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Showing posts from September, 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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Balik Cina, India & Indonesia

Malaysia has the best of Asian cultures. Different types of people live here. Different roots, religion, language all in one country. There are also those with mixed parentage known as Eurasians. We call them Orang Serani. They have been living here for centuries as a result of intermarriages between the Portugese and Malays. The Orang Serani Whichever tribe, ethnic or religious group we belong to, we share the same citizenship, Malaysians. It is our citizenship which holds us together in this country. This citizenship is also what brings us closer when we bump into each other in a foreign country. But it looks like some do not appreciate it. Whoever you are, you should love your own tribe or race but you should also strive to bring people closer in the name of friendship. That is what we should be doing. But some of these racist bigots are much more interested to say "balik Cina, balik India, balik Indonesia". Why balik when we are all citizens of this country? We a...
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The Kelings

The word Keling has been used by the Malays (and Indonesians) for many centuries. Even today, the Malays of Malaysia use it to refer to the local Indian population. What is Keling? The word Keling is taken from the word Kalinga. Kalinga was a kingdom in the Indian subcontinent. It was located in the present day state of Orissa.  Orissa changed its name to Odisha as of 4 November 2011. The kingdom of Kalinga was once very powerful. It was even mentioned in the Mahabaratha. Kalinga established maritime trade with southeast asia. Settlers from Kalinga also opened up colonies in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Maldives and the Malay archipelago. Ships from Kalinga arrived in large numbers in the southeast asian ports. It then became common for the local Malays to refer to anyone from the Indian subcontinent as Keling. India was even called as Benua Keling (Continent of Kalinga) in ancient times. However, not all Indians were Kelings. This is because there were many independent...
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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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