The assemblies (Sangams) of poets in which the Sangam literature was compiled were held in which city?

According to Tamil tradition, the assemblies (Sangams) of poets, in which Sangam literature was composed and compiled, were held under the patronage of the Pandya kings, and the third (last) Sangam was held at Madurai.

About the Sangams:

"Sangam" means an "assembly" or "academy" of poets and scholars.

According to tradition, three Sangams were held over thousands of years:

• The first Sangam was held at "Then Madurai" (South Madurai), which was later submerged by the sea.
• The second Sangam was held at Kapatapuram, which was also lost to the sea.
• The third Sangam was held at Madurai.
• Only the works of the third Sangam have survived, according to tradition.
• Historians consider the stories of the first two Sangams to be legendary, but accept that the surviving literature was composed by many poets over several centuries.
• NCERT notes that the Sangam poems are called so because they were supposed to have been composed and compiled in assemblies (known as sangams) of poets that were held in the city of Madurai.

Sangam literature:

• It consists of poems in Tamil, composed between about the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE.
• It is divided into "Ettuthokai" (Eight Anthologies) and "Pattuppattu" (Ten Idylls).
• The poems are classified into "akam" (inner, about love) and "puram" (outer, about war, kings and public life).
• More than 2,000 poems by about 470 poets, including about 30 women poets such as Avvaiyar, have survived.
• It is an important source for the history, society, economy and culture of ancient south India.
• Later Tamil works, such as the "Tirukkural" (by Tiruvalluvar), are also connected with this tradition.

About Madurai:

• It was the capital of the Pandyas, on the banks of the Vaigai river.
• It is famous for the Meenakshi Amman temple.
• It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in India.
• Keeladi, an archaeological site near Madurai, has revealed an urban settlement of the Sangam age.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Kanchipuram was a later royal capital.
• ✗Thanjavur was the Chola capital.
• ✗Puhar was the Chola port.