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Tag: Pandyas

  • Ramayana Sugreeva To Hanuman Describes Tamil Chera Chola Pandya Kingdoms

    Ramayana Sugreeva To Hanuman Describes Tamil Chera Chola Pandya Kingdoms

    Some time back there was a comment for one of my articles that there is no reference to Tamil Kings and Tamil Kingdoms in the Valmiki Ramayana. nd that I am making this up only to make Tamil and Tamils look ancient!
    Funny that it was nade by a gentleman in/from Tamil Nadu!

    Readers of Ramanis blog are aware that I do not promote or align my self to any language or region and I present facts as available in Indian and reliable foreign texts.

    The purpose of Ramanis blog is to get rid vof the misinformation spread over thecpast few cetuiries about India and Sanatana Dharma and to clear the cobwebs about Hinduism that had crept in because of not referring to original sources including Vedas , Puranas and Ithihasas.

    It is also aimed at sourcing ancient languages of India,Sanskrit , Tamil Brahmi texts along with other world languages cultures and Religion.

    I am aware that the other languages of India are also ancient have  vast information.

    I shall take them up too.

    These two languages have been taken up because I know something about these.

    Now the Tamil Kingdoms of Chera, Chola and Pandyas are described by Sugreeva to Hanuman and Angadason of Vaali, when Sugreeva directs them to routes to be taken by themthe places to search for Sita, who was kidnapped by Ravana.

    These verses appear in the Valmiki Ramayana.

    I am providing the text of slokas and translation hereunder.

    Valmiki Ramayana,Sundarakanda, Slokas 1 to 49.

    ‘Sugreeva sends Vanara-s to southward which troop includes Hanuma, Jambavanta, Niila and others and Angada is its leader. Sugreeva gives a vivid picture of the southern side of Jambu dviipa up to the south-most part of passable regions, next to which the abode of Yama, the Terminator is there. This troop is also given one month’s time to find the whereabouts of Seetha.

    tathaa vangaan kalingaam ca kaushikaan ca sama.ntataH |
    anviikSya daNDaka araNyam sa parvata nadii guham || 4-41-11
    nadiim godaavariim caiva sarvam eva anupashyata |
    tathaiva aandhraan ca puNDraan ca colaan paaNDyaan keralaan || 4-41-12

    11, 12. tathaa= like that; vangaan kalingaam ca=, Vanga, Kalinga [kingdoms,] also; sam antataH= verily, at its fringes; available; kaushikaan ca= Kaushika [territories,] also; you search and then; sa parvata nadii guham daNDaka araNyam = with, mountains, rivers, Dandaka, forest, caves; anviikSya= on seeing – on searching Dandaka; godaavariim nadiim caiva= Godavari, river, also, thus; tathaiva= like that; aandhraan ca= Andhra territory; puNDraan ca colaan paaNDyaan keralaan= Pundra, Chola, Paandya, Kerala [provinces]; sarvam eva= all of them; anu pashyata= closely, see – make a through search.

    “Like that Vanga, Kalinga territories shall be searched along with Kaushika territories available on their fringes, then cast about the Dandaka forest all over its mountains, rivers, and its caves, then River Godavari that courses through Dandaka forest, and then the provinces of Andhra, Pundra, Chola, Paandya, Kerala are to be searched thoroughly. [4-41-11, 12]

    Some other mms have Matsya desha in this verse instead of the Vanga desha. The Vanga is the present day Bengal and this territory retained its epical name, but while pronouncing it becomes banga because the Sanskrit grammar allows to pronounce or write va as ba by the rule va ba yoH abhedaH and thus it is called Baangla or Bengal as British used to call. Kaushika in some other mms is read as kaashika. Kalinga is Orissa which touches Bengal at its north, and it is the Kie-ling-kia as said by Huet Tsang.

    The Andhra is the present day Andhra Pradesh and Chola is the present Tamil Nadu, especially northern area, and Pundra is roughly in between Andhra and Chola. Paandya is south-most area where in Kanyakumari district the Cape Camorin is there, and Kerala is the present Kerala state from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. Its historical name was chera raajya and in Ashoka’s time, it was called kerala putra.

    ayomukhaH ca ga.ntavyaH parvato dhaatu maNDitaH |
    vicitra shikharaH shriimaan citra puSpita kaananaH || 4-41-13
    suca.ndana vanoddesho maargitavyo mahaagiriH |

    13, 14a. dhaatu maNDitaH= with ores, crowded with; vi citra shikharaH= verily, amazing, with crests; shriimaan= prosperous [mountain]; citra puSpita kaananaH = motley, flowered, with forests; such a; ayaH mukhaH parvataH= iron, mouths, mountain – a mountain having iron-ore mines in the shape of mouths, namely Mt. Malaya]; gantavyaH= reachable – you shall go to; su candana vanaat deshaH= best, sandalwood trees, with copses, places; mahaa giriH maargitavyaH = great mountain, is to be searched.

    “You shall go to the prosperous Mt. Malaya which is crowded with iron-ore mines as its vast mouths, and with amazing crests and motley flowered forests. Search shall be carried out on that great mountain in the places that are with the copses of sandalwood trees. [4-41-13, 14a]

    This Mountain is also called Agastyamalai and it is in Western Ghats from which River Tamraparni emerges.

    tataH taam aapagaam divyaam prasanna salilaashayaan || 4-41-14
    tatra drakSyatha kaaveriim vihR^itaam apsaro gaNaiH |

    14b, 15a. tataH= from there; divyaam= divine one; prasanna salila ashayaan= limpid, waters, receptacle of; apsaraH gaNaiH vihR^itaam = by apsara, throngs, make pleasure-trips; taam kaaveriim= her, Kaveri; aapa gaam= water, flowing [river]; tatra drakSyatha = there, you shall see.

    “From there you shall go and see the divine River Kaaveri there, a receptacle of limpid waters, to where throngs of apsara-s will be making pleasure-trips. [4-41-14b, 15a]

    The River Kaaveri is the best river in southern peninsula of India that flows from Braham Giri Mountains in Coorg of Western India to the East draining in Bay of Bengal and irrigating a major chunk of land. Many legends are associated with this river, of which one is that when Sage Agastya was bringing waters of River Ganga, they sprinkled from his kamandulau, the handy water-vessel, and flooded like Kaaveri. The original Tamil name is kakaviri where kaakam is ‘crow…’ viri ‘spread out…’ When Agastya is bringing water it sprinkled from his handy vessel and flooded the kaa ‘the garden…’ in Tamil, the garden of Indra. Then it is called kaaviri, but Shilpadikkaaram records its name as Kaaveri only pulavoy vazhi kaaveri… nadanthai vazhi kaaveri…

    tasya aasiinam nagasya agre malayasya mahojasam || 4-41-15
    drakSyatha aaditya sa.nkaasham agastyam R^iSi sattamam |

    15b, 16a. mahaa ojasam= highly resplendent [mountain]; tasya malayasya nagasya agre = of that, Mt. Malaya, mountain, on the top of it; aasiinam= who is sitting; aaditya sankaasham= Sun, in similarity; R^iSi sattamam agastyam drakSyatha= Sage, the eminent, Agastya, you shall see.

    “You shall see the eminent sage Agastya, whose resplendence is akin to that of the Sun, and who will be sitting on the top of that highly resplendent Mt. Malaya. [4-41-15b, 16a]

    saa candana vanaiH citraiH pracChannaa dviipa vaariNii || 4-41-17
    kaantaa iva yuvatii kaantam samudram avagaahate |

    17b, 18a. citraiH candana vanaiH = with amazing, sandalwood trees, copses; pracChannaa dviipa vaariNii= with overlapped, islands, water; saa= she [the river]; yuvatii= a young woman [Taamraparni]; kaantaa = one who is yearning for; kaantam iva= for whom she is yearning – her love, as with; samudram= to ocean; avagaahate = [she will be] rendezvousing.

    “She whose water is overlapped with amazing copses of sandalwood trees and islands that River Taamrapani will be drifting for a rendezvous with her much yearned lover, namely the ocean, as with a young woman who will be coursing to have a rendezvous with her yearned lover. [4-41-17b, 18a]

    tato hemamayam divyam muktaa maNi vibhuuSitam || 4-41-18
    yuktam kavaaTam paaNDyaanaam gataa drakSyatha vaanaraaH |

    18b, 19a. vaanaraaH= oh, vanara-s; tataH= from there; yuktam= joined to – braced to the wall of fortress; hemamayam divyam= full with gold, beautiful one; muktaa maNi vibhuuSitam= pearls, gemstones, decorated with; paaNDyaanaam kavaaTam= of Paandya [kingdom’s,] castle-door; gataaH= having gone there; drakSyatha= you shall see; search inside that gateway.

    “From there, on going to the Paandya Kingdome you shall see a fully golden castle-door bracing the compound-wall of the fortress, which is decorated with pearls and jewels, and conduct your search even in that kingdom. [4-41-18b, 19a]

    tataH samudram aasaadya sa.mpradhaarya artha nishcayam || 4-41-19
    agastyena antare tatra saagare viniveshitaH |
    citra saanu nagaH shriimaan mahendraH parvatottamaH || 4-41-20
    jaata ruupamayaH shriimaan avagaaDho mahaarNavam |

    19b, 20, 21a. tataH samudram aasaadya= then, [southern] ocean, on reaching; artha nishcayam sampradhaarya = purpose’s, resolve, on resolving; agastyena= by Agastya; tatra= there; saagare antare vi niveshitaH= in ocean, inside, verily, penned up [one end of mountain]; citra saanu nagaH= one with marvellous, terraces, trees; shriimaan mahendraH = glorious, Mt. Mahendra; parvata uttamaH= among mountains, best one; jaataruupamayaH= completely golden; shriimaan mahaa arNavam= august [Mt. Mahendra,] into great, ocean; avagaaDhaH= will be steeping in.

    “Then on reaching the southern ocean, and on taking a resolve with regard to the purpose of your task, viz., importance of the mission undertaken vis-à-vis your individual capacities to leap the ocean, you reach the glorious Mt. Mahendra. Sage Agastya once penned its one end in the ocean, and the other end is now visible. That august and best one among all mountains will be completely golden with marvellous terraces and trees, and it will be steeping into ocean on the other side of land, and this mountain becomes the jumping-off point for you vanara-s. [4-41-19b, 20, 21a]

    naanaa vidhaiH nagaiH phullaiH lataabhiH ca upashobhitam || 4-41-21
    deva R^iSi yakSa pravaraiH apsarobhiH ca sevitam |
    siddha caaraNa sa.nghaiH ca prakiirNam sumanoharam || 4-41-22
    tam upaiti sahasraakSaH sadaa parvasu parvasu |

    21b, 22, 23a. naanaa vidhaiH= numerous, sorts of; phullaiH nagaiH= with flowered, trees; lataabhiH ca upashobhitam= with climbers, also, glorified; deva R^iSi yakSa pravaraiH= by gods, sages, yaksha-s, important ones; apsarobhiH ca= by apsara-s, even; sevitam= adored; siddha caaraNa sanghaiH ca = by siddha-s, caarana, groups of, also; pra kiirNam= well, overspread; su manaH haram= truly, heart-stealing [for a look]; tam= it – to that mountain; sahasraakSaH= Thousand-eyed Indra; parvasu parvasu= on auspicious day, on auspicious day – on every auspicious day; sadaa = always – regularly; upaiti= he comes.

    “Mt. Mahendra is glorified with numerous kinds of flowered trees and climbers. Important gods, sages, yaksha-s and even apsara-s will adore it, and it is overspread with the groups of siddha-s and caarana-s, and thus it will be heart-stealing for a look. And the Thousand-eyed Indra will always be visiting that Mt. Mahendra on every auspicious day. [4-41-21b, 22, 23a]

    dviipaH tasya apare paare shata yojana visR^itaH || 4-41-23
    agamyo maanuSaiH diiptaH tam maargadhvam sama.ntataH |

    23b, 24a. tasya= its – Mt. Mahendra’s; apare paare= on the other, shore; shata yojana visR^itaH= hundred, yojana, in breadth; maanuSaiH= by humans; a + gamyaH = not, passable; diiptaH= a dazzling; dviipaH= island – is there; tam samantataH maargadhvam = that, till its fringes, you have to search.

    “There is a dazzling island on the other side of the shore of Mt. Mahendra, which is breadthwise a hundred yojana-s, and which is an impassable one for humans, and you have to search that island up to its fringes. [4-41-23b, 24a]

    This island on the other shore of the ocean is Ravana’s Lanka, and it is believed to be the present day Sri Lanka. That island’s association with River Taamraparni is as noted above.’

    Reference and citation.

    http://www.valmikiramayan.net/kishkindha/sarga41/kishkindha_41_frame.htm

  • Guruvayurappan Temple Built By Pandya King 5000 Years?

    Guruvayur is a famous temple of Lord Krishna in Kerala and is called as the Dwaraka of the South.

    The temple is referred to as having been a place of worship since 5000 years.

    Sri Guruvayurappan,Image.jpg
    Sri Guruvayurappan, Guruvayur, Kerala,India

    ”

    According to the legends, the idol worshipped here is more than 5000 years old. But there are no historical records to establish it. In the 14th century Tamil literature ‘Kokasandesam’, references about a place called Kuruvayur is made. As early as 16th century (50 years after the Narayaneeyam was composed) many references are seen about Kuruvayur. In ancient Dravidic, Kuruvai means sea, hence the village on the coast may be called Kuruvayur.

    But according to Prof. K V Krishna Iyer (eminent historian), the Brahmins had begun to come and settle at Kodungalloor during the period of Chandra Gupta Maurya ( 321-297 BC). Trikkunavay in the Guruvayur documents is the same as Thrikkanamathilakam or Mathilakam mentioned in the Dutch and British records. And this place was in between Guruvayur and Kodungalloor. Guruvayur was Trikkunavay’s subordinate shrine since they were destroyed by the Dutch in 1755. That way Guruvayur must have come into existence before 52 AD. The story of Pandyan King building a shrine here may be a reference to the Azhavars , but they are all silent in their writing about Guruvayur.’..

    The Temple is constructed B.C 3000(Around 5000 years oldest Temple) According to legends, the deity worshipped here is more than 5000 years old. But there are no historical records to establish it. In the 14th century, “Kokasandesam” (a Tamil literary work), references to a place called Kuruvayur are made. As early as the 16th century (fifty years after Narayaniyam was composed) many references to Kuruvayur are seen. In ancient Dravidian languages, “kuruvai” means “sea”, hence the village on the Malabar Coast may be called Kuruvayur. The earliest temple records date back to the 17th century. The earliest mention of the many important Vishnu temples of Kerala are found in the songs of Alwars,Tamil saints, whose time-line is not exactly fixed. Mamankam was a very famous local event at Tirunavaya, on the bank ofBharatappuzha. The battles between the Calicut under Zamorins and Valluvanad popularised Guruvayur Temple. Due to the prolonged battles, people across the riverbank started preferring Guruvayur. Even the Zamorin of Calicut become a devotee and thus his subjects followed him. The central shrine that see today is said to have been rebuilt in 1638 AD. “Viswabali” was performed later to propitiate all the spirits, good and bad. By the end of the 16th century Guruvayur had become the most popular pilgrimage centre in Kerala.

    Considering the evidence I have been able to unearth about Hinduism and its spread throughout the world, its scientific approach and the references made to it by Sanskrit and Tamil literature two of the oldest languages, I am unable to brush aside that Gurauvayur has been a place of worship for 5000 years aside.

    It is a fact that the Vedas do not advocate collective, group, community worship and no mention is found in them to the practice of building temples.

    However, after the advent of the Agamas, the Temple worship has begun.

    The Agamas  are dated behind Lord Krishna and Mahabharata, though there are references to the worship of Mother Goddess in the Mahabharata in small temples.

    How these temples could have been built and by whom?

    The ancient temple, as far as History goes in found in Saluvar Kuppam ,Pondicherry for Lord Subrahmanya, which is excavated.

    Most of the early temples of India have been built by Tamil Kings.

    If the Tamil Kings had to build temples they had to be conversant with the happenings in the North of India and should have been influenced by them.

    They have been a part of Sanatana Dharma.

    The Tamil King Perunchotru Udiyan Neduncherallathan provided food for the armies of the Kauravas and the Pandavas during the epic battle of Mahabharata.

    He allotted lands to Brahmins in lieu for them performing the Yagnyas daily.

    He also offered Tharpana for those soldiers who died in the war.

    Other Tamil Kings followed suit.

    There is also evidence that Lord Krishna attended the Tamil Sangam as an Invitee.

    He also married a Pandyan Princess , had a daughter through her and allotted Yadavas to serve her as a part of her dowry.

    ‘

    Ravana entered into a peace treaty with a Pandya King.

    Rig Veda and Puranas have references to pieces, Elephant Tusks,Gems, and Pearls being imported from Tamil Nadu /Dravida.

    Tamil Kings were present during the Swayamwar of Damayanthi, Sita, Draupadi, descriptions of the may be found in the Ramayana ,Mahabharata and the Puranas.

    I have some articles on this.

    During the Mahabharata Days the interaction between the South and the North were more intense and frequent than what it was during the Ramayana Period.

    Lord Krishna attended the Tamil Sangam,Conclave of Poets held at Kavatapuram.

    He was a special Invitee.

    “Krishna was known to Tamil lands even during his life time. He had been one of the esteemed guests at the 2nd Sangam assemblage that took place in Kavaatam, the then capital of the Pandyans. Kavaatam’s location can be deciphered from Shugreeva’s description of the trail to the South which he described to the vanaras in chapter 4-41-19a. That place was submerged around the time Byt Dwaraka was submerged.”

    Krishna married Nappinnai, a Pandyan Princess and had a Daughter Pandyahs, that’s how Megasthanes calls her.

    Krishna had his daughter married to a Pandya Prince and settled her near Madurai.

    For more Read here.

    The chances are that the Temple of Guruvayur having been built by a Tamil King, Krishna having been to the south and it could be a Tamil Pandya King who built the temple as Lord Krishna was the son-in-law of the Pandyas and his daughter was a Pandyan Princess.

    Scholars may look into this.

    Citation.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guruvayur_Temple

    http://www.guruvayurdevaswom.nic.in/htemple1.html

  • Tamil Kings In Mahabharata

    Tamil and Sanatana Dharma are so intermingled that one finds numerous references to The Tamils and  Tamil Kings in the Rig Veda, Ramayana, Mahabharata and other Puranas.

    Ramayana mahabharata Dynasty Chart. image.png
    Ramayana Mahabhrata Dynastie. Click to Enlarge.

    I have written quite a few articles on this.

    The Chola Kings trace their ancestry to the Solar Dynasty.,Surya Vamsa.

    Chera King Udiyan Cheralaathan fed both the Kaurava and Pandya armies.

    Krishna killed a Pandyan King(5:48)

    Chera and Chola Kings were defeated by Krishna (7:11)

    King Sarangathdwaja wanted to attack Dwaraka to avenge his father’s Death, the Pandya King,  after obtaining weapons from Bhisma, Drona, Balarama and Kripa.

    However wiser counsel prevailed and he dropped the idea.

    Later he fought alongside the side of the Pandavas against Drona(7:23).

    He was rated as an Athiratha by Bhishma( (5,172)

    When the mighty Pandya, that foremost of all wielder of weapons, has been slain in battle by the Pandavas, what can it be but destiny?(9:2)

    Pandya, who dwelt on the coast-land near the sea, came accompanied by troops of various kinds to Yudhishthira, the king of kings (5:19). There hath come Pandya. Remarkably heroic and endued with prowess and energy that have no parallel, he is devoted to the Pandava cause. (5:22).

    Pandya was  present during  the Rajasuya ceremony of Pandava King Yudhisthira.

     

    The Kings of Chera and Pandya, brought numberless jars of gold filled with fragrant sandal juice from the hills of Malaya, and loads of sandal and aloe wood from the Dardduras hills, and many gems of great brilliancy and fine cloths inlaid with gold.

    Singhalas gave those best of sea-born gems called the lapis lazuli, and heaps of pearls also, and hundreds of coverlets for elephants (2:51).(2:36,43).

    Draupadi Swayamvara.

    Pandya King took part in the  event Panchala princess Draupadi’s Swayamvara (MBh 1:189)

     

     

     

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  • Shiva Family Member Pandya King 3 BC Led Elephants Mahabharata

    The study of the epigraph found in Tamil Nadu give out a mine of information , not only of the Tamil Kings,Tamil Culture, but of the Sanatana dharma itself.

    One of the oldest epigraphy found at Chinnamanur, Tamil Nadu , the epigraph speak of the deeds of the early Pandya Kings.

    These Kings ruled between thrid Century BC to 1345.

    They refer to the Pandyan Kings s having descended from the Lunar Dynasty.

    Chinnamanur epigraph.jpg
    Chinnamanur Pplates, Tamil Nadu speaks of Tamil kings and Sanatana Dharma.

    * The image states , in Tamil, that the Pandya Kings /Poets conclave Tamil Sangam had established a separate shrine for the Poets in Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple and the Mahabharata was translated in Tamil

    They had two fishes as their emblem.

    Of fighting with Indra,

    Sage Agastya as their family Preceptor.

    Lord Shiva ss their Family member,

    Defeating Arjuna,

    These copper plates are in two languages.

    A Portion in Grantha Sanskrit and another Tamil’s earlier form Vattezuthu.

    Brahmi script is also found.

    ‘These are two of the four sets of Pandya copper plate grants discovered so far and are herein published for the first time.  The Velvikudi grant of Parantaka Nedunjadaiyan has been edited by me in the Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XVII, pp. 291 to 309 and the Madras Museum Plates of Jatilavarman, by the late Rai Bahadur V. Venkayya in the Indian Antiquary, Vol. XXII, pp. 57 to 75.  These four, studied together, furnish a genealogy of the Pandyas from the early king Kadungon, who is said to have flourished at the close of the first Sangam of Tamil poets, down to Rajasimha-Pandya the contemporary of the Chola king Parantaka I, who reigned at the commencement of the 10th century A.D.

    One of the Pandya kings is said to have occupied the throne of Indra (v. 4) and another to have shared it with that god, and still another, to have caused the Ten-Headed (i.e., Ravana of Lanka) to sue for peace (v. 5).  One was a conqueror of the epic hero Arjuna (v. 7).  Verse 8 refers to a king who cut off his own head in order to protect that of his master and also to a certain Sundara-Pandya who had mastered all the sciences.  Many kings of this family had performed Vedic sacrifices Rajasuya andAsvamedha (v. 9)….

    The Tamil portion which begins with line 76 also praises the Pandya kings who belonged to the lunar race and bore the crest of the double fish, had Agastya as their family preceptor and counted the god (Siva) as one of the their family members.

    Other deeds.

    (1) churning the ocean for nectar ;

    (2) bathing in the waters of the four oceans in a single day ;

    (3) going round the earth ;

    (4) sending embassy to the gods on many occasions;

    (5) taking away the necklace of Pakasasana (Indra) ;

    (6) mastering the Tamil language of the south ;

    (7) driving away the sea by throwing a javelin ;

    (8) giving a thousand golden hills (Meru) in charity ;

    (9) founding the town of Madura and erecting a wall round it ;

    (10) studying Tamil and Sanskrit (vada-moli) as even to excel Pandits ;

    (11) leading elephants in the Bharata war against the Maharathas ;

    (12) relieving Vijaya (Arjuna) from the curse of vasu ;..

    13) engraving the victorious symbols of the fish, the tiger, and the bow on the top of the Northern mountain, i.e., the Himalayas ;

    (14) getting huge giants to work for them in building many tanks ;

    (15) cutting off the heads of two kings in the battles fought at Chitramayari and Talaiyalanganam ;

    (16) getting the Mahabharata translated into Tamil ; and

    (17) establishing the Tamil Sangam in the town of Madurai.

    Reference.

    http://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/south_indian_inscriptions/volume_3/copper_plates_at_tirukkalar.html

    The three Pandya kings Perumbidugu Muttaraiyan alias Kuvavan Maran, his son Ilangovadiyaraiyan alias Maran Paramesvaran, and his son Perumbidugu Muttaraiyan alias Suvaran Maran mentioned in the Sendalai pillar inscriptions of about the 8th century A.D. do not appear in this genealogy.  Theyevidently belonged to a subordinate branch of the family and were perhaps kings of the southern Tanjai country, ruling almost independently of the imperial Pandyas at Madras and sometimes fighting with them.  See Ep. Ind., Vol. XIII, pp. 136 and 137.

    [2]  Spelt Chinnamanur in the Alphabetical list of villages  in the Madras Presidency.

    [3]  Ep. Ind., Vol. VIII, p. 317 f.

    [4]  See Ind. Ant., Vol. XXII, p. 59 and foot-note 4.

    [5]  The Tamil portion gives many more of such attributes to the Pandya ancestors; see below p. 443.

    [6]  Valmiki-Ramayana, Uttarakanda, chapter 34.

    [7]  Valmiki-Ramayana, Uttarakanda, chapter 34.

    [8]  Dr. Krishnaswami Ayyangar suggest, however, that Vilveli here may probably be synonymous with Pallava, since Tirumangai-alvar in his Periya-Tirumoli makes Villagan synonymous with Pallava.  But it must be noted that Vilveli is different from Villavan.

    [9]  Ep. Ind., Vol. XVII, pp.  298 and 295.

  • Homa Kunda In Kanyakumari 280 BC Tamils

    The Sanatana Dharma walked hands in  hand with Tamils.

    As early as  96 AD reference had been made by  an anonymous author about Kanyakumari.

    Periplus of Erythrean Sea” (81-96 AD) refers to Kanyakumari.

    Kanyakumari Temple.jpg
    Kanyakumari Temple.

    Eratosthenes 4 who visited India in about 276 B.C.

    In Poromcode, near Kaliyakkavilai, a neolithic celt was discovered which may roughly be dated to 1500 to 1000 B.C. (period of neolithic civilisation in Tamil Nadu).

    A hand made coarse earthern jar and other relics were found near Thoothur village in Kanniyakumari district. The shape, fabric and the decorations indicate that they are probably of the megalithic or early historic period.

    From the legends and traditions existing in these regions, it has to be believed, beyond doubt, that a great city flourished in these regions during the megalithic or early historic period and that it might have been similar to the one which existed in Mohanjadaro and Harappa. Since, the relics of this period remained in the sea bed, it has to be believed that this civilisation was wiped out due to sea erosion.

    ‘The Kingdom of the Ayis flourished to the South of the Chera Kingdom and it extended from Nelcynda’ 140 AD (obviously identical to Nelcynda of the Periplus) to ‘Komari’.-Ptolemy.

    : The earliest known rulers of this region belonged to the Ayi dynasty, whose remote ancestors are referred to as the ‘Hida Raja’ in the Asokan Rock Edicts II and XIV. The term ‘Hida’ is the variation of ‘Ida’ or ‘Idaya’ a synonym of ‘Ayar’ which takes its singlular form as ‘AYI’. Probably the region around ‘Pothiyil’ mountains was ruled by them. Thus the antiquity of the ‘Ayis’ dates back to 250 B.C. and possibly still earlier. The mention of them in the Asokan Edicts along with the Cholas, Pandyas, Cheras and Sathiyaputras as independent rulers outside the Mauryan dominion, enhanced their importance.

    Ayi Andiran : He was one of the many Vei Chieftains who ruled over several parts of the Tamil country. Legends are many about the ancestry of the Vel Cheiftains. To mention one, they are said to have issued from a ’Homakundam’.Domain of Ayi Andiran was the area around the Pothiyil Hill which is the Southern most section of the Western Ghats…

    Maduraikanchi, a literary work lends support to the view that Kanniyakumari was in possession of the Pandyas. ‘Purananuru’ mentions the Pandya ruler as the lord of the Pahruli river which had its confluence with the sea at Kanniyakumari. Besides early inscriptions also mention Nanjilnadu as part of the Pandya Empire. Vadimbalambaninra Pandyan, it is said, by his engineering skill harnessed the course of this river. The Goddess Kanniyakumari was regarded as the family deity of the Pandyas..

    This clearly shows the interaction between the Tamils and  Sanatana Dharma since  3 Century in Kanniyakumari.

    Let me add that Kanyakumari district has two famous temples, Suchindram Sthanumalayar Temple and Kanyakumari Temple at Kanyakumari.

    Suchindarm has a rare temple where Brahma , Vishnu ans Shiva are found in one idol.

    Kanyakumari was a part of Tamil Nadu when Tamils’s land extended beyond Kanyakumari  and the land was was consumed bya Tsunami.

    Reference.

    http://kanyakumariinformation.com/history/