Hinduism in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Hindus

தமிழ் இந்துக்கள் Tamiḻ intukkaḷ
Poigai Alvar Avvaiyar Arunagirinathar Manikkavacakar Nammalvar Kambar Rajaraja Chola Ellalan Andal
Total population
63,188,168 (2011)[1] 87.58% of the Tamil Nadu Population
Regions with significant populations
Tamil Nadu Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
Languages
Sanskrit Tamil
Religion
Hinduism • Shaivism • Vaishnavism • Shaktism • Dravidian folk religion

Hinduism in Tamil Nadu finds its earliest literary mention in the Sangam literature dated to the 5th century BCE. The total number of Tamil Hindus as per 2011 Indian census is 63,188,168^[2] which forms 87.58% of the total population of Tamil Nadu. Hinduism is the largest religion in Tamil Nadu.

The religious history of Tamil Nadu is influenced by Hinduism quite notably during the medieval period. The twelve Alvars (poet-saints of the Vaishnava tradition) and sixty-three Nayanars (poet-saints of the Shaiva tradition) are regarded as exponents of the bhakti tradition of Hinduism in South India. Most of them came from the Tamil region and the last of them lived in the 9th century CE.

There are few worship forms and practices in Hinduism that are specific to Tamil Nadu due to the Bhakti movement spreading them across India. There are many mathas (monastic institutions) and temples based out of Tamil Nadu. In modern times, most of the temples are maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.