About “Cilappatikaram”
Cilappatikāram, also known as Silappathikaram, is the earliest Tamil epic. It is a poem consisting of 5,730 lines written mostly in the akaval meter. The story follows the tragic love between an ordinary couple, Kannaki and her husband Kovalan. The epic has deep roots in the Tamil bardic tradition, as Kannaki and other characters are mentioned or alluded to in Sangam literature and later texts. It is attributed to Iḷaṅkō Aṭikaḷ, a prince who became a Jain monk, and was likely composed in the 5th century CE. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)
Some summaries adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.