The Tamil Epics are a collection of stories written in the
Tamil language.
The Shilappadigaram, the Manimegalai, and the Shivaga
Sindamani are three early Tamil epic poetry.
These poems were written in the sixth and seventh centuries
of the Common Era, when religious and cultural influences from the north
(including the writing of epic poetry) began to impact local traditions.
Tamil is the only significant ancient literary language
other than Sanskrit.
All three poems contain vital information about life in
their respective eras, particularly religious life.
In a nutshell, the Shilappadigaram ("The Jeweled
Anklet") is a tragedy that illustrates a number of fundamental themes that
have penetrated Hindu culture, including the necessity for a monarch to govern
justly and the power a lady gains by her love to her husband.
The Manimegalai tells the story of a young lady of the same
name who is courted by a local prince but ends up becoming a Buddhist nun.
Despite the story's obvious Buddhist leaning, Manimegalai
has multiple disputes with persons of opposing religious beliefs.
Finally, the Shivaga Sindamani tells the story of Shivaga, a
man who excels in every male skill imaginable, who wins a new lady for his
harem with each new task, but eventually gives up everything to become a Jain
monk.
Despite the fact that the last two epics are skewed toward
Buddhist and Jain religious principles, they all provide useful information on
modern religious life.
Also see Tamil
language.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.