From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia South Indian culture
South Indian culture
A typical Kerala style house
South Indian culture refers to the culture of the South
Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh
and Kerala. South Indian culture though with its visible
differences forms an important part of the Indian cul-
ture. The South Indian Culture is essentially the celebra-
tion of the eternal universe through the celebration of
the beauty of the body and motherhood.[1] It is exempli-
fied through its dance, clothing, and sculptures.[1]
Traditional clothing
South Indian women traditionally wear the sari while the
men wear a type of sarong, which could be either a white
dhoti or a colourful lungi with typical batik patterns. The
sari, being an unstitched drape, enhances the shape of
the wearer while only partially covering the midriff. In
Indian philosophy, the navel of the Supreme Being is
considered as the source of life and creativity.[1] Hence
by tradition, the stomach and the navel is to be left un-
concealed, though the philosophy behind the costume
has largely been forgotten.[1] This makes the realization A Malayalee woman wearing sari
of sharira-mandala, where in Angikam bhuvanam yasya (the
body is your world) unites with the shaarira-mandala (the
whole universe), as expressed in the Natyashastra.[1] Th-
Cuisine
ese principles of the sari, also hold for other forms of Main articles: South Indian Cuisine, Cuisine of Karnataka,
drapes, like the lungi or mundu or panchey (a white lungi Udupi cuisine, Andhra cuisine, Cuisine of Kerala, and
with colourful silk borders in kannada) worn by men.[2] Tamil cuisine
The lungi can be draped over clockwise or counterclock- Rice is the staple diet, with fish being an integral com-
wise and can be tied at the back or fixed just along the ponent of coastal South Indian meals. Coconut is an im-
waist line.It’s sometimes lifted till knee and tied at the portant ingredient in Kerala and costal part of Karnataka
waist leisurely or just held in hand to speed up walking. of South India, whereas the cuisine in Andhra Pradesh
In parts of north karnataka men wear kachche panchey is characterized by the delicious pickles, spicy aromatic
where it is tied at back by taking it between legs.Similar curries and the generous use of chili powder. Dosa, Idli,
pattern is seen in women. All over the peninsular coastal Uttapam etc. are popular throughout the region. Coastal
region men wear coloured lungis and women wear sari in areas like the state of Kerala and the city of Mangalore
a way tying it at back. are known for their seafood. South Indian coffee is gener-
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia South Indian culture
The tradition of serving meals on plantain leaves endures in
Karnataka, especially at formal events.
temporary singer Dr. K. J. Yesudas is a cultural ambas-
sador of Carnatic music.
Dance
Main article: South Indian Dance
A Malayalee man wearing a Mundu with a shirt
ally quite robust, and coffee is a preferred drink through-
out the Malabar region.
Music
Main article: Carnatic music Ancient Sanskrit drama tradition Koodiyattam. Nātyāchārya
The sophisticated Indian Classical Music of South India Padma Shri Māni Mādhava Chākyār as Ravana
is known as Carnatic music (after Carnatic, the name by
which south India was known in the earlier colonial days. The South Indian culture is celebrated in the elaborate
Sarang Dev coined south Indian classical music as karnatic dance forms of South India - Koodiyattam,
Music). It includes sensuous rhythmic and structured Bharatanatyam, Oyilattam, Karakattam, Kuchipudi,
music by composers such as Purandara Dasa, Tyagaraja, Kathakali, Theyyam, Ottamthullal, Oppana, Kerala
Dikshathar, Shyama Sasthri, and Swati Tirunal.The con- Natanam, Mohiniaattam and Yakshagana. The
Bharatanatyam is the celebration of the eternal universe
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia South Indian culture
through the celebration of the beauty of the body.[1] This
is done through its tenets of having a perfectly erect pos-
ture, a straight and pout curving stomach, a well rounded
and proportionate body mass- to the body structure, very
long hair and curvaceous hips.[3] These tenets bring to
life the philosophy of Natyashastra, ‘Angikam bhuvanam
yasya’ (The body is your world).[1] This is elaborated in
the araimandi posture, wherein the performer assumes
a half sitting position with the knees turned sideways,
with a very erect posture. In this fundamental posture of
the Bharatanatyam dance, the distance between the head
and the navel becomes equal to that between the earth
and the navel. In a similar way the distance between the
outstretched right arm to the outstretched left arm be-
comes equal to the distance between the head and the
feet, thus representing the "Natyapurusha", the embodi-
ment of life and creation.[1]
Architecture and paintings
Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings combined European techniques
with a distinctly south Indian sensibility.
and the Vesara style (also called Karnata dravida style)
present in Karnataka. The inspirational temple sculp-
tures of Mahabalipuram, Tanjore, Hampi, Badami, Pat-
The ruins at Hampi attest to the richness of Vijayanagara ar- tadakal, Aihole, Belur, Halebidu, Lakkundi, Shravan-
chitecture. abelagola, Madurai and the mural paintings of Travan-
core and Lepakshi temples, also stand as a testament to
South Indian culture. The paintings of Raja Ravi Varma
are considered classic renditions of many a scenes of
South Indian life and mythology. There are several ex-
amples of Dravidian mural paintings in the Mattancherry
Palace and the Shiva kshetram in Ettamanoor. South In-
dia is home, as of April 2006, to 5 of the 26 World Heritage
listed sites in India.[4]
Sculptures and figurine
Main article: South Indian Sculptures
Sculptures became one of the finest medium of South In-
A typical Temple gate in south India Vadakumnathan Temple dian expression after the human form of dance. In this
Gate, Thrissur in Kerala medium it was possible to etch the three dimensional
form in time. The traditional South Indian sculptor starts
Main articles: Dravidian mural painting and South Indian his sculpture of the divinities from the navel which is al-
Architecture ways represented unclothed by the sari. A koshta or grid
South India boasts of having two enchanting styles of of the sculpture would show the navel to be right at the
rock architecture, the pure dravida style of Tamil Nadu centre of the sculpture, representing the source of the
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia South Indian culture
Tamil around two to one and a half thousand years ago.
The Kannada classic Kavirajamarga, written in 850 CE by
King Amoghavarsha I, makes references to Kannada lit-
erature of King Durvinita in early sixth century CE. Tamil
Buddhist commentators of the tenth century CE, Nemri-
natham makes references to Kannada literature of fourth
century CE Distinct Malayalam and Telugu literary tra-
ditions developed in the following centuries. The artistic
expressions of the South Indian people shows their ad-
miration of the magnificence of nature and its rhythms.
Some of the works include Silappadhikaram by Ilango
Adigal, Tholkappiam written by Tholkappiar, Thiruvallu-
var’s Thirukural and Kumaravyasa’s Karnata Bharata Kata-
manjari and Pampa’s Vikramarjuna Vijaya. In South Indian
Sculptures at Hampi embodying human expression, Karnata- literature and philosophy, women are considered very
ka. powerful. A married woman is regarded as auspicious,
her shakti or mother-feminine power, protects and em-
union of the finite body and the infinite universe. Sculp- powers her husband and their children. Contemporary
tures adorn many of the temples around the complexes Kannada writers have received seven Jnanapith awards
and also inside them. They are also depiction of dance which is the highest for any Indian language.
steps of various stylizations and have served to preserve
dance forms and revive it.[5]
Communities and traditions
Literature and philosophy
A Syrian Malabar Nasrani Church in Kerala, with the Holy of
Holies containing the Nasrani Menorah or Mar Thoma Sliba
(St. Thomas Cross) veiled by a red curtain in the tradition of
ancient Jewish synagogue.
The main spiritual traditions of South India include both
Shaivite and Vaishnavite branches of Hinduism, although
Buddhist and Jain philosophies had been influential sev-
eral centuries earlier. Shravanabelagola in Karnataka is a
popular pilgrimage center for Jains. Ayyavazhi is spread
significantly across South India.[6] Its followers are more
Tiruvalluvar, the author of the Tirukkural. densely populated in South Tamil Nadu[7] and Kerala.[8]
Christianity has flourished in coastal South India from
Main articles: Tamil literature, Telugu literature, Kanna- the times of St. Thomas the Apostle who came to Kerala
da literature, and Malayalam literature in 52 AD and established the Syrian Christian tradition
South India has a literary tradition reaching back over today called as Saint Thomas Christians or Nasranis.[9]
two thousand years. The first known literature of South There is a large Muslim community in South India, par-
India are the poetic Sangams, which were written in ticularly in the Malabar Coast, which can trace its roots
4
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia South Indian culture
to the ancient maritime trade between Kerala and Oman- University of Mysore, Mysore 1974; Wadley, Susan,
is and other Arabs. Kerala is also home to one of the old- ed. 1980
est Jewish communities in the world who are supposed [2] Boulanger, Chantal; 1997
to have arrived in the Malabar coast during the time of [3] Beck, Brenda, 1976; Bharata, 1967; Kallarasa
King Solomon.[10] The oldest surviving Jewish synagogue Virachita Janavasya Ed: G.G. Manjunathan.
in the Commonwealth of Nations is the Paradesi Syna- Kannada Adhyayana Samsthe, University of
gogue in Kochi, Kerala. Mysore, Mysore 1974.
[4] World Heritage Listed Sites in India. URl accessed
South Indian film industry on April 12, 2006.
[5] Dehejia, Vidya, Richard H. Davis, R. Nagaswamy,
Karen Pechilis Prentiss; 2002
[6] Dr. R.Ponnu’s, Sri Vaikunda Swamigal and Struggle for
Social Equality in South India, 2000, Page 100, "At
present thousands of Pathis (Nizhal Thangals) are seen
throughout South India."
[7] Dina Thanthi (Tamil Daily), Nagercoil Edition,
4-3-2007, Page 23: "The Ayyavazhi followers are highly
populated in the districts of Chennai, Virudunagar,
Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari."
[8] Tha. Krishna Nathan’s, Ayyaa vaikundarin vaazvum
sinthanaiyum (Tamil), (Thesis in Madurai Kamaraj
University), Thinai Veliyeettagam, Chapter - 4, page
83.
[9] Menachery G; 1973, 1998; Mundalan, A. M; 1984;
Podipara, Placid J. 1970; Leslie Brown, 1956
[10] David de Beth Hillel, 1832; Lord, James Henry, 1977;
Thomas Puthiakunnel 1973; Koder S. 1973
’Superstar’ Rajinikanth, is the second most paid actor in Asia
after Jackie Chan, was born in Karnataka but achieved star-
dom in Tamil Nadu and supported the Tamil community ex- References and bibliography
tensively. • Beck, Brenda. 1976. “The Symbolic Merger of Body,
Space, and Cosmos in Hindu Tamil Nadu."
The South Indian film industries are known as Kollywood Contributions to Indian Sociology 10(2): 213-43.
(Tamil cinema), Jallywood (Sri Lankan Tamil cinema), • Bharata (1967). The Natyashastra [Dramaturgy], 2
Sandalwood (Cinema of Karnataka), Tollywood (Cinema vols., 2nd. ed. Trans. by Manomohan Ghosh. Calcutta:
of Andhra Pradesh) and Cinema of Kerala. When com- Manisha Granthalaya.
bined together, it is the biggest in India and the world. It • Boulanger, Chantal; (1997) Saris: An Illustrated Guide
is very common for actors to move from one Dravidian to the Indian Art of Draping, Shakti Press
film industry to another, more often they do to non-Dra- International, New York. ISBN 0-9661496-1-0
vidian ones due to close cultural and linguistic proximity. • Craddock, Norma. 1994. Anthills, Split Mothers, and
Sacrifice: Conceptions of Female Power in the
See also Mariyamman Tradition. Dissertation, U. of
California, Berkeley.
• Culture of India • Danielou, Alain, trans. 1965. Shilappadikaram (The
• South India Ankle Bracelet) By Prince Ilango Adigal. New York:
• Culture of Kerala New Directions. ISBN 0-8112-0001-9
• Arts of Kerala • Dehejia, Vidya, Richard H. Davis, R. Nagaswamy,
• Tamil people Karen Pechilis Prentiss (2002) The Sensuous and the
• Etiquette of Indian dining Sacred: Chola Bronzes from South India. ISBN
0-295-98284-5
Notes • Hart, George, ed. and trans. 1979. Poets of the Tamil
Anthologies: Ancient Poems of Love and War.
[1] ^ Beck, Brenda. 1976; Bharata, 1967; Dehejia, Vidya,
Princeton: Princeton U. Press
Richard H. Davis, R. Nagaswamy, Karen Pechilis
• Kallarasa Virachita Janavasya Ed: G.G. Manjunathan.
Prentiss, 2002; Kallarasa Virachita Janavasya Ed:
Kannada Adhyayana Samsthe, University of Mysore,
G.G. Manjunathan. Kannada Adhyayana Samsthe,
Mysore 1974.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia South Indian culture
• Gover, Charles. 1983 (1871). Folk-songs of Southern • Wadley, Susan, ed. 1980. The Powers of Tamil
India. Madras: The South India Saiva Siddhanta Women. Syracuse: Syracuse U. Press.
Works Publishing Society. • Zvelebil, Kamil. 1975. Tamil Literature. Leiden: Brill.
• Nagaraju, S. 1990. “Prehistory of South India.” In ISBN 90-04-04190-7
South Indian Studies, H. M. Nayak and B. R. Gopal, • Caldwell, R (1998) "A comparative grammar of the
eds., Mysore: Geetha Book House, pp. 35–52. Dravidian or South-Indian family of languages" 3rd
• Trawick, Margaret. 1990a. Notes on Love in a Tamil ed. rev. and edited by J.L. Wyatt, T. Ramakrishna
Family. Berkeley: U. of California Press. Pillai. New Delhi : Asian Educational Services. ISBN
81-206-0117-3
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