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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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Dr.S.Jayabarathi - A Living Legend


Dr.S.Jayabarathi during his younger days
I am fortunate to say that I am among the few youngsters in this country who have met the genius Dr.S.Jayabarathi. I still keep in touch with him over the phone.

 It was back in 2008 when we first interacted. I had a query regarding the Panchakshra NaMaSiVaYa and he called me to explain over the telephone. Our friendship kicked started from there.

 Fondly known as DrJaybee, he was born to the late Sinnamuthu Pillai and Alagurethinam Ammal. He comes from a family of geniuses and aristocrats. His father knew India's freedom fighter, Subash Chandra Bose.

 He is 73 this year and I am turning 30. Being much younger than him, I have always considered him as one of my elderly uncles. Both our ancestors came from Sivagangai, a district known for its martial past. 

 Dr.Jaybee's web articles can be found at the following links:

 https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/agathiyar/info
http://www.treasurehouseofagathiyar.net/index.html 
https://www.facebook.com/drjaya.barathi
http://jaybeesnotebook.blogspot.com/
http://kadaaramweb.blogspot.com/
http://kadaaramnet.blogspot.com/
http://jaybeetrident.blogspot.com/
http://www.skandaweb.visvacomplex.com/
http://www.visvacomplex.com/
http://www.chandraweb.net/

 Although a medical doctor by profession, DrJaybee is also well versed in ancient Tamil literature, the Vedas and Agamas. He is also a Historian. It was DrJaybee who discovered the lost city of Ariviyur back in India. 

 He has also done extensive research on ancient Malay civilizations. The good old Dr is also well versed in Music and Arts. There are many things which he knows. This is why he is addressed as The Grandmaster.

 It is quite sad to learn that scholars like him are not appreciated in a country like Malaysia. The Hindu and Tamil organisations of this country have not done much to publish his works. 

 I hope that things will turn out better. The world needs to know that Malaysia has a genius.

 Please read the following article which was published by The Star on Saturday, 30 September 2006.

Forecasts come true for Tamil scholar

LITTLE did Tamil scholar Dr S. Jayabarathi know that the predictions of sages in India would turn out to be true for him.  

The sages told him that he was destined to work with ancient relics and metaphysics. He was then pursuing a medical degree in south India in the 1960s. 
”I met with some sages and scholars (in India) who stressed that my destiny was not simple,” said the former Sungai Petani hospital director. 
INTEREST IN ANCIENT RELICS: Dr Jayabarathi reading his favorite book.  
“I was to collect, analyse, research, document and preserve heritage things to be passed on to the future generation.” 
He has spent the past 45 years doing research on Indian relics, metaphysics, cosmology, ancient Indian medicine and plastic surgery, with special interest in history and Tamil mysticism. 
Affectionately known as Jay-bee, Dr Jayabarathi, 65, has written 9,000 postings on Tamil culture, literature, religion, arts, science and tradition in his website, TreasureHouse of Agathiyar @ yahoo.com. 
He has authored two books – ‘JayBee in the Internet’ and ‘Naadi Jothidam’ (a Tamil book on astrology). 
He is also a linguist, painter, poet and musician. 
MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu recently honoured him with ‘The Grand Master of Tamil in Kedah’ award. 
After retiring in 1996, Dr Jayabarathi studied the artifacts found among the ruins of the lost kingdom in Bujang Valley in Merbok near Sungai Petani. 
An authority in Shakthi worship (Shakti means goddess in the Hindu pantheon) and certain aspects of Tamil history, Dr Jayabarathi hails from a long line of scholars, artistes and musicians.  
“My father, K.Sinnamuthu, was a social reformist and authored a Tamil book ‘Kadavulin Unmai Thotram’ (True Revelations of God),” he said.  
“I have about 5,000 books, including some rare ones, in my collection,” he added. 
Keen on archaeology, Dr Jayabarathi discovered an ancient township of a merchant community while at the medical college in South India. This was widely reported in the Indian press. 
His son Suganandha Bharathi, 36, graduated from Indian Institute of Technology from Kanpur, North India, and is now a scientific officer at Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (Aimst) in Sungai Petani, Kedah. 
His daughter Alagurethina Bairavi, 33, is an Information Technology graduate from southern Australia and a former Stamford College lecturer in Kuala Lumpur.  
On whether his children share his passion for research, he said: “Their interests are in their respective fields. But I do not want them to be like me.” 
“I am saying this because the public generally shun people like me whom they consider to very peculiar,” he said. 
He said his wife, J. Chandra, 58, had always inspired him to continue his research. 
On plans to write other books, he said: “I have plans for 22 more on metaphysics, cosmology, ancient Indian medicine and plastic surgery.” 
He said he was in midst of creating a new website ‘Jaybee’s Viswacomplex.com’ which would act as a huge database with interlinking sites containing various topics and articles mainly on Indian studies.  

UPDATE
Dr.S.Jayabarathi passed away in the morning of 2 June 2015 leaving behind a legacy for the Tamil community.

Comments

  1. MuthuSaturday, 19 April, 2014

    Thanks for sharing this article. Hope Dr.JayBee's ideas get turned into books soon for the benefit of mankind in generaland Tamils in particular.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownTuesday, 01 December, 2015

    I had met Dr jayabharati in his house and he also invited us to stay in his house as we were travelling hare krishna monks. He had a whole selection of books. This was around 1988. I was a very young monk that time and we had very nice discussion with him asking why I became a monk etc. I cooked vegetarian krishna prasadam in his house and he also partook. I was that time travelling with ISKCON Malaysia President HH Bhakti Vrajendranandana Swami Maharaja.

    ReplyDelete
  3. DrThirunyana kumarSaturday, 06 February, 2021

    is there any where i can meet him

    ReplyDelete

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