Tunankai, Tunaṅkai, Tuṇaṅkai: 2 definitions

Introduction:

Tunankai means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Tamil. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

In Hinduism

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: Shodhganga: The significance of the mūla-beras (natya)

Tunaṅkai refers to a kind of dance that was practised in ancient Tamil society.—Caṅkam (Saṅgam) literature provides the information that the members of the royal family, along with the poets, practised the art of dancing. The dance forms referred to in Caṅkam literature are Tunaṅkai (a kind of dance), [... etc.]. The above references point to the fact that different dance forms existed and were prevalent in Tamil society during the Caṅkam period. The details about tunaṅkai-kūttu, its period, place, area, the dancers and the dance form are also found in Caṅkam literature. The dance is performed by joining the hands and beating across the ribs. Since the king also participated in this dance, this was supposed to have been regarded highly by the people.

The Saṅgam (Caṅkam) literature is aptly regarded as the crown of Tamil literature. The ancient works, Pattupāṭṭu (a collection of ten ancient Tamil poems) and Eṭṭutokai (the eight anthologies of the Caṅkam period) give details about the art of dance in the Caṅkam period [mentioned, for example, Tunaṅkai].

Natyashastra book cover
context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

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Languages of India and abroad

Tamil dictionary

[«previous next»] — Tunankai in Tamil glossary
Source: DDSA: University of Madras: Tamil Lexicon

Tuṇaṅkai (துணங்கை) noun perhaps from துளங்கு-. [thulangu-.]

1. A kind of dance in which the arms bent at the elbows are made to strike against the sides; முடக்கிய இருகைகளையும் விலாப்புடைகளில் ஒற்றி யடித்துக்கொண்டு அசைந்தாடும் ஒருவகைக் கூத்து. பிணந்தின் வாய டுணங்கை தூங்க [mudakkiya irugaigalaiyum vilappudaigalil orri yadithukkondu asainthadum oruvagaig kuthu. pinanthin vaya dunangai thunga] (பத்துப்பாட்டு [pathuppattu] 56).

2. Devil; பேய். (சூடாமணிநிகண்டு) [pey. (sudamaninigandu)]

3. Festival; திருவிழா. (திவா.) [thiruvizha. (thiva.)]

4. The sixth nakṣatra. See திருவாதிரை. (சூடாமணிநிகண்டு) [thiruvathirai. (sudamaninigandu)]

context information

Tamil is an ancient language of India from the Dravidian family spoken by roughly 250 million people mainly in southern India and Sri Lanka.

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