Hospitality Customs in the Velpari Folk Tale

Culture refers to the unique and significant frameworks embedded in human behavior. From the earliest periods of human life, culture has emerged as a result of successive changes in human actions and practices. Human culture manifests across all aspects of life, including food, clothing, dwellings, music, arts, painting, and literature. Cultural practices are often classified under categories such as offerings, rituals, hospitality, arts, and friendship. These aspects of human life have been documented continuously in literature, starting from Sangam literature to contemporary works. In this context, the folk tale “Veerayuga Nayagan Velpari,”centered on the chieftain Velpari as depicted in Sangam literature, also reflects the cultural life of the Sangam period. Among these cultural traits, the tradition of hospitality is highlighted, which forms the focus of this study.