About Tamil Heritage Month

By proclaiming the month of January as Tamil Heritage Month, the Province of Ontario recognizes the valuable contributions that Tamil Canadians have made to Ontario's social, economic, political and cultural fabric. The Tamils came to Canada during the Sri Lankan Civil War between the 1970s and 2000s, for other opportunities or other personal reasons. Majority of the Tamils come for Sri Lanka due to the Civil war, and some are from India or coming from different countries. This JANUARY 2025 the theme for Tamil Heritage Month will be Celebrating Tamil Arts and Honoring Tamil Artists. Speaking of themes let me talk about the Tamils traditions, Culture, language and where are they from!

Tamil Culture:

Tamil people are originally from India and some parts in Sri Lanka. The majority of Tamils are Hindu, but some are Christian, Muslim, Jain, or Buddhist. The main religion for the Tamils are Hinduism, Lord Brahma was the one who created Hinduism, because of his knowledge, creation and the Vedas. He mentioned in the creation of legends. Outfits: For women and girls are Sarees, Pavadai-(Traditional Skirt) and Anarkali suits. Boys and men wear Veshti (Dhoti), lungi and kurtas.

Tamil Food:

Tamil Food is known for its Lentils, Rice and a variety of different spices. Some foods are Idli, Dosa, Pongal and Rasam. Idli is a savory rice cake made from fermented black Lentils and Rice. It is often served with sambar (spicy and comforting stew) and coconut chutney (a condiment or side dish). Dosa is thin and crispy also made from fermented black lentils and rice. It can be eaten plain or stuffed. Pongal is a breakfast dish of rice and lentils cooked with ghee (a kind of butter), cumin, black pepper, and cashews. It is also often served with sambar and coconut chutney. Lastly Rasam a spicy tamarind juice made with pepper and other spices. These are just some of the many Tamil dishes that are very popular. If you notice Tamil food always has lentils spices and healthy fats in their recipes.

Bharatanatyam-

Bharatanatyam is one of the oldest classical dance forms of India, originating in Tamil Nadu. This dance is renowned for its intricate footwork, expressive hand gestures (mudras), and vibrant facial expressions, all performed to the rhythm of traditional Carnatic music. Bharatanatyam has its roots in the ancient temples of Tamil Nadu, where it was performed as a form of worship and storytelling.

Tamil Customs/Traditions:

1. Religious Practices

Temple Worship: Tamil Nadu is home to many ancient temples, such as the Meenakshi Temple and Brihadeeswarar Temple. Worship involves rituals like offering flowers, lighting lamps, and performing archanai (prayers).

Poojas and Festivals: Families conduct poojas (prayers) daily at home and celebrate festivals like Pongal, Deepavali, and Karthigai Deepam with grand rituals.

Kolam Designs: Women create intricate rangoli-like designs with rice flour at the entrance of homes to invite prosperity and ward off evil spirits.

2. Marriage Customs

Traditional Tamil Weddings: Weddings are elaborate, involving rituals like the Kashi Yatra, Oonjal (swing ceremony), and the tying of the sacred thaali (mangalsutra).

Pre-Wedding Traditions: Events like Nichayathartham (engagement) and Panda Kaal Muhurtham (seeking blessings for the wedding) are significant.

Tamil Language:

Tamil is 1 of the 2 languages spoken in Sri Lanka and India. Tamil is also the one of the oldest spoken language in India, with over 2,000 years of written history. Tamil is spoken by significant minorities in the Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. It is also spoken by the Tamil diaspora in many countries, including Malaysia, Mauritius, Fiji, and South Africa. In time Tamil writing has changed meaning Modern Day spoken Tamil has Loanwords from other languages such as English. Tamil has 12 vowels, 18 constants and 1 unique character ஃ totalling 247 letters. How? When you put 1 of the 12 vowel and 1 of the 18 constants it makes a letter.

Tamil Contributions:

Thirukkural is a major contribution for Tamil world literature and moral philosophy and was, written by Thiruvalluvar mostly known as Valluvar, who made these poems “Kurals”, the book has at least 133 chapters. It was made between the 5th century BCE and 500 CE. Here is a poem “ Kural” from the book: Page 45- அன்பும் அறனும் உடைத்தாயின் இல்வாழ்க்கை பண்பும் பயனும அது. (Aṉpum aṟaṉum uaithṭhaiāyiṉ ilvāḻkkai paṇpum payaṉum athu.)
English: If love and virtue in the household reign,
This is of life the perfect grace and gain.
Brihadisvara temple is one of the largest temples in India, Tamil Nadu, made 1000 years ago.
Tamil is known for one of the oldest languages for more than 2000 years old.