தரவசகததல நரடல வளயடட / Water Sports in Thiruvachagam

The traditional festivals, rituals and games of Tamil Nadu are important in revealing the heritage of Tamil culture. It conjoins customs, foods and celebrations. One of the significant reasons behind the importance of games in Tamil tradition is their role in promoting physical strength, flexibility, courage, mental strength, intellectual power, memory and creativity. Tamil Nadu’s traditional games promote unity, emotional control and self-control in accepting both success and failure. Hence, the importance of participation in games has been emphasised by our ancestors. Many references to games can be found in ancient Tamil literary works such as Sangam literature, Puranas and epics. Games are not only for entertaining activities but also serve to communicate deeper philosophical insights into society. Games in the works were structured to elucidate profound messages and were designed to stimulate thought, enhance musical skills and function as physical exercises. Notably, in the devotional literature, “Thiruvachagam”, various games are depicted as methods for conveying spiritual teachings. The hymns in “Thiruvachagam” integrate Tamil games to express devotion and illustrate their significance in spiritual and cultural contexts. One such game is Neeradhal (water games). It is frequently seen in “Thiruvempavai”, a Tamil devotional literature that highlights its role in fostering devotion. Hence, this paper aims to explore the representation of the water game (Neeradhal) in “Thiruvachagam” and its connection to Tamil cultural and Bhakti ideologies.