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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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The Origin of The Sailendra Dynasty

The Sri Vijayan empire of South East Asia was once a superpower of the region. They controlled over 24,000 islands. This was once a very successful maritime empire.  Prior to the establishment of Srivijaya, there were other kingdoms such as Tarumanegara and Kutei. Many of these kingdoms were influenced by Indian kingdoms such as the Pallavas and Kalingas. The people of the kingdom were local natives. This includes the royalties. But there were intermarriages with the people and royalties of India. The Sri Vijayan empire was first mentioned by the Chinese traveller I-Tsing in 671 AD. The earliest record referring to the Sailendra dynasty in Indonesia are in inscriptions. It has a mix of Sanskrit, Javanese and Old Malay. The oldest reference to the Sailendra dynasty in Indonesia is the Sojomerto Inscription dated around late 7th century AD to early 9th century AD. This is the oldest proof of the Sailendra dynasty in Sri Vijaya.  The earlier Chinese (671 AD) record a...
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Chora Man Dakini - The Spirit of The Sword

A dancing Dakini The Patriot team explained that the word Chura comes from Sanskrit Kshurapatnam referring to blade. They also said that Kshura could be an abbreviation of blade later morphed in Chura.  The commonly accepted theory for the sword in Malaysia is Blade from Mandakini which the Patriots also agree with.  I would like to present more evidence that the sword is actually a representation of a Dakini as mentioned in my first article on this topic. Dakinis are female spirits. They are known in both Hinduism and Buddhism. One aspect of religious practice which is common for both of these two Dharmic religion is Tantra. The word Tantra has its own meaning. I have previously explained the Hindu point of view in my article. Here is the link http://sharmalanthevar.blogspot.my/2014/03/tantra-more-than-just-sex.html Both Hinduism and Buddhism have dozens of common deities. There are also various schools within this two Dharmic religion. The form of Hinduism or B...
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Chora Man Dakini - The Sword of The Cholas

Please read these 2 articles before proceeding. It will give you the needed basic understanding.  The Perak Coronation Address  (click)  The Meaning of Chola  (click) Yesterday, I made the above announcement in Facebook: I was actually refering to the royal sword of Perak. This sword belonged to the Chola dynasty and I will explain about it.  The sword is known as Chura Si Manja Kini, Chora Mandakini, Chora Man Dakini, Chora Samanda Kian, Chora Sa Mendang Kian.  Some say that it is Churiga Si Mandakini and claims that it means The Blade From Mandakini in Sanskrit. Mandakini is a river in Uttar  Pradesh.  If we were to check its language structure, it will not be possible to construct such phrase in Sanskrit as the  word Si and Churiga has no proper meaning when combined in such way.  Furthermore, it also has no meaning in the Malay language. I am of the opinion that it is Chora-Man-Dakini and pronounced as Choraman Da...
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The Meaning of Chola

Picture Credit Nara  Among the various empires of South India, it is perhaps the Cholas who were the most popular. The Cholas were known since the days of Ramayana. Together with the Pandyas and Cheras, they are part of the oldest dynasties which formed the trinity in the Tamil land. According to inscriptions, Chola was also written as Sora or Chora. The plural form being Sorar or Chorar. In Telugu, R is replaced with D, hence they are known as Choda. Indian History, 26th edition  by V.K Agnihotri (Chief Editor) There was a branch of Cholas in Andhra. This is a result of intermarriage between the Cholas and the feudal families in Guntur which happened during the time of Karikala Chola. So that family remained there as Telugu Chodas. There are many references to them in Andhra. The Mauryan emperor Ashoka mentioned the Cholas as Choda in his rock edicts. The Greek writer, Ptolemy called them Sorai in his book about India. Sorai is a corruption of Sorar. T...
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Matahari - The Eye of Vishnu

Vishnu Our Sun is known as Matahari in the Malay language. Many Malaysians and Indonesians use this word daily but they don't know its origins. The Malay people call the eye as Mata. It has the same meaning in Polynesia and the Philipines.  Hari is a Sanskrit word which means Vishnu. Hari also means a day in the Malay language. There is a Hindu connection. The Malays have many art form. One of it is the Wayang Wong of Johor. The coming of Vishnu in the form of sunrise is portrayed in the Wayang Wong. I have attached some evidence to show that the Malays equate the Matahari to Vishnu. Remember this the next time you say Matahari. Sinkritisme dalam Wayang Wong Johor (Penerbit USM)  by Mohd Kipli Abdul Rahman Pengantar Sejarah Kebudayaan Indonesia 2 by R. Soekmon
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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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