Skip to main content

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
Post a Comment

Jallikattu Is India's National Heritage

Jallikattu is a bull-taming or bull-embracing sport practised in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. Although this sport is practiced mainly by people from the Mukkulathor community, it is participated by everyone irrespective of communal or religious background in Tamil Nadu. Jallikattu is the pride of the Tamil people. It has now become the symbol of Tamil unity.

 This sport originated in the Indus Valley civilisation about 4,000 years ago. According to the famous ephigraphist, Iravatham Mahadevan, a well preserved seal was found at Mohenjodaro in the 1930s. This seal shows a Jallikattu scene with a charging bull and several men thrown in the air as they try to control it.


Even in Hindu scriptures, there has been mentions of Krishna taming bulls. Most of these bull tamers or as we call today, Jallikattu players, come from martial communities in southern Tamil Nadu. 

 In ancient times, those who were capable of being bull tamers were selected in the army of the kings. This is because the courage and skills displayed in Jallikattu is what exactly the army needed for its military raids. The act of stealing the enemy's cattle is the first act of provocation during war in ancient India.  

 Although today the sport is not needed by the Indian army, it still plays an important role in our culture. Since only native bulls are used in Jallikattu, it helps to ensure that the native breeds are preserved. 

 Jallikattu's connection with Indus Valley civilisation, Krishna and ancient Indian warfare shows that this sport is the identity of not just Tamil Nadu but the whole of India which sees the Indus Valley civilisation as its mother civilisation. 

 The people of Tamil Nadu are the last society in India to preserve this sport. It has either been abandoned or forgotten by other Indians but continued to survive because of the Tamil people's determination. 

 Jallikattu should be revived all over India. It must become a national sport conducted in a professional manner. Let there be arenas built all over India for the purpose of conducting Jallikattu. If that happens, it will create opportunities for tournaments or leagues to be held just like for cricket.

 For this to happen, the ban on Jallikattu must be lifted immediately. Every Indian must stand in solidarity with the people of Tamil Nadu. They are the last guardians of this ancient sport.

 This is India's national heritage. Not just Tamil Nadu heritage. 
Lets not kill it. Lets save Jallikattu!

 PETA and its sympathisers can keep their opinion to themselves.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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
103 comments
Read more

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
92 comments
Read more

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
18 comments
Read more