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Showing posts from August, 2019

Manabharana Is Not Malay (Manabharana Bukan Melayu)

In recent times, an alarming narrative has emerged within the Malaysian blogosphere, suggesting a historical event that appears to be a misinterpretation or perhaps a deliberate misinformation campaign. The claim revolves around a so called Malay prince named Manabharana from Srivijaya, purportedly attacking and conquering the Chola kingdom. This misleading story has gained traction and is spreading like wildfire across various social media platforms. The need to address and rectify such inaccuracies is crucial not only for the sake of historical accuracy but also for fostering a responsible and informed online community. To delve into the matter, it is essential to clarify that historical records reveal the existence of multiple individuals named Manabharana throughout history. However, a nuanced understanding reveals that all these figures were Tamils (Damila) hailing from the Pandya kingdom, with references to their exploits documented in Tamil inscriptions and Sri Lankan chronicles
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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 many names of Matangi
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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 Nadu-K
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How To Find Your Kula Deivam?

*DISCLAIMER-Article written from a believer's perspective.  One of the most common questions I get from my readers is  "How do I find my Kula Deivam?" Kula Deivam is the patron deity of your lineage. Some families have more than 1 deity.  The easiest way to know your Kula Deivam is of course by knowing the ancestral village of your patrilineal lineage (father's side).  Usually the Kula Deivam shrines will be in the ancestral village. If the family has migrated to several villages, then the shrine will usually be in the main village where the family originated from. Knowing your caste or clan background is also helpful in finding out more about your Kula Deivam. For females, they have an advantage. They also inherit the Kula Deivam from their matrilineal lineage (mother's side). So if you are a woman, your mother's Kula Deivam (from her mother) will continue to be present throughout your life. If you are married, your husband's Kula Deivam (from
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