Cultural Imprints in Vallikannan’s Literary Works

Abstract

This study examines the representation and preservation of cultural practices in the literary works of Vallikannan, with particular emphasis on the ways in which his narratives document the lived experiences of Tamil society. The study seeks to identify, classify, and interpret the cultural elements embedded in his writings and to examine their relationship with changing social structures. It focuses on customs, rituals, festivals, folk beliefs, oral traditions, proverbs, dialectal expressions, performing arts, food practices, marriage ceremonies, social relationships, and community life as represented in selected works. A qualitative textual-analysis methodology is adopted, drawing upon close reading and contextual interpretation of the primary texts, supported by relevant scholarship on Tamil literary and cultural studies. The analysis investigates how cultural practices function not merely as narrative details but as markers of identity, collective memory, social values, and regional consciousness. Particular attention is given to the representation of rural and regional life and to the tensions between traditional cultural practices and processes of social transformation. The study argues that Vallikannan’s works constitute significant literary records of cultural memory, preserving aspects of everyday life that may otherwise remain undocumented. By situating his literary representations within their broader socio-cultural context, this study establishes the potential of Vallikannan’s writings as sources for understanding the continuity, negotiation, and transformation of Tamil cultural practices in the modern period.

Keywords

• Vallikannan
• Meignani
• Tamil literature
• cultural representation
• cultural memory
• folk culture
• social practices
• regional identity
• textual analysis