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Tamil Arts
Art –
Drawings, Sculpting, Painting
 Artist
as a whole have has a crucial part in developing the
Tamil culture. The art of a people make it its culture
many consider it the Spirit of the people. Artists in
there perception have created the identity of the
people; which from century to century, generation to
generation has changed and grown. Such things as playing
traditional musical instruments and classical dance need
a lot of discipline much is not changed from origin but
much has been added over the ages and such teachings
hold a vital part of our culture in its hands. That is
what is known as heritage.
“A nation surrounded daily
by the beautiful, noble, fine and harmonious becomes
that which it is habituated to contemplate and realizes
the fullness of the expanding Spirit in itself.... “-
Sri Aurobindo on
the National value of Art
Paintings
The use
of primary colors and shadings done inside of the
contours to demonstrate the effects of stylized modeling
have primarily characterized the world famous Tanjore
paintings that have been painted on wood, glass, mica,
ivory, and on walls. The use of special plaster, covered
with pure gold leaf and embedded with semi-precious
stone of different hues have raised finely finished
jewels, drapery and architectural elements like pillars,
rich caponies, garlands of ropes and chandeliers. The 18th
century introduced paintings on ivory, mica, and glass
paintings. While religious painitings are mostly
decorative and flat, paintings of women, on the other
hand, have an element of reality infused in the
portraits.
Pottery
The
famous Ayyannar horses have lent themselves to the
abundant expression in the form the ancient craft of
pottery. Known to protect each village from evil, the
large terracotta horses are made in Salem and Pudukkotai.
Originally, these horses were made and fired
individually but due to increasing popularity of
terracotta art items, mould have been put into use.
Woodcraft
In
India and abroad, the demand for Tamil Nadu’s
artistically created basketry and fiber products is on
the increase. Many items such as baskets, ropes and mats
are made with bamboo, cane grasses, reeds and fibers but
palm had become a major source of raw material for
basketry.The main craft centres are found in the
Dharampuri, Salem, Coimbatore,
South Arcot and Tiruchirapalli districts.
Stone
Carving
 Since
very early in history in the southern state, stone
carving has been regarded with a high degree of
excellence. Granite carving, today, is confined to the
areas around Mamallapuram and Chingleput. The sculptors
here belong to the Vishwakarma or Kammaalar community.
Another form of carving is soapstone or maakal carving,
which is found in the Pondicherry and Cuddalore region
and around Salem.
Music
The
making of musical instruments would become a major craft
after music and dance have played an important role in
the cultural life of Tamil Nadu. Most of the craft
centers are around the area of Thanjavur, which has also
produced some of the finest musicians out of the
country.
 The
musical instruments that are used by the people of Tamil
Nadu are often classified according to their types as
well as the occasions they are used. An essential part
of the marriage ceremony is the naadaswaram and the
kumbu is associated with religious festivities. Just as
the tom-toms of Africa are used to pass on messages from
one village to another, percussion instruments are
sometimes used to make announcements in Tamil Nadu.
 The
Silappadikaram, a Tamil classic, talks about an ancient
Tamil instrument called the Yaazh which comes in the
shape of boats, fishes, and crocodiles. This completely
outdated instrument is similar to the harp or lute and
has now been replaced by the more adaptable veena. The
various parts of the veena such as the kudam (pot), top
plank, neck, and yaali, are made of Jackwood and are
first assembled after which a mixture of honey wax and
black powder is applied to the top of the plank. It is
then further processed for completion. Thanajavur is
renowned as a centre for the manufacturing of veenas and
has had families working in the trade for generations.
Then
there are also the thamburas with wooden bases, the
flute or kuzhal (a wind instrument) which are associated
with Lord Krishna. These instruments are known commonly
as vangiyam and they are made of bamboo, sandalwood,
bronze, sengaali and karungaali woods.
Architecture
 Since
the 7th century, Tamil Nadu has been known as
the land of temples and a living museum of styles. A
great degree of craftsmanship and creativity can be seen
in the intricate carving and sculptures in the temples
of Tamil Nadu, some of which date back to more than
1,700 years old. Gateways knowns as ‘Gopurams’ overlook
these huge temple complexes, which have known to be a
major part of the Dravidian style of architecture. It is
clearly evident from such architecture that Hindu styles
are more dynamic while Muslim architecture is
practically absent. The successes of many ruling
dynasties are evident in the temple architecture. It
also provides plenty of evidence of the vision and
forethought of many kings and rulers of ancient India to
have left behind a legacy that modern India would surely
be proud of.
Temple Architecture
 The
holy land, Tamil Nadu, is the land of temple
architecture. Much of the state is filled with lofty
towers, including those from the pre-Christian era and
those from the 20th century. However, the
Tamils have made some of the greatest contributions to
these historic sites, which are of immense artistic
value. In Tamil Nadu, numerous contributions were made
by the Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas, and Vijayangar rulers,
and the Nayak rulers of Madurai.
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