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Showing posts from April, 2015

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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The Science Behind Tamil Calendar

This article is written in such way so that those with no prior knowledge in astronomy understands it. There are actually more information which have been left out as it could confuse the readers. Click the link below to read the previous article relevant to this topic: http://sharmalanthevar.blogspot.com/2013/03/tamil-new-year-date.html The Tamil people follow the Sidereal Solar Calendar. A sidereal year is the time it takes for Earth to orbit the Sun with respect  to Zodiacs and also the time the Sun takes to return to the same position with respect to these Zodiacs. The Zodiacs are actually  a set of fixed stars in the sky.  The imaginary black circle around the Sun is known as the Ecliptic. Although Earth orbits the Sun in red circle, it does not follow a horizontal line.  The Earth is actually tilted by 23.5 degrees.  The points where the Earth's orbit touches the Ecliptic is known as Equinox. There are two Equinox.  The first Equinox ...
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Movie Review - Komban (2015)

(SPOILER ALERT!) I watched the much anticipated "controversial" Tamil movie, Komban, few hours ago.  Unlike what some caste based group like Puthiya Tamilagam  tried portraying, there is actually nothing controversial about this movie. Prior to its release in Tamil Nadu, Dr.Krishnasamy of the Pallar caste dominated Puthiya Tamilagam, filed a petition in the court seeking to ban this movie. Dr.Krishnasamy claimed that this movie will cause caste clashes to happen.  However, after watching this movie, I can boldly say that the protest is not based on any truth. It is clear that the protest was probably motivated by personal hatred. It was the same Dr.Krishnasamy who protested more than a decade ago and caused Kamal Hassan's Sandiyar to be renamed as Virumandi. There was also a protest by a lawyer named Mr.J.Anthony Livingston. He claimed that the movie insults the Nadar community. However, this is not true as there is no reference to the Nadars in the movie. Furt...
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Earlobe Stretching - Forgotten Culture of Tamil People

My father's eldest sister, Pichaiammal of Sivagangai district, Tamil Nadu.  She was born in the 1930s and is probably among the last of the few Tamil women (Maravar) who have stretched earlobes.  Culture changes according to time. U p to the previous generation, it was normal for Tamil women to practice earlobe stretching.  Usually, a girl will be given a pair of heavy pair of earrings by her parents just before her wedding. The heavy pair of earrings displays their wealth.  Some of these earrings weighs around 16 gram. These earrings are quite heavy and over the time, the weight stretches the earlobes. It is considered as a mark of beauty. Some also believe that the longer it stretches, the longer her life will be. A scene from Angkor Wat that shows two group of people involved in cock fighting. The ones on the left have stretched earlobes.  Source: http://www.oldworldwandering.com/ The earrings used by the Tamil women to stretch their ...
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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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