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Showing posts from August, 2019

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 SriVidya Connection of Madurai

Kadamba tree near West Gopuram of Meenakshi Temple Picture Credit: S. James In Hinduism, the worship of the Divine Mother Goddess is known as Saktham. Among the various schools in Saktham, one is known as SriVidya.  In the SriVidya tradition, the supreme goddess is called Lalita TripuraSundari. She is also called Kameswari. In Kancheepuram, she is worshiped as Kamakshi. The goddess Varaahi serves as her Chief Commander. Matangi is her Prime Minister. Together the trio of Lalita, Matangi and Varaahi represents Icha, Jnana and Kriya Sakthis. In Madurai, the goddess Matangi is worshipped as Meenakshi. As Ngana Sakthi, she represents represents speech and wisdom. This is why she has a parrot. In Hinduism, parrot symbolizes speech. Matangi is also known as Shyamala or RajaShyamala.  The word Shyamala refers to her dark green complexion like that of an emerald stone. Hence she is called as Marakatha Syama (marakatham = emerald).  One of the man...
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Should India Relocate Its Capital to Nagpur?

Nagpur in India The present location of India's capital, New Delhi, has resulted in a considerable bias towards northern regions in terms of development and decision-making within the country. Moreover, its geographical proximity to Pakistan and China raises security concerns. To address these issues, a prudent approach for the Indian government could be the contemplation of relocating the capital to a more centralized and strategically advantageous location. Nagpur: A Favourable Contender Nagpur emerges as an ideal candidate for India's new capital city owing to several compelling factors. Formerly the geographic center of undivided India, Nagpur retains historical significance and now stands as one of the world's fastest-growing cities with an approximate population of 2.5 million. Notably, the Oxford Economic report for the 2019-35 period ranks Nagpur at an impressive #5 globally, underscoring its robust economic potential. Strategic Advantages of Nagpur's Central L...
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The Benefit of Romanising Tamil Writing

Tamil language was written in several older scripts before it was written using the present day Tamil script. Personally, I prefer the Romanised version, the ISO15919. Some benefits of Romanising the Tamil writing: 1. The switch from Abugida to Alphabet system also means that less letters will be needed. 2. We only need a maximum of 36 letters to write in Tamil without errors and with accurate pronunciation. Presently used traditional Tamil script. The Sanskrit syllables are represented using Grantha script. In total, a person needs to memorize not less than 216 unique letters to write in Tamil using this script. Using Romanised Tamil, a person only needs 36 letters as shown in the green boxes to write every sound combination that exist in Tamil language! This even includes the Sanskrit sounds. 3. It will be a lot more easier to learn the writing as most of us are familiar with the existing Roman (Latin) alphabets. A person ne...
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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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