தமிழ்நாட்டுப்புற பண்பாட்டில் இந்திய அறிவு மரபு: சடங்குகள், நம்பிக்கைகள், அறிவியல்

Indian Knowledge Systems in Tamil Folk Culture: Rituals, Beliefs, and Science

Abstract

In the rural communities of Tamil Nadu, livelihood, culture, and intellect have evolved together over centuries. India's ancient knowledge systems reside here in the forms of rituals, beliefs, and folk traditions, creating a complex repository of wisdom. The objective of this article is to understand the traditional scientific thoughts situated behind the deities and various rituals found in the folk culture of Tamil Nadu.

Our ancestors used rituals as a medium to impart the wisdom of living in harmony with nature to succeeding generations. For instance, the practice of worshipping specific trees as deities was a wise method devised to protect the ecological importance of those trees, as well as the benefits of their shade, fruit, and medicinal properties. Similarly, revering the land as "Mother" underscores an ecological knowledge that emphasizes soil fertility and the necessity of its maintenance.

Many agricultural rituals are based on temporal wisdom and astronomical calculations. Lighting lamps during "Deepavali" serves as a seasonal marker, signifying the start of winter in North India and the onset of the Northeast Monsoon (Ilamari) in Tamil Nadu. The "Pongal" festival is based on solar movement and seasonal transitions. All of these are closely linked to traditional knowledge of predicting climate change and astronomical theories.

Furthermore, folk knowledge found in areas such as dietary habits, herbal medicine, and domestic architecture is rooted in scientific concepts derived from practical experimentation. Many materials used in rituals (e.g., butter and turmeric) may have been chosen for their antimicrobial properties.

Thus, the beliefs and rituals of Tamil folk culture carry deep environmental awareness, temporal wisdom, and practical scientific thought beneath a veneer of religious metaphors. This study reveals that religion and science were inextricably linked in ancient knowledge traditions, serving as guides for humans to live in harmony with nature. Therefore, preserving these traditions is not only a cultural duty but also an act of safeguarding a vital system of knowledge.