Dravida Sangha
Encyclopedia
Dravida Sangha was established in 470 AD. by one Jaina
monk named Vajranandi in the city of Madurai
in present day Tamil Nadu
. It is considered to be the forerunner of the legendary Tamil Sangams of the Tamil
lore. Madurai at that time was under the sway of the Kalabhra rule. Dravida Sangha was also mentioned by other Jaina literature for alleged laxity of conduct in respect to bathing and eating prescribed food. Further more, it was alleged that members of the Sangha also abandoned Jaina religious requirement of wandering mendicancy and adopted settled life such as trading and farming. According to Prof. George Hart, who holds the endowed Chair in Tamil Studies by University of California, Berkeley, has written that the legend of Tamil Sangam (literary assembly) was based on the Jain assembly (Sangham) at Madurai:
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
monk named Vajranandi in the city of Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
in present day Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. It is considered to be the forerunner of the legendary Tamil Sangams of the Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
lore. Madurai at that time was under the sway of the Kalabhra rule. Dravida Sangha was also mentioned by other Jaina literature for alleged laxity of conduct in respect to bathing and eating prescribed food. Further more, it was alleged that members of the Sangha also abandoned Jaina religious requirement of wandering mendicancy and adopted settled life such as trading and farming. According to Prof. George Hart, who holds the endowed Chair in Tamil Studies by University of California, Berkeley, has written that the legend of Tamil Sangam (literary assembly) was based on the Jain assembly (Sangham) at Madurai:
- "There was a permanent Jaina assembly called a Sa(n)gha established about 604 A.D. in Maturai.It seems likely that this assembly was the model upon which tradition fabricated the cangkam legend."