Tamil is one of the longest continuous written traditions of any language in the world. It is also very much a language of the modern world—an official language in three countries, and a recognised minority language in several others that is used across a variety of domains, from education to media to religious practice, literature, everyday talk, and beyond. To engage with Tamil and its culture, in all their dimensions is, therefore, to grapple with social, political, religious, literary, and performative traditions of remarkable depth, nuance and complexity.