சஙக கல வடகளம வலகளம / Houses and Fences of the Sangam Period

Sangam literature was based on five types of lands namely Kurinji, Mullai, Marutham, Neithal and Palai. These are the ancient Sangam landscapes where the Tamil people lived. It describes in detail the food, shelter, occupation, worship and hospitality of the Tamil people living in these lands. The lifestyle of the Sangam period is almost certainly the same and continues today with some changes. Among man’s important needs, shelter played an important role in the basic needs of man. Houses were the foundation of a family setup and a symbol of social development. The Sangam people built houses and also built fences around those houses to keep them safe. They used the raw materials available in the area to build houses, and they used the palm fronds/branches, coconut fronds/branches, and thorns available in the area to build fences. Fences are not only built for houses by the Sangam people, but they are also built for crop protection. It was used for border protection and village protection. Fences have been used since the Sangam period till today in the Tamil society. One can find it in the rural villages of Tamil Nadu. The fence is built around the house and the field to show the possession of the property. Therefore, this article examines how the living areas found in Sangam literature were built and their fencing systems were used and the cultural characteristics they reflect.