October 6, 2026 · THIS IS TAMIL
Sangam poetry: the five landscapes of Tamil verse
Sangam literature is the oldest surviving poetry in Tamil. It was composed roughly between the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE. More than 2,300 poems by over 470 poets have survived – collected in the “Eight Anthologies” (Ettuthokai) and the “Ten Idylls” (Pattuppattu).
Akam and Puram – inner and outer
The poems belong to two worlds: Akam (“inner”) is about love, longing and family. Puram (“outer”) tells of kings, wars, generosity and justice.
The five landscapes (Tinai)
- Kurinji – mountains: lovers’ first meeting
- Mullai – forests and pastures: patient waiting
- Marutham – fields and river valleys: quarrel and reconciliation
- Neythal – the coast: longing for someone out at sea
- Paalai – dry wasteland: separation and departure
Each landscape has its own flowers, animals, gods and times of day. A reader of Sangam poetry can tell the feeling of a poem from a single blossom.
“Every place is our home”
The best-known verse comes from the Purananuru and was written by Kaniyan Pungundranar: “யாதும் ஊரே யாவரும் கேளிர்” – “Every place is our home, every person our kin.” For a diaspora living on every continent today, these words feel more relevant than ever.
Our SANGAM design carries the five landscapes on the back – a piece of 2,000-year-old poetry for every day.