சங்க இலக்கியமும் ஈரோடு மாவட்ட உள்ளூர் அறிவு மரபுகளும் வெளிப்படுத்தும் பாரம்பரியக் காலநிலை அறிவு: மழை, பருவநிலை, இயற்கை முன்னறிகுறிகள், தொடர்ச்சி மற்றும் சமகாலப் பயன்பாடுகளை மையப்படுத்திய இலக்கிய–கள ஆய்வு: Traditional Climate Knowledge in Sangam Literature and the Local Knowledge Traditions of Erode District: A Literary–Field Study on Rain, Seasonality, Natural Omens, Continuity and Contemporary Applications

Abstract

As climate change disrupts the pattern of rainfall and the onset of the seasons, local and traditional knowledge has drawn renewed attention as a resource for adaptation. This study compares the knowledge of rain, seasons and natural omens recorded in Sangam literature with the traditional understanding of climate in the agrarian communities of Erode District, Tamil Nadu. Its data comprise an analysis of primary sources such as Tolkappiyam, a secondary synthesis of field studies conducted in the neighbouring districts of Coimbatore and Salem, and the official profile of Erode District. Sangam climate knowledge is organised within the framework of tiṇai and poḻutu (landscape and time). The tradition of treating flowering, the behaviour of birds and animals, and observations of the sky and planets as omens of rain continues today, showing structural parallels in how weather is observed, named and converted into agricultural decisions. This knowledge is, however, under strain from the decline in the number of rainy days, untimely seasons and a widening generational gap in its transmission. The paper argues that combining documented traditional indicators with scientific forecasts will benefit adaptation, and it proposes the next stage: the collection of primary field data for Erode District.

Keywords

• Sangam literature
• traditional climate knowledge
• rain and seasons
• natural omens
• Erode District
• climate adaptation