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Showing posts from April, 2013

Chola Warlords: Who Were the Paluvettaraiyars?

Ponniyin Selvan I movie poster showing actor Sarathkumar as Periya Paluvettaraiyar and actor Parthiban as Chinna Paluvettaraiyar. In 2024, Oxford University Press published  Minor Majesties: The Paluvēṭṭaraiyars and Their South Indian Kingdom of Paluvūr, 9th–11th Centuries A.D ., a groundbreaking study by historian Valerie Gillet. In the book’s opening chapter, A Tentative Biography of the Paluvettaraiyars , Gillet delves into the lineage and origins of this influential fami ly.  These Chola warlords traced their lineage to the formidable Maravars, an ancient warrior tribe renowned for their valor. However, I believe that while the Paluvettaraiyars were indeed of Maravar descent, they likely forged alliances through intermarriage with those of the Kallar and Agambadiyar clans, further solidifying their power and influence. Prominent figures in the medieval Chola era, the Paluvettaraiyars played a pivotal role in shaping the empire’s political and military landscape. Through st...
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Dog meat? No way!

Hachikō, was an Akita dog born on a farm near the city of Ōdate, Akita Prefecture, remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, even many years after his owner's death. Have you ever wondered why some meat are considered as taboo while others are not? I believe that the culture we are born into and the role played by the animals in our lives has always been the deciding factor. I would like to talk about dog meat and why most of us do not consume it. Not that I have eaten it. I also do not wish to eat it. Some of you, or most of you who reads this post perhaps share the same cultural perception as me. There must be reasons for why certain things are taboo in our culture.  If you can eat goat, why not dog? It is a four legged animal too. Man's best friend. The answer is very simple. Dogs are considered as man's best friend. They can work for you, cuddle with you, be your companion and above all, protect you whenever needed. These qualities are not...
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Mayir Pudunggeriya? (Plucking your hair?)

(This is based on oral history and not written evidence) The Tamil language has many foul words. Some of these words were not foul in origin. One classic example will be the word mayir. Mayir is hair in Tamil. The other word for hair is Mudi.  Mayir is often pronounced with an extended 'u' as mayiru. "Mayir pudunggeriya?" is a common phrase used especially when someone is angry. It is used on people believed to be useless, procrastinators, lazy. If someone uses it on you, then he is trying to tell you that you are good for nothing, in a very harsh way. What's the origin of this phrase? In ancient times, Tamil Nadu was under the influence of Jainism. The Jain religion has many extreme practices. The monks are usually nude and hairless. They do not shave their hair. They remove the hair by plucking it out. These Jain monks are usually jobless. They do not work to earn a living like most people do. It was common for the other working Tamils to see t...
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Turkey Trip 2013 - Part 2

I will recommend Novotel for their service. It is indeed a good place to stay although it is about 15 minutes drive from the town. The Black Sea is just opposite the hotel. It is not surprising that the seafood served was very fresh and good. They also had other varieties for breakfast. Potato, Salmon, Sardine, Turkish cheeze, chicken slices, sausages and turkey ham. Turkish omelet Turkish pastries I did not take much pictures of the hotel with my camera phone. My battery was dead at that time. The second picture below was taken from Google.     Unlike here in Malaysia, the people of Turkey drive on the right side of the road. The same is done in Bulgaria. That means the driver seat is on the left. We actually visited the Istanbul town on the day we arrived, Saturday. My camera battery was dead and I could not take much pictures. We visited the town again on Sunday, right after our breakfast. This time I clicked as much as I could. Some...
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Turkey Trip 2013 - Part 1

This is what comes to most people's mind when the word Turkey is mentioned. My paid vacation to Turkey was actually an accident. Both me and my colleague, Max Tan, were supposed to fly to Sofia (Bulgaria) via Istanbul. We had to be there for 2 weeks. It was for work purpose. Our flight to Istanbul on 02-02-2013 was delayed by a couple of hours. Because of this, our transit flight to Sofia had to be delayed by a day. Therefore, we had to spend our weekend in Turkey. MAS took the blame and paid for it. We took took it as a blessing :) The national flag of Turkey Map of Turkey Istanbul is 8000 km away from KLIA. The total flight time was approx 11.5 hours. I spent my journey watching movies, sleeping, eating, watching movies, sleeping, walking. I peeked outside the window a couple of times. I started imagining 'What if the plane crashes and I get stranded in the sea?'. I started to think about Vasuge and the rest at home. Then I told myself 'Nah, I am...
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Bali Trip 2011 - Part 4

This is the final post on our Bali vacation. I will start by first displaying some pictures of the hotel we stayed in. Kuan Yin Kuta Beach This beach is famous as a sunset beach in Bali. It wasn't very clean when we arrived. There were some trashes. Bebek - Deep Fried Duck One of Bali's famous dish is their deep fried duck. Trust me, it was good. But I still prefer the roast duck prepared by our local Chinese hawkers. The restaurant was located in a village. This is just a few meters from where our table was. A funeral procession. Mengwi The Royal Temple of Mengwi is one of the most important temples in Bali. Built in 1634 by a King of the Mengwi dynasty, this impressive complex stands on an island in a river, its inner temple surrounded by a moat. Its Balinese name Pura Taman Ayun literally means ‘Garden Temple in the Water’. ...
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The Indian confusion - Race, Caste, Clan & Surnames

Before you read, keep in mind that this was not written with the intention to divide the people. It was written with the intention to explain the meaning of each group. The write up on my journey in Bali is still in progress. I have to transfer some image files in order to upload them. So I thought of writing about the biggest confusion in the Indian Malaysian community. It is a sensitive one too. But clarification should be given. Else, when are we going to understand it? To my friends of other races who happened to read my blog, this will probably be enlightening as many may not be aware of our demographics. First of all, there are two main classification for us in Malaysia. Indian & Ceylonese. Many assume it to be a homogenous race like Chinese, but it isn't. The Chinese have many languages but they have a common language called Mandarin. They also have one writing script. This is what makes the over 1 billion Chinese worldwide as a homogenous race. Ancient Chinese ...
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Dogs of Tamil Nadu

Pictures taken from Google. Credit goes to the various people who uploaded them. I apologise for not being able to identify the original owner of the pics. Whenever we speak of dogs, we tend to focus on the European breeds.  This is due to their popularity and demand. Unknown to many, India has about 88 native dog breeds. Six of these breeds are from the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Most of these dogs from Tamil Nadu evolved naturally. That makes them more suitable to the hot climate in the south. Furthermore, these dogs require less medical attention as their immune system is stronger, making them less prone to disease which are common among the European breeds. In Tamil Nadu, we can find breeds like the famous Rajapalayam, Kombai, Alangu Mastiff, Chippiparai, Kanni and Malayeri. Both the Alangu Mastiff and Malayeri are now extinct. Malayeri The Malayeri (hill climber) was a shepherd dog used by the tribals to herd sheeps. It was commonly found in the hills of Tamil Na...
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Muniswaran Worship

(Pictures taken from Google except for the Banyan tree) Hinduism is a world of its own. It is not a single book religion like the Abrahamic religions. It is actually a collection of various religions, philosophies, doctrines, rituals and practices. In Hinduism, worship of minor deities is also practiced. Although it is not part of mainstream Hinduism, it still plays an important part in the daily lives of many individuals and families. The worship of minor deities is much more common in rural areas. It is often more of a clan or family affair. The minor deities fall into different categories. One of it is a class of powerful spirits known as Muni. My family use to offer worship under this tree in Klang. My interest in Muni worship started at a very young age. I have always been a curious kid. I ask alot of questions.. I still am a curious person. Always looking for more clues and hopefully some answers. It is perhaps my late paternal grandmother, Letchumy, who ign...
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