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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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Can Devatas of Grand Temples Also Be Kula Devatas?

 


Picture Credit Trip Advisor


Can Devatas of grand temples such as Palani Murugan, Kanchi Kamakshi or Tirupati Balaji also be kula devatas of modern day Hindu families?

There are two possible scenarios.

Scenario 1

Some families migrated from distant lands and settled down in the area around the temple. They become devotees of the devata. After several generations, they lost touch with their original roots and forget their actual kula devata. They adopt the devata of this temple as their kula devata and continue this worship for many generations up to present.

Scenario 2

Many grand temples are large and were built as per the rules of Tantra (Agama) shastra. However, there is a possibility that some of these temples were once humble shrines that existed under sacred trees. The name of the place and even the name of the devata may have changed over time. The surrounding area would have once been a forest before agriculture and urbanization happened. Only few families would have worshipped the devata before all these happened. The devata would have been the kula devata of these families before the shrine was renovated into a larger Agamic temple and opened its doors to public.

Therefore, it is always important to check the history of the family as well as the history of the temple to confirm if it is also a kula devata. 

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