. An organisation formed in olden days for the cultivation of शेन्तमिल् (classic Tamil) literature, which took its origin in south द्राविड land in the 4th century B.C. The पाण्ड्यस् set up three सङ्घम्स् for the promotion of this literature, the first one in southern Madura. When the city was swept by erosion of the sea they set up the second सङ्घम् at कपाटपुर . When कपाटपुर also was destroyed by the sea, the third सङ्घम् was founded in द्राविड Madura. The first सङ्घम् was called मुतर्चङ्कम् , the second इटैच्चङ्कम् and the third one कटैच्चङ्कम् . Reliable information about the first two सङ्घम्स् is not available. But, there are reasons to believe that a सङ्घम् called कतैच्चङ्कम् flourished for about six hundred years from 2nd century B.C. to the close of the 4th century A.D. (History of Kerala Literature by Ullūr, Part 1, Page 47)

The पाण्ड्य King had built at मदुर a hall ( मण्डप ) for the poets and scholars of the third सङ्घम् to assemble together to produce their works. Even to this day there exists a temple called सङ्घत्तार्कोविल् at the south-western corner of the outer sector of the सुन्दरेश्वर temple. There the idols of सरस्वती and of the fortynine poets of the सङ्घम् are being worshipped even today. The growth and influence of the Buddhist and the Jain religions and also that of the पल्लव royal dynasty, contributed to the downfall of the सङ्घम् . The सङ्घम् poets have written many excellent books. According to legends, अगस्त्यम् is a text on grammar of the first सङ्घम् and तोल्काप्यम् of the second सङ्घम् . There were authoritative text books on music written by the last poets of the सङ्घम् . But, none of these books has been unearthed yet. Again, references are found to dramas like मुरुवल्, जयन्तम् , etc. They too have not yet been found out. Five महाकाव्य s (Epic poems) and five short काव्य s also belong to सङ्घम् works. पुरनानूरु। अकनानूरु, पतिट्टुप्पत्तु, ऐं कुरुनूरु, कलित्तोकै, कुरुन्तोकै, परिपाटल् and नट्टिणै are included in the सङ्घम् work called एट्टुत्तोकै . Most of them are collections of many compositions. The authorship of the four hundred songs in पुरनानूरु is distributed among nearly 160 poets. ऐं कुरुनूरु contains five hundred songs by five poets. These five hundred songs were collected by the scholar, कूटलूर् किज़्हार् , on the orders of the चेर King, चेरलिरुंपोज़्है . पतिट्टिप्पत्तु is a collection of songs composed by ten poets in praise of the चेर Kings. But, only eight of these from two to nine are available yet. पत्तुप्पाट्टु comprised of the following works like तिरुमुरुकात्तुप्पटै , etc. तिरुक्कुरल्, नालटियर् etc. are among the eighteen works under the group पतिनेण्कीज़्ह्क्कणक्कु . चिलप्पदिकारम्, मणिमेखलै, जीवकचिन्तामणि, कुण्डलकेशी and वलैयापति are the five great काव्य s and नीलकेशि, चूडामणि, यशोदाकाव्यम्, नागकुमार-काव्यम् and उदयकुमारकाव्यम् ( उदयणन्कतै ) are the five short (laghu) काव्य s. Amongst the above काव्य s मणिमेखलै and कुण्डलकेशि are Buddhist काव्य s and चिन्तामणि and the five short काव्य s are Jain works. The last seven books might have been written after the सङ्घम् period. तिरुत्तक्कतेवर् , author of चिन्तामणि , lived in eighth century A.D. Some of the songs in पुरनानूरु are the oldest among the works of the सङ्घम् period. References to चेर Kings are found in many of these works.