Babakigadi123 at 13:14, 21 September 2024

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{{Short description|Hinduism influence in South India}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2019}}

{{Infobox religious group|group=South Indian Hindus|image=File:India_South_India_Locator_Map.svg|image_caption=[[States and union territories of India|States and union territories]] of [[South India]].|population=212,563,640 ([[2011 Census of India|2011]])<br/>'''84%''' of the total population|religions={{big|'''[[Hinduism]]'''}}<br/>{{Plainlist|'''Majority'''<br/>{{hlist|[[Shaivism]]}}}} {{plainlist|'''Minority'''<br/>{{hlist|[[Vaishnavism]], [[Shaktism]] and others (including [[Tribal religions in India|tribal religion]] and [[Ayyavazhi]])}}}}|region1=[[Tamil Nadu]]|pop1=[[Hinduism in Tamil Nadu|63,188,168]]|region2=[[Andhra Pradesh]] {{small|including [[Telangana]]}}|pop2=[[Hinduism in Andhra Pradesh|74,824,149]]|region3=[[Karnataka]]|pop3=[[Hinduism in Karnataka|51,317,472]]|pop4=[[Hinduism in Kerala|18,282,492]]|region4=[[Kerala]]}}

'''[[Hinduism]] in South India''' refers to the [[Hindu culture]] of the people of [[South India]]. Hinduism in South India is characterized by [[Dravidian peoples|Dravidian]] customs and traditions, hence it is also called '''Dravidian Hinduism'''. The Dravidians made great contributions to the development of [[Hinduism]].{{Sfn|Elliot|2007i|p=12}} South India was the birthplace of many Hindu saints and reformers. The [[Brahmin]]s (Hindu priests class) of ancient [[Dakshinapatha]] ([[Tamilakam]], [[Telangana]], [[Karnataka]] including [[Maharashtra]] and [[Gujarat]]) were classified as [[Pancha-Dravida]] (The Five Dravidians).{{Sfn|Narada|1999|p=8}}{{Sfn|Lochtefeld|2001l|p=203}} The Hindus in South India are followers of various Hindu branches such as [[Vaishnavism]], [[Shaivism]], [[Shaktism]], [[Brahmanism]] and others. Hinduism was the [[state religion]] of most of the South Indian kingdoms. During the Ancient and Middle Ages were built in South India one of the greatest Hindu temples. South Indian kings such as the [[Cholas]] spread Hinduism overseas to parts of [[Southeast Asia]].{{Sfn|Eraly|2008i}} The activities of South India across the [[Palk Strait]] led to survival of [[Hinduism in Sri Lanka]]<ref>[http://www.sundaytimes.lk/events/611-lecture-on-hindu-sculpture-and-architecture-of-sri-lanka Lecture on Hindu sculpture and architecture of Sri Lanka] Sunday Times - 29 September 2010 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012234629/http://www.sundaytimes.lk/events/611-lecture-on-hindu-sculpture-and-architecture-of-sri-lanka |date=12 October 2012 }}</ref> among the [[Sri Lankan Tamils]]. Some Hindu festivals are celebrated mostly or exclusively in South India and [[Sri Lanka]]. In South India are also numerous Hindu pilgrimage site that is visited annually by thousands of devotees.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.hindu.com/2003/09/30/stories/2003093003080300.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031003153946/http://www.hindu.com/2003/09/30/stories/2003093003080300.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=3 October 2003 | location=Chennai, India | work=[[The Hindu]] | title=Ghazal programme at Tirumala temple | date=30 September 2003}}</ref>

== Hinduism in Ancient South India ==
[[File:Tiruvarur temple car festival 2010.jpg|thumb|250px|Temple car festival in [[Tiruvarur]].|left]]
The [[Vedic culture]] in [[South India]] has been in some respects the best preserved of ancient [[Vedic culture]] and traditions.{{Sfn|Devadevan|2016|p=78}} In North India during late ancient and medieval periods, [[Buddhism]], [[Sikhism]] and [[Islam]] flourished alongside the Hindu majority.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Subbarayalu|first=Y.|date=2011-08-01|title=Religious culture in South India|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/religious-culture-in-south-india/article2314110.ece|access-date=2021-08-08|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Every intermixing influenced North Indian culture, in particular Islam. The [[Islam|influence of Islam]], specifically [[Sufism in India|Sufism]], and [[Sikhism in India|Sikhism]] are widespread in the modern-day North Indian society, clearly palpable in linguistics, music, attire, etc.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gist|first=Noel P.|date=1957|title=Religion and Society in South India|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25514977|journal=The Midwest Sociologist|volume=19|issue=2|pages=61–70|jstor=25514977|issn=1948-1586}}</ref> Much of this influence can be attributed to close to a millennium of Muslim rule across North India. Unlike in the North, South India had less outside influence until the advent of European imperialists. As such, the original Hindu traditions are relatively better preserved in South India than in North India.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Top 10 - South India Heritage and Culture|url=https://www.authenticindiatours.com/south-indian-culture-and-heritage/|access-date=2021-08-08|website=Authentic India Tours|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Why north and south do not meet|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/columns/t-j-s-george/2020/jul/12/why-north-and-south-do-not-meet-2168473.html|access-date=2021-08-08|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=January 2024}}

[[Tamil literature]] and [[Tamil epics]] and classics have many references to Vedic gods and culture.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ranganathan|first=Shyam|date=2010-06-23|title=Bhakti movement and Tamil|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/Bhakti-movement-and-Tamil/article16264564.ece|access-date=2021-08-08|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> The [[Tolkaappiyam]], 1st century BCE grammar book, mentions non-Vedic, early-Vedic ([[Indra]], [[Varuna]]) and Puranic ([[Vishnu]]) gods. The Paripadal (8; 3; 9 etc.), one of the "Eight Anthologies" of poetry (or ettuttokai), has homages to [[Vishnu]], [[Lakshmi]], [[Brahma]], the twelve [[Ādityas|Aditya]]s, the [[Ashvins]], the [[Rudra]]s, the [[Saptarishi]]s, [[Indra]], the [[Deva (Hinduism)|Deva]]s etc. The [[Kural]], written by [[Tiruvalluvar]], mentions gods like [[Indra]] (25) and [[Lakshmi]] (e.g. 167).{{Sfn|Eraly|2008i|p=45}}

The Sangam Tamil epic [[Silappathikaram]], begins with invocations to [[Chandra]], [[Surya]], and [[Indra]], and has homages to [[Agni]], [[Varuna]], [[Shiva]], Subrahmanya, Vishnu-Krishna, Uma, etc. The epic states that "Vedic sacrifices [are] being faultlessly performed" and has many references to [[Vedic culture]] and [[Vedic texts]]. In the Buddhist work [[Manimekhalai]], the submersion of the city Puhar in [[Kumari Kandam]] is attributed to the neglect of the worship to [[Indra]].{{Sfn|Elliot|2007i}}

==Vedic legends==
According to the [[Purana]]s, the [[Pandyas]], [[Cholas]] and [[Chera dynasty|Keralas]] are descendants of the Vedic [[Turvasha]] people. According to the [[Matsya Purana]], [[Manu (Hinduism)|Manu]] is considered as a [[south Indian]] king.<ref>also e.g. Bhagavata Purana (VIII.24.13)</ref> In [[Hindu]] tradition the creation of the [[Tamil language]] is credited to the [[Rig Vedic]] sage Rishi [[Agastya]].<ref>[http://micheldanino.voiceofdharma.com/tamilculture.html Michel Danino - Vedic Roots of Early Tamil Culture] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817135028/http://micheldanino.voiceofdharma.com/tamilculture.html |date=2013-08-17 }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Hinduism|India}}
*[[Hinduism in Tamil Nadu]]
*[[Hinduism in Kerala]]
*[[Hinduism in Karnataka]]
*[[Hinduism in Andhra Pradesh]]

==References==
<references/>

== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book|last=Elliot|first=Charles|title=Hinduism and Buddhism|publisher=Echo Library|year=2007i|isbn=978-1406862959|volume=I (of 3)|asin-tld=|author-link=Charles Elliot}}
* {{Cite book|last=Lochtefeld|first=James G.|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Volume 1|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc|year=2001l|isbn=978-0-8239-3179-8|language=en}}
* {{Cite book|last=Eraly|first=Abraham|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QD2U2H8PUjoC|title=India: People, Place, Culture, History|date=2008i|publisher=Dorling Kindersley Limited|isbn=978-1-4053-2904-0|language=en}}
* {{Cite book|last=Bansal|first=Sunita Pant|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lzPCOVQGP3wC|title=Hindu Pilgrimage|date=2008|publisher=Pustak Mahal|isbn=978-81-223-0997-3|language=en}}
* {{Cite book|last=Devadevan|first=Manu V.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0ZJdDwAAQBAJ&q=hinduism+in+ancient+south+india|title=A Prehistory of Hinduism|date=2016|publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG|isbn=978-3-11-051737-8|language=en}}
* {{Cite book|author1=Nārada (Maha Thera.)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yhXRDSgBuL0C|title=The Buddha-Dhamma, Or, the Life and Teachings of the Buddha|last2=Narasimhacharya|first2=Ramanujapuram|date=1999|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=978-81-206-0559-6|pages=8|ref={{SfnRef|Narada|1999}}|language=en}}

==External links==
* {{Citation|title=Vedic Root of Tamil culture|url=http://micheldanino.voiceofdharma.com/tamilculture.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817135028/http://micheldanino.voiceofdharma.com/tamilculture.html|archive-date=17 August 2013}}

{{Hinduism in India by region}}
{{Religion in India topics}}

[[Category:Hinduism in South India| ]]
[[Category:Hinduism by location|South India]]

Hinduism in South India - Revision history

Babakigadi123 at 13:14, 21 September 2024