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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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Hinduism Did Not Originate From Islam

Recently, a Malaysian author has published a book as shown in the first image above. The book is in Malay language. The author's opinion can also be accessed at  http://pts.com.my/berita/Bukti-ISLAM-Agama-tertua-dan-Sebab-Muncul-Pelbagai-Agama/  According to this author, the major religions like Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and even Sikhism originated from Islam. The author has a theory that the founding father of these religions is Abraham who is also revered as a prophet by the Jews and Christians.  Islam, Christianity and Judaism have its roots in Abraham, hence they are collectively called as the Abrahamic Religions.  But I disagree that Hinduism and its offshoots came from Abraham.  The author claims that the Vedas were created as a result of Abraham's teachings. He also mentioned that Abraham lived in 2080 BC.  Is this true? The Abrahamic religions have several text. The book known as Torah, predates the Old Testame...
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The Mysterious European Statue In Brihadeeswara Temple

Please view the video above before reading further. Turn on the audio. You can also click on Ancient Indian Sculptures show International Connections - Brihadeeswarar Temple  There is a sculpture of a European man carved on the gopuram (tower)  of Thanjavur's Brihadeeswara temple. Some people believe that king Rajaraja Chola had international contact with Europe and this is why there is such sculpture on the temple. I don't know if Rajaraja had any European contact but I doubt this was made by the Cholas. If you look at the sculpture it is flanked by a pair of female attendants. Usually, female attendants are used for female deities and male attendants for male deities.  So it is quite odd that the Cholas considered to use female attendants for a male European figure. This is the first hint we get indicating that the European image was not made by the Chola sculptors of the 11th century AD.  It was perhaps done under the orders of a British offic...
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Why Tamil Barbers Don't Work on Tuesdays?

Picture Credit Malaysia Daily The Tamil barbers are called Ambattar, Navidar or even Pariyari. They are also called Maruthuvar which carries the same meaning as "doctor" or "medical practitioner".  This is because the Tamil barbers also served as surgeons during ancient times. Some are still involved with native medicinal practices especially massages. If you have a bad sprain or a stiff neck, the Tamil barber is probably the best person who can fix it for you. In the past, the Tamil barbers will not work on Tuesdays. Their shops will be closed. But nowadays they no longer do this. The shops will be opened every day. Why was there a tradition of not working on Tuesdays? Tuesday is the day of Mars (Chevvai). As per Hindu tradition (also Greeks & Romans) Mars is associated with fights, quarrels, wars and anything aggressive. This is why the God of War, Muruga and his mother Durga are worshipped on this day.  It is believed that anyth...
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Kabali - What Malaysians Need to Know

SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE MOVIE. ALSO, IF YOU ARE GOING TO GET EMOTIONAL AND NOT THINK OUT OF THE BOX, DON'T BOTHER READING THIS. THERE ARE OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS BLOG WHICH MAY INTEREST YOU. As expected, Kabali was received well worldwide. Rajini fans particularly those in Malaysia are very excited about this movie. They believe that PA Ranjith did an excellent work by telling the story of the Indians in Malaysia. On a personal note, I think Rajini should do more films which shows him as an aged man. It suits him better. Just like what Amitabh Bachan is doing. An aged don Rajini certainly looks better than the young Rajini in Kuselan or Lingga. Many reviewers from India have stated that Kabali is a Dalit story and not just about the Indians in general. However, the reviewers in Malaysia seem to disagree with it as they believe that there is no caste stereotype in the movie. Unknown to the Malaysian fans, the Indian reviewers were not...
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Muruga & Naga Worship

Muruga or Skanda is the God of war for the Hindus. He is the general of the Devas. Hence he is also known as DevaSenapathi. Muruga's mother is Durga,  the Goddess of war and also victory. The Tamils call her Kotravai. Muruga has many names. Each name has its own meaning. One of it is Subramanya. MahaPeriyava mentioned that Subrahmanya also known as Subbarayadu in Telugu region refers to serpents or nagas. In the state of Karnataka, there is a temple called Kukke Subramanya temple. In this temple, Muruga is worshipped as the Lord of Serpents. This is something uncommon for many Hindus especially the Tamils. Kukke Subramanya However, even in Tamil Hindu temples, he is indirectly worshipped as the Lord of Serpents. It is just that we do not realise it. Do you notice that there is often a separate shrine under the arasamaram (Sacred Fig) in our temples? Do you also notice that in this shrine, the statue of Vinayagar is often paired up with a statue of naga? There is...
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Why Must There Be Vedas, Agamas and Puranas?

Shiva as Dakshinamurti, teaching the Sanatkumaras after crushing the Ego under his foot. The Hindu scriptures can be classified in many ways. What is more important is that we understand the essence of these scriptures. It is also important to know the difference between the various types of scriptures. If the scriptures share the same root and same message, why do they exist in different forms? Why must there be Puranas if there are already Vedas? If Vedas are revelation of non-human origin, why must there be another scripture of non-human origin known as the Agamas ? Isn't it redundant to have too many scriptures?  To answer these questions, I will summarise it according to contemporary perspective. We know 1 + 1 = 2, 5 x 9 = 45 or 9/3 = 3. This is basic Maths. It can be further expanded into equations such as the ones we see in Trigonometry, Tan A = Opposite/Adjacent = a/b = a/c X c/b = (a/c)/(b/c) = Sin A/Cos A. This can get even more complicated. We also know t...
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Tamil New Year - What Year Is It?

Picture Credit: huffingtonpost In my previous two articles on Tamil New Year, I wrote about the two types of solar calendar, the myth of Tamil calendar starting in Thai instead of Chitra, the 60 years cycle and the science of the calendar itself. I even explained in detailed why the Tamil Calendar starts on 1 Chitra. You can read both articles at the following links. Tamil New Year Date The Science Behind Tamil Calendar Today I will explain about another important matter. The Dravidian ideologist claim that the present calendar followed by Tamils is not suitable because the years do not have a numeric value. They claim that only the Tiruvalluvar Calendar has a numeric value. So according to them, the Gregorian Year 2016 AD is Tiruvalluvar Year 2047 because they claim that Tiruvalluvar was born in 31 BC. But as explained in my previous articles, there is no evidence to show that Tiruvalluvar was born in 31 BC.  So we cannot assume.  Furthermore, Tamil civilization...
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Penang Thaipusam & The Chettiars

A Malaysian Indian politician based in Penang recently expressed his unhappiness over the Chettiar community for dominating the Thaipusam celebration in Penang.  The points raised by the politician is highlighted in Red . My comments will be in the usual White. I have also included some supporting documents. So after you read the comments, scroll down to view the attachments. You can then judge if that politician should have said such things. Chettiars, an exclusive caste group? There is growing resentment amongst ordinary Indians in Penang that the Chettiars of the Sri Balathandayathabani (Murugan) temple, Waterfall Road, Penang, should cease organising the annual Thaipusam silver chariot procession. Public donations from this procession are meant for their own sub-caste or sub-community! We have no evidence to support any allegations that the Chettiars are using public funds for their own caste purpose. If there is evidence, then it should be taken up lega...
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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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