South's Answer for Tendulkar

Will another Sachin Tendulkar will be there in future for Indian Team scoring big number of Hundreds ? Here is the answer from Bangalore a little Genius whom I had played with in Bangalore.

Koramangala cricket Academy had over the years produced lots of cricket players who went on to represent karantaka and India.

I strongly believe the Kid Karun Nair will make a tremendous journey into his India Career as cricketer.

What makes him unique is to notchup big hundreds and carrying his bat till the end of innings.Will post some of his pics and cricket videos soon in this blog.

List of English words of Tamil origin

The following words were directly borrowed from Tamil:
appam
from Tamil appam, (Source: OED)
cash
The primary meaning of the word cash, paper money, or money in general, comes from Latin capsa, chest. A secondary meaning of cash, referring to any of various coins used in southern India and China, comes ultimately from Tamil காசு kācu (Source: OED, AHD, MWD)
Bharatanatyam
from paratanattiyam Tamil, (Source: OED)
catamaran
from கட்டுமரம் kaṭṭumaram("kattu"=tied up, "maram"=wood) (Source: OED, AHD, MWD)
cheroot
from French cheroute, from Tamil சுருட்டு curuṭṭu, roll or rolled (Source: OED, AHD, MWD)
corundum
from a Tamil word for 'ruby', குருந்தம் kuruntam or குருவிந்தம் kuruvintam (Source: OED)
coir
from the Tamil/ Malayalam word 'kayaru' for rope or thread or to be twisted. (Source: The American Heritage Dictionary)
curry
from கறி kaṟi, sauce (Source: OED, AHD, MWD)
illupi
from Tamil iluppai, (Source: OED)
kabadi/kabaddi
from Tamil kabadi, (Source: OED)
Maldivian
from Tamil malaidhivu("malai"=mountain, "dhivu"=island), (Source: OED)
Moringa
from முருங்கை murungai , a Tamil word for drumstick (Source: OED,AHD)
mulligatawny
from மிளகுத்தண்ணீர் miḷaku-taṇṇīr from miḷaku black pepper taṇṇīr, water (Source: OED, AHD, MWD)
nadaswaram/nagaswaram
from "Nagasvaram" [Tamil], (Source: OED)
palay
from Tamil palai, (Source: OED)
palus
from Tamil palla meaning pit, (Source: OED)
pariah
from பறையர் paṟaiyar , plural of பறையன் paṟaiyaṉ (Source: OED, AHD, MWD)
pandal
from Tamil pandal, (Source: OED)
pongal
from Tamil pongal
poonga oil
from Tamil punku, oil from pungam tree, (Source: OED)
poppadom
from அப்பளம் appalam a Tamil word for a crispy side dish (Source: OED)
portia tree
from Tamil puvaracu portia tree, (Source: OED)
sambar
from Tamil sambar, (Source: OED)
sangam
from Tamil sancam, (Source: OED)
tutenag
from Tamil tuttunagam, (Source: OED)

betel
from Malayalam vettila; Tamil 'vettrilei': "vettru"=plant name + "ilei"=leaf, (Source: OED)
copra
from the Malayalam word koppara "Coconut's kernel" or Tamil கொப்பரை 'kopparai' / கொப்பறா 'koppara' or Telugu word kobbera(Source: OED, AHD, MWD)
mango
from Portuguese manga, from Malayalam manga, from Tamil 'mangaai': "ma/mang"=plant name + "kaai"=fruit.
teak
from Malayalam thekku, from Tamil 'thekku'
coir
from Malayalam kayar, from Tamil 'kayaru'

Tsunami uncovers ancient sculptures in Mahabalipuram

The December 2004 tsunami, which battered much of the south Indian coast, has helped unearth priceless relics in the ancient port city of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu. The killer waves shifted thousands of tonnes of sand to uncover granite sculptures which archaeologists claim, are remnants of a seventh-century civilisation. The sculptures include an elaborately carved lion, a half-completed elephant and a stallion in flight.

“As the tsunami waves receded, they scoured away sand deposits that had covered these sculptures for centuries,” says Alok Tripathi, an underwater archaeologist. Tripathi, who led the Archaeological Survey of India (asi) team that excavated Mahabalipuram, says the discoveries throw new light on this ancient port city, south of Chennai.

Ways of the seaMahabalipuram was an important centre of the Pallava dynasty, which held sway over much of south India between the fourth and the ninth century.

Known for its Shore Temple, the city has been designated by the unesco as a World Heritage Site. Legend has it that Mahabalipuram had six other temples — seafarers referred to it as the land of seven pagodas till even two centuries ago — which were consumed by waves (see box: Land of seven pagodas).

The city has also been the subject of much scholarly curiosity. asi had begun excavations here in 2001. But the tsunami threw a spanner in their works. Only for a brief while, however: the archaeologists got going again after a report from local fisherfolk. Just before the tsunami waves struck on December 26, 2004, the sea withdrew about 500 metres, baring its bed on which lay a temple structure and several rock sculptures, the tsunami-struck fisherfolk announced after they had recovered some of their bearings.

Once the waves subsided, asi researchers enlisted help of divers from the navy to scan the deep seas. “We found some stone structures which appear to be man-made. They are perfect rectangular blocks arranged in a clear pattern,” says Tripathi.

The investigators also found partly submerged blocks of walls, some of which extended into the land. “Our investigations showed that the partially submerged blocks and those completely under water are part of one edifice,” said Tripathi. “The blocks appear to be part of a temple wall,” the archaeologist added. Other parts of the temple that surfaced include a square garbha griha — the sanctum sanctorium — an elegant terracotta ring well and a sandstone kalash (an urn).

Standing guardThe archaeologists are, however, not ruling out other possibilities. Some of them speculate that the granite beasts uncovered by the receding waves once stood guard at a port city’s entrance. The 2-metre high lion statues, each hewn from a single piece of granite, appear breathtakingly lifelike. One great stone cat sits up alert while the other is poised to pounce. The elephant could have also been sculpted to adorn the city walls, the archaeologists believe. It now attracts scores of visitors who touch its eroded trunk as a good luck talisman.

Lions, elephants and peacocks were commonly used to decorate walls during the Pallava period, say members of the asi team. “The findings reveal Pallava grandeur,” says one of them.

The survivorWhy did these structures get submerged, while the Shore Temple stayed put for 1,300 years, withstanding even the tsunami? Tripathi has an answer. “The Shore Temple is built on bed-rock. So it survived all these years. But the other structures were constructed on sand. They could not have withstood a forceful accident,” says the archaeologist. He believes asi’s investigations in Mahabalipuram could be of immense help in protecting coastal monuments, which are threatened by the incursion of the sea.

The Harappan Civilization

Archaeological and linguistic evidence indicates that the Dravidians were the founders of the Harappan culture which extended from the Indus Valley through northeastern Afghanistan, on into Turkestan. The Harappan civilization existed from 2600-1700 BC. The Harappan civilization was twice the size the Old Kingdom of Egypt. In addition to trade relations with Mesopotamia and Iran, the Harappan city states also had active trade relations with the Central Asian peoples.

To compensate for the adverse ecological conditions, the Harappans first settled sites along the Indus river. (Fairservis 1987:48) The Dravido-Harappans occupied over 1,000 sites in the riverine Indus Valley environments where they had soil and water reserves. The Harappan sites are spread from the Indus Valley to Ai Kharnoum in northeastern Afghanistan and southward into India. In Baluchistan and Afghanistan Dravidian languages are still spoken today. Other Harappan sites have been found scattered in the regions adjacent to the Arabian sea, the Derajat, Kashmir, and the Doab.

The Indus region is an area of uncertain rains because it is located on the fringes of the monsoon. Settlers in the Indus Valley had to suffer frequent droughts and floods. Severe droughts frequently occurred in the Indus Valley so the people dug wells to insure for themselves a safe supply of water.

To compensate for the adverse ecological conditions, the Harappans settled sites along the Indus river.

The Mature Harappan civilization is divided into two variants the Sorath Harappan and the Sindhi Harappan. The Sindhi Harappan sites are sites characterized by elaborate architecture, fired brick construction, sewage systems and stamp seals. The Sindhi Harappan styles have been found in Gujarat, Kutch, the Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The major Sindhi cities include Mohenjodaro, Lothal, Rangpur, Harappa, Rangpur, Desalpur, Shirkotada, Manda, Ropar, Kalibangan and Chanhudaro.
The Sindhi Harappans possessed writing, massive brick platforms, well-digging a system of weights-and-measures, black-and-red ware (BRW), metal work and beads. (Possehl 1990:268) The Harappans were masters of hydraulic engineering.
They were a riverine people that practiced irrigation agriculture. They had both the shaduf and windmills.(Fairservis 1991) In the Harappan sites domestic quarters and industrial areas were isolated from each other.
The Sorath Harappan sites lack stamp seals, ornaments and elaborate architecture. Sorath is the ancient name for Saurashtra. The Sorath Harappan sites are located in Saurashtra, Kulli, and the Harappan style of Baluchistan and Gujarat .
The Dravido-Harappans occupied over 1,000 sites in the riverine Indus Valley environments where they had soil and water reserves. The Harappan sites are spread from the Indus Valley to Ai Kharnoum in northeastern Afghanistan and southward into India. In Baluchistan and Afghanistan Dravidian languages are still spoken today. Other Harappan sites have been found scattered in the regions adjacent to the Arabian sea, the Derajat , Kashmir and the Doab.

Harappan Boat
During the times of Sargon the Great of Sumer, Dravido-Harappan ships from Dilmun were anchored at Agade docks in Mesopotamia. The ships of Dilmun exported gold, copper utensils, lapis lazuli, ivory, beads and semiprecious stones.
Today there are isolated pockets of Dravidian speaking groups surrounded by Indo-Aryan speakers. Dravidian languages are spoken by tribal groups in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and Bihar.

HARAPPAN RELIGION
The Harappan religion was polytheistic. They used cattle, elephants and other animals to represent their gods. The Harappan seals are amulets addressed to the Harappan gods.

The gods of the Harappans depicted on their seals represented the gods of the various economic corporations in the Indus Valley. The unicorn god, probably represented Mal, while the cattle god probably represented Kali or Uma, Amma or Pravar- ti, the mother goddess.(Winters 1984,1987)
Seals have been found in almost every room at Mohenjodaro. Many of Indus seals were found in a worn condition and show signs of repair. Archaeologists have found holes on the back of the seals that indicate that the Harappans wore them tied around their neck or ankles with a string.

THE PROTO-SAHARAN RELIGIONS

By Clyde A. Winters

http://www.geocities.com/olmec982000/rel2.htm

Raja Raja Cholan -- The Great

Why Mayans are Tamils ..

Recently I read this interesting article about Mayans and their ancestral relationship with Tamils written by Gene D. Matlock .

Having reached US recently and living very close to lot of Mexicans here, I am fascinated to post this article for everyone.

http://www.viewzone.com/ancientturks.html

Note:
"Whatever things of whatever kind told by whomever it may be ,it is one's wisdom to find the truth" -- Holy Thirukural

Ancient Tamilnadu Map

MAP OF INDIA IN 30,000 B.C.
The last surviving LEMURS exist on Madagascar. This is why the ancient land tying India and Australia together, that sank incrementally over time, is referred to as LEMURIA. Myriads of ancient writings from the South Seas, and the ancient Tamil writings on palm tree bark still exist protected underground in the Vatican archives, having been pillaged from various cultures and transported to Rome by order of various popes.
The Tamil bark writings in Southern India tell of the gigantic Southern part of India which used to connect to Australia cataclysmically sinking incrementally over a long period of time. This was ancient Lemuria.

Kumari kandam...One of the subjects of great interest to me is the history of the Origin of Tamils. A quest to know where I came from? 'Who am I?'My search led me to “kumari nadu” or “kumari kandam” (also called Lemuria and Gondwanaland) believed to be the original cradle of the Tamils (or Dravidians in general) by many scholars.. and according to ancient litrature, now lying submerged in the Indian Ocean due to repeated tsunamis (kadalkol)....an artists imagination of the landmass!Some of the inputs about this land from ancient works are fascinating:The kumari nadu mainly consisted of the Pandyan Kingdom. Two wild rivers - "Kumari aaru and Prahuli aaru" flowed through the land. The distance between the two rivers was 700 kavatham (about 1000 miles). And the land was divided into Thengu nadu, Madurai nadu, Munpalai nadu, Pinpalai nadu, Kunra nadu, Kunakkarai nadu, and Kurumparai nadu, and each containing seven smaller Nadus, hence 49 in all.

Ruby was mined from the mountain Mani Malai and gold from Meru malai. The kumari mountain range had forty-eight high peaks.Something even more amazing I read was that the precious stones were mined by Chinese laborers! Iam still searching for more proof of this information.

According to Tamil litrature,the first deluge submerged Ten madurai situated by the kanni river, the seat of the first Tamil sangam and the Pandyan capital was shifted to Kabaadapuram. The Pandyan capital of kabaadapuram finds mention in the Ramayana and Chanakya's Arthasastra.

A second deluge submerged Kabaadapuram , the seat of the second Tamil sangam .Roman writer Pliny, in the second century B.C., refers to the transfer of the capital from Korkai to Madurai. The sea swallowed approximately 1,000 miles of the Pandyan territory known as "Yanainadu".

Despite so much being written about this sunken landmass, it’s a big disappointment that our Indian government has done no full fledged marine scientific research . We still depend on inputs from ancient Tamil, Roman and other scriptures to get an idea about this famed land. The Tsunami of last year is a cruel reminder that should catch the attention of marine archeologists , historians and scholars to our long lost past...I hope someday I will get a better answer to the question i put as the title today....

Tamil Poem in Purananuru, circa 500 B.C

Here is the Translation :

"To us all towns are one, all men our kin.Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor illMan's pains and pains' relief are from within. Death's no new thing; nor do our bosoms thrillWhen Joyous life seems like a luscious draught. When grieved, we patient suffer; for, we deemThis much - praised life of ours a fragile raft Borne down the waters of some mountain streamThat o'er huge boulders roaring seeks the plain Tho' storms with lightnings' flash from darken'd skiesDescend, the raft goes on as fates ordain. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise ! -We marvel not at greatness of the great;Still less despise we men of low estate."

Tamil Poem :

யாதும் ஊரே ; யாவரும் கேளிர் ;தீதும் நன்றும் பிறர்தர வாரா ;நோதலும் தணிதலும் அவற்றோ ரன்ன ;சாதலும் புதுவது அன்றே ; வாழ்தல்இனிதுஎன மகிழ்ந்தன்றும் இலமே; முனிவின்,இன்னா தென்றலும் இலமே; ‘மின்னொடுவானம் தண்துளி தலைஇ, ஆனாதுகல்பொருது இரங்கும் மல்லற் பேர்யாற்றுநீர்வழிப் படூஉம் புணைபோல, ஆருயிர்முறைவழிப் படூஉம்’ என்பது திறவோர்காட்சியின் தெளிந்தனம் ஆகலின், மாட்சியின்பெரியோரை வியத்தலும் இலமே;சிறியோரை இகழ்தல் அதனினும் இலமே.