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Showing posts from November, 2023

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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Faithful Inquiry: The Art of Choosing Religion with Purpose

Image Copyright: Virtos Media In the tapestry of human existence, our beliefs play a crucial role in shaping our identity and guiding our actions. Often, we find ourselves born into a religious order, influenced by familial and communal ties that mold our cultural perspectives. Conformity to these norms can be a powerful force, as deviating from them may mark us as outsiders. However, it is essential for individuals to scrutinize their beliefs, as blindly adhering to or choosing a religion without introspection can hinder personal growth and understanding. Faith has accompanied humanity since its earliest days, evolving as a response to the mysteries of existence that eluded scientific comprehension. Across diverse cultures, similar deities emerged to explain natural phenomena, such as sky deities, rain deities, mountain deities, and creators often referred to as Gods. Questions about life beyond death led to the formulation of afterlife concepts like reincarnation, judgment, hell, and
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The Deepavali Dilemma: To Padayal or Not to Padayal?

For illustration purpose only. Credit: Ravindran John Smith. Deepavali, a significant Hindu festival, is swiftly approaching, with preparations underway. As the festivities draw near, I extend my warm wishes to all my readers for a joyous Deepavali celebration with their loved ones. In the Malaysian Hindu community, predominantly consisting of Tamils, a time-honored custom referred to as "paṭaiyal" (also spelled as padayal) is observed on the eve of Deepavali. This traditional ceremony involves presenting food as a gesture of reverence and remembrance for departed ancestors. It is possible that this ritual's origins trace back to early societies visiting the graves of deceased family members. Nevertheless, given that the majority of Hindus opt for cremation rather than burial for their departed loved ones, the practice may have initially revolved around the veneration of the "kulateyvam" (family deity) and the "kāvalteyvam" (guardian deity), rather tha
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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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