Liturgical language in Hinduism
Most of the Inscriptions in ancient temples across the Indian subcontinent are in Tamil. Tamil archanas and prayers widely used in temples in South India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. The twelve Azhwars (saint poets of Vaishnavite tradition) and sixty-three Nayanars (saint poets of Shaivite tradition) are regarded as exponents of the bhakti tradition of Hinduism in South India. Tamil is also one of the oldest continuously used languages in the world.