Ramanisblog

Tag: South India

  • South Marrying a North Indian Girl

    I have remarked elsewhere in my posts about some of my relatives getting married to North Indian Girls.

    This post is about how compatibles the families were and after before the marriage .

    North marries South
    Tying Managl Sutra Thaali, South Marraige

    A look into the actual apprehensions , misapprehensions as well.

    One boy got married to a Kashmiri Girl and another a Punjabi.

    Lest people may think I am generalizing about all the communities, Let me say that both the girls were Brahmins.

    Different perspective may be required for opinions on marrying a North Indian and from another community.

    Under this category , I have a cousin of mine who got married to a girl from Bengal from another community and the marriage is not what it should be.

    However in the present cases there were identical initial objections that normally come in the case of Love marriages that arise even while marrying within the Community.

    Wedding North Indian Style
    North Indian Wedding

    “We do not know the family”

    “We do not know their background”

    In the case of marrying to a North Indian the major objection from South Indians  is that North Indian Brahmin Culture is different, they are too easy going to adapt to South Indian family vales, they spend too much, and they take unnecessary risks in Life and career.

    All the problems were present in the marriages I have mentioned.

    And another observation from the South is that the Girl’s side may not agree to South Indian Style of marriage and this the South considers as a sacrilege.

    Whatever be the divide between the North and the South , they are united in this objection!

    ( Let me add, many will consider me as a heretic, that by looking at some of the South Indian marriages being conducted, I feel that it is better to have a registered marriage, for to such level  marriage as  religious ceremony has descended to with everything being done at the convenience of the people and for Pomp)

    The major difference between the North and South Indian marriages are the performance of Marriage in the evening and the non use of Thaali in many North Indian marriages.

    The North Indian marriage has Kanyadhaan, Panigrahan and Sapthapathi.

    Technically this is the correct Vedic marriage procedure.

    Thaali is a concept taken by Aapasthamba, while composing the Aapasthamba Sutra for people living south of the Vindhyas.

    Please read my post on this.

    So the objection on these grounds seem to be trivial.

    Another difficulty faced by the Boys’ parents is that they are used to demanding money from the Bride’s side during the Marriage while in the North Indian marriages(at least in Punjabi and Kashmiri at least) the Boys’ parents are made to shell out for the bride in the form of  more jewellery and gifts to her relatives.

    But once these initial hiccups are over, the parents of both he children have become very close and each tries to accommodate the other!

    The level of looking after the guests is some thing seen to be believed.

    And , irrespective of family misunderstandings, (which family does not have), the relatives rally around and take a personal interest, not delegating things to Agencies, even though they have arranged things through the Agencies.

    And I have found the girls, though they are  very well employed and hail from well to do families, to be very respectful, easy-going and at ease  with the new-found relatives.

    Though I am not related to these boys closely they often call me up for no specific reason but to chat and enquire about my family and they in general are good.

    But this depends on how one interacts with them.

    If you keep to your own without interfering into their affairs, which we have no business to, and offer advice when sought for, every thing is fine.

    Other wise, things might go awry as with modern girls

    .Considering  some case of married South Indian Girls, the North seems to better.

    Do not take cudgels for this view as this is my experience and my conviction is that a North Indian Girl would do nicely for a South Indian Boy.

    The other sides, that of the North Indian Girl’s point of view and the experience of a South Indian Girl marrying to a North Indian Boy, I do not know.

    * The Couples seem to be happy.

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  • The North South Indian How they Befriend

    North Indians as South Indians
    North Indians as South Indians Readers correct me but I can’t spot a single South Indian surname in the line-up; let’s not even get into caste. Oh well I can’t help myself so here goes, btw this could be marital or maiden names but Indians remember when you wear your caste names so proudly then don’t complain when it’s called up. Credit.http://www.brownpundits.com/2012/11/16/north-indian-punjabi-sindhi-high-castes-pose-as-chennai-beauties/

    I venture to share some of my thoughts on the way the South Indians mix and react with each other.

     

    I am making observations based on my  having covered the length and breadth of India over  a period of nearly Thirty nine years.

    I have spent my time, while on business tour, in my Dealer’s Homes, partaken their Hospitality.

    Before proceeding let me add that , by a North Indian, I mean those people whose mother tongue is not Tamil, Malayalam,Telugu or Kannada.

    Some of these people were my business associates, others simple are those whom I met casually, mostly on Trains, Buses, Flights .

    Then again there is this difference, those whom I met in their Native place in the North, and those who were settled in the South.

    I had a dealer in Bellary, C.G.Dass & Co.

    I used to visit the Town once in 45 days ,regularly for a period of over six years.

    Right from the second visit, the dealer’s son, Harish, A Guajarati, would come to my Hotel room, pick me up drive me straight to his Home and make me ear.

    Then we would go out for a picture, only to return to his Home at the night. Some days I have slept in his house.

    One must remember I was just a Salesman, not a big wig to who can grant favours to them.

    And my knowledge of Hindi was and is horrible.

    Tehn I had a Maharashtrian Friend Ashok Kamle in Adoni, Andhra Pradesh.

    This again is a repeat performance of Bellary.

    Another is Vasanth at Belgaum, a Guajarati who would not even allow me to check into a Hotel!

    I had another friend SriKant Hanchate a Maharashtrian at Gulbarga, who would spend the whole day with me.

    On my trips to Delhi, I was forced to stay with my dealer friend, a Punjabi, Harkirat Singh.

    He would not have a No from me!

    He would take me to Hindu pilgrimage spots.

    He had taken me  Hardwar,Rishikesh,Kedarnath and Badrinath.

    And I had a gentleman whom I met on the Train at night en route to Budh Gaya.

    I was on my way, with my wife to Benares,Gaya and Allahabad and the Rajdhani from Delhi was expected to reach Gaya by 3.45 am.

    Around Eight when the Dinner was being served a Young man of about 35, took the Dinner Trays from the Waiter’ laid it out in his aisle berth and made sure me and my wife had water by our side.

    As my wife was allotted an upper berth, he exchanged his berth later one, without my asking!

    I spent some time chatting with him.

    In the morning he woke me up at 3.30 am, helped me out with my baggage, assisted my wife in getting down from the Train

    He fetched us an auto rickshaw, gave directions to the driver, asking him to drop us at the address, telling him that he should  call him as soon as he dropped us and had the driver’s Phone number noted.

    After ten minutes or so when we were reaching the destination the driver received a call from this Youngman who checked whether we had reached safely

    and chatted with me for a couple of minutes.

    Remember it is 4am!

    He is local Cable TV operator from Gaya and a journalist.

    Next morning he sent a man who introduced himself as an Agent and booked us in a Train to Allahabad.

    Wait listed at 300( I never knew WL can run into 300!) I was apprehensive.

    The man was waiting at the Train Compartment before we arrived got us a Confirmed seat.

    Do you that he refused to accept anything more than Rs 20 as his charge!

    I get to meet a lot of my son’s friends who are North Indians working in Bangalore.

    The way they mix and the respect they express, I have not seen.

    No pretensions, no air,

    I tend to believe that by Nature North Indians are very easy-going , with out pretensions and has a tendency to befriend and help people.

    However , during my career, I have found that the North Indians clinging together and try to exclude the South Indians from promotions.

    I do not know which is real.

    Is  that I have been lucky in getting to know these wonderful people?

    I tend to take the view that by nature they ar easy-going, respectful and friendly.

    Alas, the South lags behind in this!

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  • Tamil Sangam Dates 17000 Years Extended To Equator

    It is generally believed that the Tamil Language existed and Kings nurtured it for a period of about 10,000 years ago.

    Tamil Inscription
    Old Tamil Inscription

    “According to P.T. Srinivasa Iyengar[23] who made research on this topic mentions in his book “History of Tamils” Chapter XVI on topic “Criticism of the legend”,[24] as the years mentioned for the Three Tamil Sangams are too vast. The First sangam lasted 4440 yrs and spanned 89 Succeeding Kings. The Second sangam lasted 3700 yrs and spanned 59 Succeeding Kings, The Third sangam lasted 1800 yrs and spanned 49 Succeeding Kings.”(wiki)

    By this reckoning the Age of Tamil is approximately 10’000 Years for the Sangam Period.

    But recent research says that a relic proves that the Tami land extended its landmass “extended southward below Cape Comorin (Kanya Kumari) incorporating present day Ilankai/ Sri Lanka. It had an enhanced offshore running all the way to the Equator. The maps portray the region as no history or culture is supposed to have known it. The much larger Tamil homeland of thousands of years ago as described in the Kumari Kandam tradition takes shape. It supports the opening of the Kumari Kandam flood tradition set in the remote pre-historic period of 12,000 –10,000 years ago. The inundation specialists confirm that between 12,000-10,000 years ago Peninsular India’s coastlines would have been bigger than what they are today before they were swallowed up by the rising seas at the end of the Last Ice Age.”

    With its description of submerged cities and lost lands, the Kumari Kandam tradition predicted that pre-historic ruins more than 11,000 years old should lie underwater at depths and locations off Tamilnadu’s coast. The NIO’s discovery and Dr. Milne’s calculations now appear to confirm the accuracy of that prediction. At that period of time, Ilankai/ Sri Lanka was part and parcel of South India. It is, however, in the inundation map for 10,600 years ago as seen that the island to the south of Kanya Kumari had disappeared to a dot, and the Maldives further ravaged.

    But more importantly, a neck of sea is seen separating Tuticorin in South India from Mannar in what is now Ilankai/ Sri Lanka. It is however in the map for 6,900 years ago that the separation of Ilankai/ Sri Lanka from the South Indian mainland is complete as it is today. Ilankai/ Sri Lanka’s separate existence as an island, so it seems, began 6,900 years ago or circa 4,900 BC. ..

    At present, no civilisation, as known to current history, existed in the Tamil lands of South India around 9,000 BC. Yet the discovery of the U-shaped structure by India’s marine archaeologists leads us to seriously consider that it was the work of a civilisation that archaeologists had failed to identify as its ruins lie submerged so deep beneath the sea. As Mr. S. R. Rao, the doyen of Indian marine archaeology, stated in February 2002, “I do not believe it is an isolated structure; further exploration is likely to reveal others around it”.

    Put it simply, the coast line of India , more specifically Tamils extended up to Equator.

    And this tallies with the descriptions of Tamil Kings in The Mahabharata during the Swayamvar of Draupadi , the reference to Arjuna having married the daughter of a Pandyan King and the mention of Cheran Perunchotruudiyan Neduncheraathan as having fed both the armies of the Panadavas and Kauravas during the Mahabharata War, among other refernces like the Tamil Knings donated Villages for Baramins po perform Vedic Rites daily in the Agraharas, ear marked for them.

    Sources.

    History of the Tamils by P.T .Srinivasa Iyengar Chapter XVI on topic “Criticism of the legend

    http://www.tamilguardian.com/article.asp?articleid=256

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  • How To Construct Shivlinga Agni Purana

    Hinduism determines Reality as a Principle , devoid of name and Form.

    Virat Purush foot print
    Gods in Veda as a part of ViratPurush.

    Worhsip of this is called Nirguna Upaasna,meditating on the One with out Attributes.

    However Hiduism understands human limitations and the inability of the Mind to concentrate on a vacuum.

    Therefore it lays down certain rules and procedures to worship and realize the reality through Images.

    These Images, sanctified by Mantras and constructed by strict rules do deliver the results one wishes.

    For more on this read my post,’God has Name and Form, Yes and No”

    one thousand lingas
    Sahasra Linga,Sirsi

    The Puranas describe and detail the procedure to be followed in constructing these images.

    it is interesting to note that the Vedas, the sacred text of the Hindus, do not speak of Temples or collective worship.

    This Temple worship is of later origin traced back to the Agamas.

    The Agamas are texts compiled by the descendants of sage Viswamitra, whose sons were banished by him to the South, Dravida.

    One of the descendants Apasthamba organised the Vedas called the Aapasthamba Suras , which is practiced in South India to-day.

    The Agamas were , to begin with, started to destroy Hinduism by inducing idol worship.

    Hinduism , as usual, absorbed this in its fold.

    the primary God of those who follow the Vedas, is Agni.

    Even to-day, the Vaidikas, those who follow the Vedas, are not authorized to perform Poojas in the Temples don South.

    It is the prerogative of the Guruukal, who are not Vaidikas.

    The Pooja procedure is as ordained by the Agamas.

    The Vaidikas have no place , save when the words.

    ‘Vedam, Dravida Vedam(tamil Sacred texts) sandharsayami’

    Only then the Vedic Mantras, Tamil tets are recited.

    Een the sankaracharyas are not allowed to perform Abhishekas in the Temples, nor take the Vibhuti from the Plate direct!

    Now let us look at an exposition of constructing a Linga Swarupa of Lord Shiva.

    The bottom portion of the Linga is Brhma Swarupa,,

    The middle Vishnu and The top Lord Shiva.

    The Shiva Porto should be Bigger.

    Material for Linga construction.

    1.Salt and Ghee.

    2,New Clothes and sand for temporary worship.

    3.Build with Burnt sand.

    4.Wood .

    5.Rock(Specifications of Rocks and wood are mentioned)

    6.Gold, Corals.

    7.Silver.

    6.Zinc.

    7.Brass.

    8.Precious Stones.

    9.Mercury

    10.Precious stones set in the center of idol made of Metals specified above.

    Linga Specifications are also provided in the Agni Purana,Linga Purana.

    All the Pooja Dravyas must be sanctified with Panchagavya, The three direct constituents are the cow dung, urine, and milk; the two derived products are curd and ghee”

    Those who perform the Pooja must be wearing Upaveeda,Pavithra, Gold Rings,Kangan and Uthreeya(Cloth wrapped around the chest in a specific manner)

    The Pandal,Shamiana must be of wooden stalks,

    Pushpa Parigraham must be done with Narasimha Mantra,before doing Pooja.

    Homa Kunda is to be established in the Northwest corner.

    Brahma , Vishnuand Ashtadikpalakas must be established before the Sanctification ceremony.

    ”

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  • From Where Did The Brahmins Come?

    One of the most controversial topics is whether the Aryans invaded India and later settled here and if so from where did they come from?

    I have already posted a blog .The Myth called Aryan Invasion’

    The scientific research proves that there is no Aryan Invasion at all.

    I will be adding some more points to disprove this Myth and before that there are some questions to be answered ,the questions arising out of Ramayana.

    Rama and the others ; hailing from the Northerner part of India and if the Ramayana is a fact,which it is( I have posts on this under Hinduism),Lord Rama and others should have been fair-skinned,

    But the description of Rama is Blue Black.

    This is based on the conception of Lord Vishnu as Black in color.while Lakshmi is Golden (Hiranya varnaam(Sri Suktham), Lord Shiva of Reddish Hue,Parvati of greenish hue, as per the Purana.

    But based on geographical origin and the present people living in North India Rama should have been fair-skinned.

    We have two options.

    1.Ramayana was a fiction.

    This is incorrect as the Astronomical data provided in the Ramayana and other Purana stand the test of Science.

    Ramayana is a fact.

    So we are left with the other option that there have been other skinned people in India before Ramayana and there has been an a mix of various groups having different racial characteristics.

    Lord Rama could have been an exception as far as color is concerned.

    Others in the Ramayana were not of the same hue as Rama.

    Sita was fair-skinned.

    Against this Ravana was not described as dark-skinned and he is the brother of Kubera who is fair-skinned and Ravana is a Brahmin though he is described as a Dravidian!

    Therefore logic forces one to conclude that there were more races in India than one homogeneous Race in India which included Sri Lanka.

    Again if one refers to any of the Eighteen Purana, one would find descriptions of people both black and fair-skinned.

    And not all Brahmins were fair-skinned.

    For example, Aurava and you can find Brahmins of Dark hue in South India.

    The Indian Society expanded outwards, not from outwards.

    This is why one finds remnants of Hindu Thoughts in all the continents more specifically Egypt, central America , Australia and the Middle East.

    The early Indian Society was based on disposition, Varna, Brahmanas, Kshatriya , Vaishya and Sudras.

    Therefore the Brahmins did not come from any where to India and were a part of India Society.

    There is a school of thought which establishes that the Dravidian were living South of the Vindhya range and later they mixed with the people from the South.

    Sage Viswamitra banished his sons to the South and they intermingled with the Dravidians.

    Sage Apasthamba came from this mixed race and he composed the Apasthamba Sutra of the Vedas and it is being followed by the Brahmins of South India even today.

    Some more objections to Aryan Invasion of India.

    “

    1) If the ‘light skinned and mostly blonde haired and blue eyed’ Aryans had really invaded India and settled here thereafter, then why are such people with pure Caucasian features rarely found in India now? If it is because of centuries of racial intermixing, then how come one can still find some quite dark skinned people in India but not central Asian/ European type ‘white’ skinned people in India? Even the light brown skinned people found in the far north of India in places like Kashmir aren’t as fair as the ‘Aryans’ are considered to be.

    2) The Aryans divided themselves into 3 classes. The fourth class was the lowly ‘Shudra’ class, explained by the European historians as the Aryan conquered Dravidians’ class. By this logic, all the high castes, esp. the Brahmins had to be white/ light brown skinned and the people belonging to the ‘Shudra’ class had to be dark brown skinned. And yet, many dark skinned Brahmins and light skinned ‘Shudras‘ can easily be found in India – both in north as well as south. And upon that, inter-caste marriages, esp. high and low caste ones, are still uncommon in almost all parts of India. Another point regarding castes is that – Valmiki, the writer of the great Indian epic ‘Ramayana’, was born a Shudra, but ultimately, by attaining the Brahminical aspect of knowledge earning, spiritual understanding and noble mannerisms, became a Brahmin. ‘Ramayana’ is the story (does not matter if it was factual or myth) of a Kshtriya (Aryan) prince of North India – Lord Rama, who at the climax of the story defeats and kills the demonic king of Sri Lanka (south of India) – Ravana. Now, even though Ravana was a Brahmin (Aryan) by caste, he is considered, in the Indian spiritual folklore, as an UnArya or a non-Aryan, on account of his demonic deeds. This all suggests that caste system, originally, was not rigid, and that, ‘Aryan’ was an open, attainable socio-spiritual status.

    3) How come almost all the light brown skinned people in India (considered to be the descedants of the original Aryans) belong to the cold climate locations of India like Kashmir and Himachal and the dark brown skinned (considered to be the Dravidians themselves) belong to the warm climate locations? This suggests that skin colour in India has more do do with the climate and atmosphere of a particular region in India.

    4) If the Aryans were outsiders in India, then why do their spiritual-cultural-social compilation ‘The Vedas’ do not mention any outside cities, rivers and mountains? Why do they only mention the places that are found in India, as their sacred most? Why not some place in Caucasus or Iran? Why don’t the Vedas, which contain references to many battles, contain no reference to an ‘invasion’ of the land of Indus-Saraswati (India)? How come the modern descendants of Aryans in India have no recollection of their foreign origins? How come the descendants of Shudras (so called Dasas or Dasyus or Dravidians or indigenous race of India) have no recollection of an Aryan invasion of their land and their subsequent subjugation because of a defeat at the hands of the Aryans?

    5) If the Dravidians’ Indus valley civilization met its end at the hands of the invading Aryans, then how come no horse remains, broken chariots and burned buildings were discovered in and around the valley.

    Source:

    http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_did_the_aryans_get_to_India

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