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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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Days, Planets & Gods

The 7 day/week system is currently followed globally.  It was used by ancient Hindus, Babylonians and many more. We need to also thank the Greeks and Romans for their contributions.

I was suprised when I find out that there are also other cultures who do not have 7 days in a week. For example, the Javanese people have a 5 day/week calendar known as the Pasaran cycle.
 
Each day in our 7 day/week has its own name. Have you thought about its origins? The 7 days as we know today have their roots in astronomy. In fact, most of our religious events has its origins in astronomy.

Humans realized that Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn are the 7 celestial objects which can be tracked by looking at the sky.

Therefore, the week was broken into 7 days, each day named after a celestial object as shown below. These celestial objects were then personified as Gods.




Sunday
This is Sun's day.  The day is dedicated to the Sun God who rules the Sun. Hindus call him Surya, Egyptians called him Ra. Greeks called him Apollo, Romans had Sol. Christians consider Sunday as the day of the Lord.




Monday
Monday is Moon's Day. Hindus dedicate it to the Moon God Soma who is also identified as Chandra. The Norsemen call their Moon God as Mani, Egyptians called it Khonsu, Greeks called it Selene.



Tuesday
This is Tiw's Day. He is the Germanic God of War. The planet associated with Tuesday is Mars. Tiw is also known as Tyr by the Norsemen and Aries by the Greeks. In Hinduism, Tuesday and the planet Mars is associated with Muruga and Durga. Both are the God and Goddess of war.



Wednesday
This is Woden's Day. He is another Germanic God. The celestial object associated with Wednesday is Mercury. Woden is known as Odin in Norse mythology, Hindus call the planet Mercury as Buddhan.



Thursday
Most of you would have known that it is Thor's Day. He is the Norsemen God of Thunder. The Greek version will be Zeus, and the Hindu version is Indra. The planet associated with this day is Jupiter. Hindus call the lord of this planet as Guru. He is also the celestial teacher. Thursday is often considered as the day of learning by the Hindus.



Friday
Friday is Freya's Day. Freya was the Nordic Goddess of Fertitlity. She is associated with the planet Venus. Hindus call her Sakthi. The Sakthi worship is the worship of the Mother Goddess. Various cultures across the globe worship the Mother Goddess. She is associated with Venus and Friday. Interestingly, Muslims consider Friday as an important day to offer worship too.




Saturday

Saturday is Saturn's Day. The Lord of Saturn in Hinduism is Shani. The Romans identified their God Saturn with the Greek God Cronos.

Comments

  1. UnknownTuesday, 11 June, 2013

    the days are ruled by planets hence why the names are after them. Betul Sharm!!!

    ReplyDelete

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