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TAMILS, TAMIL AND ĀLVĀRS

TAMILS, TAMIL AND ĀLVĀRS Introduction Having set a concrete background from the point of Bhakti, Vaishnavismand Saivism, Buddhism and Jainism and Historical background for the study about the response to religious pluralism in the bhakti tradition of Alvars , it is paramount to trace the influence of Tamils and Tamil in the bhakti tradition of Alvars . It is because the literary style, religious notions and even the response of Alvars to religious pluralism have their strong background in Tamil culture and literature.   To do so, it is essential to trace the antiquity of the Tamil race, originality of their language, the dynamics of Cańkam age with reference to selected literatures, which have considerable bearing on religious matters, the unique contribution of akam principle for the soul stirring hymns of the Alvars , the division of habitable land into five regions and their respective deities, the northern influence on language, religion, caste, and a general