<p>A century ago this term would have immediately conjured up the names of three lyricists who formed the Triumvirate of Tamil Christian poets: Vedanayagam Sastriar of Tanjore Krishnapillai of Palyamkottai and N. Samuel of Tranquebar.</p><p>These are mostly a collection of indigenous hymns written by Protestant Tamil Christian poets. A few of them are translations of Christian hymns from other languages.</p><p></p>