Tamils)
Image 19A 400 years old hero stone in Salem depicting bull-taming sport Jallikattu. (from Tamils)
Image 20A Malbar temple in Réunion. (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 21Bharatanatyam dancers (from Tamils)
Image 22Murugan Temple, Sydney (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 23Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 24One of the most popular overseas branches of Chennai-based Saravanaa Bhavan, the world's largest Indian vegetarian restaurant chain, is located in Edison, New Jersey, U.S. (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 25Krishna with his consorts Rukmini and Satyabhama and his mount Garuda, Tamil Nadu, India, late 12th-13th century (from Tamils)
Image 26The hall in front of Ranganayaki's shrine, Srirangam, where Kambar is said to have recited his works on Kamba Ramayanam (from Tamils)
Image 27The golden Vimana over the sanctum at Srirangam midst its gopurams, its gable with Paravasudeva image. (from Tamils)
Image 28Tamil people in Medan, Indonesia (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 29Sri Kamakshi Ambaal temple in Hamm, Germany (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 30Tamil woman in traditional attire, c. 1880, Sri Lanka. (from Tamils)
Image 31Celebrations of Murugan by the Sri Lankan Tamil community in Paris, France (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 32Distribution of Tamil speakers in South India and Sri Lanka (1981). (from Tamils)
Image 33 Souttoukeny jewelry, 2nd century BCE, Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 34Sage Agathiyar, one of the contributors of Old Tamil literature. (from Tamils)
Image 35Expatriate Sri Lankan Tamil children in traditional clothes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (from Tamil diaspora)
Image 36Megalithic sarcophagus burial from Tamil Nadu (from Tamils)
Image 37Tamil girls dressed in traditional attire, ca. 1870, Tamil Nadu, India. (from Tamils)

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Malini in 2023

Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician who is currently serving as a member of the Lok Sabha from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), representing Mathura constituency since 2014. She was a member of the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka from 2011 to 2012, subsequent to her nomination to that chamber from 2003 to 2009 as a member of the BJP. Primarily known for her work in Hindi films, she has starred in both comic and dramatic roles, and is one of the most popular and successful leading actresses of mainstream Hindi cinema.

Malini made her acting debut in 1963 with the Tamil film Idhu Sathiyam. Malini first acted in a lead role in Sapno Ka Saudagar (1968), and went on to feature in numerous Hindi films, frequently opposite Dharmendra, whom she married in 1980. Malini was initially promoted as the "Dream Girl", and in 1977 starred in a film of the same name. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her dual role in the comedy Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), and was nominated ten more times leading up to Baghban (2003). In 2000, Malini won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2019 a Filmfare Special Award for 50 Years of Outstanding Contribution to Cinema. (Full article...)

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Topics

Tamil People

Tamil People Countrywide: India • Sri Lanka • Canada • Malaysia • Singapore • South Africa • England

Related Ethnic Groups: Brahui • Gond • Kannadiga • Khonds • Kodava • Oraon • Malayali • Telugus • Tuluvas

Related indigenous Groups: Badagas • Toda • Kuruba

Tamil Nadu

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