அப்பன் நீ, அம்மை நீ, ஐயனும் நீ, அன்புடைய மாமனும் மாமியும் நீ, ஒப்புடைய மாதரும் ஒண்பொருளும் நீ

Nearly a century after Narasimhavarman Pallava’s victory at Vatapi, Chalukya Vikramaditya II marched towards Kanchipuram to avenge the defeat. With the Pallavas embroiled in a civil war, his conquest was made easier. But the splendour of Kanchi and the magnificent Kailasanathar temple left him awestruck. Instead of destroying the city, he ordered that it remain unharmed, as recorded in his inscription: “Kanchim avinasya pravisya.” There is an inscription about this in Kanchipuram Kailasanathar temple. To know about this and more, join me for a heritage walk in the sacred place. Registration link below : docs.google.com/forms/d/1o4x…

Wishing you a blessed and joyous Vijayadasami! May this Vijayadasami usher in wisdom, prosperity, and new beginnings.

One of the best rulings from the court regarding the use of temple properties. They indeed belong to the deity and not to anyone, even to the HRCE department. The kings and others donated land to the temple for its sole use they are not transferable. The state is just a custodian and NOT the owner. I hope TN HRCE department starts behaving like one at least from now onwards.

One of the important aspects of preserving our heritage is upkeep of our heritage structures. Hence it is heartening to see @ASIGoI taking up the maintenance works of upper rampart of the Rajarajeswaram temple at Thanjavur. thehindu.com/news/cities/Tir…,

சீர்தந்த வெள்ளிதழ்ப் பூங்கம லாசனத் தேவிசெஞ்சொல் தார்தந்த என்மனத் தாமரை யாட்டி சரோருகமேல் பார்தந்த நாதன் இசைதந்த வாரணப் பங்கயத்தாள் வார்தந்த சோதியும் போருகத் தாளை வணங்குதுமே ! Wishing you all on the auspicious occasion of Saraswathi Pooja / Mahanavami !

In Kambaramayanam, Kamban portrays Sita Maa as a beautiful, lovable, intelligent and strong willed woman till Aranya Kandam. Following her abduction by Ravana, however, the narrative increasingly brings out her sorrow, anguish and longing for Rama. But when Hanuman meets Sita in Lanka and offers to carry her back to Rama, Kamban reveals an entirely different dimension of her character through a few extraordinary lines: எல்லை நீத்த உலகங்கள் யாவும் என் சொல்லினால் சுடுவேன்; அது தூயவன் வில்லின் ஆற்றற்கு மாசு என்று வீசினேன் “By the power of my word alone, I can burn all the worlds that stretch beyond the boundaries of the universe. But I refrained from doing so, for such an act would diminish the glory of the divine bow wielded by the pure and righteous Lord Rama.” What a magnificent revelation of Sita’s character! Here, Kamban establishes that Sita is no helpless woman awaiting rescue. She possesses the extraordinary power to destroy not merely Ravana but entire worlds. Yet she consciously chooses restraint, for she does not wish to diminish the glory of Rama and his bow. That is the brilliance of Kamban’s characterisation. He does not need to place a sword in Sita’s hands to establish her strength. Her words alone reveal a power greater than any weapon. Now compare this profound portrayal with the circus of a sword wielding Sita, an invention that has no basis in the original Ramayana. Creative liberty is one thing. Distorting the very essence of an established character for commercial spectacle is quite another. Sita does not need a sword to become powerful. She was always powerful.

இவரும் இந்த மாதிரி உருட்டியே பொழுதைப் போக்குகிறார். அதற்கும் ஒரு கூட்டம் தொடர்ந்து கைதட்டிக்கொண்டே இருக்கு. அவர்களின் அறியாமைதான் இது போன்ற ‘படித்தவர்களின்’ பலம். அரைகுறையாகச் சங்க இலக்கியத்தைப் படித்தாலே தமிழர்களுக்கு சனாதனத்தில் உள்ள எல்லாக் கடவுள்களும் உண்டு என்று தெரிந்துவிடும். “நீல் நிற உருவின் நெடியோன் கொப்பூழ் நான்முக ஒருவன்” (பெரும்பாணாற்றுப்படை) நீலநிறத்தைக் கொண்ட திருமாலின் கொப்பூழில் தோன்றிய நான்முகன். “தொல் ஊழி தடுமாறி, தொகல் வேண்டும் பருவத்தால், பல் வயின் உயிர் எல்லாம் படைத்தான்” (கலித்தொகை) பழைய ஊழிக்காலம் முடிந்து புதிய காலம் பிறந்த பிறகு பல உயிர்களையும் படைத்தவனான பிரம்மன். “உருகெழு மாநிலம் இயற்றுவான், விரிதிரை நீக்குவான் வியன்குறிப்பு ஒத்தனர்” (கலித்தொகை) அச்சம் தரும் இந்த உலகத்தைப் படைக்கும் பிரம்மனைப் போல (ஒரு பிரிவினர்) உறுதியுடன் நின்றனர் உருப்படியாகத் தமிழ் படித்தவர்கள் முன்னால் இவர்களின் பொய்கள் எடுபடாமல் ஓடிப்போகும்.

Wishing you all on the auspicious occasion of Durga Ashtami ! Here is the magnificent Shodashabhuja Mahishasuramardini from Gangai Konda Cholapuram. Devi is enshrined in a sanctum adjacent to the main shrine. It is one of the four original sub-shrines of the temple complex that survives to this day.

Deva will live as long as Azhagar comes to Madurai!

The Queen of Pandya Nadu, which is famous for pearls, wearing the dress made up of pearls ! #Navaratri #MaduraiMeenakshi

The tradition of singing the Thirumurais to the accompaniment of the Yazh, an ancient Tamil stringed instrument, has a history stretching back more than a thousand years. During the 7th century CE, Thiruneelakanta Yazhpanar and his wife, Mathanga Choolamaniyar, accompanied Thirugnanasambandar on his pilgrimages. While Yazhpanar set Sambandar’s divine Pathigams to music on his Yazh, his wife sang them, enriching the great tradition of Tamil devotional music. How heartening it is to see this ancient musical heritage being kept alive even today! Here is a beautiful rendition of a verse from the Mootha Thirupathigam of Karaikal Ammaiyar, one of the earliest and most revered Shaiva saints. A wonderful reminder of the remarkable continuity of our Tamil Shaiva devotional traditions! கொங்கை திரங்கி நரம்பெ ழுந்து குண்டுகண் வெண்பற் குழிவ யிற்றுப் பங்கி சிவந்திரு பற்கள் நீண்டு பரடுயர் நீள்கணைக் காலோர் பெண்பேய் தங்கி யலறி யுலறு காட்டில் தாழ்சடை எட்டுத் திசையும் வீசி அங்கங் குளிர்ந்தன லாடும் எங்கள் அப்ப னிடந்திரு ஆலங் காடே Hope the age old temple tradition is revived in the temples of Tamilakam. (Video received through WhatsApp.)

Goddess Kamalamba of Thiruvarur occupies a unique place in the Shakta tradition and Sri Vidya Upasana. Enshrined in a separate shrine within the magnificent Thyagaraja temple complex, Kamalamba is worshipped as the embodiment of Yoga Shakti. Kamalamba is seated in a distinctive yogic posture, with one leg placed over the other, symbolising her profound meditative state. During the medieval period, shrines dedicated to the Goddess were often referred to as “Thirukkamakottam” (திருக்காமக்கோட்டம்) in Tamil inscriptions. Interestingly, an inscription at the Thiruvarur temple refers to the shrine of Goddess Kamalamba as “Thirukkamakottamudaiya Periya Nachiyar Kovil” (திருக்காமக்கோட்டமுடைய பெரிய நாச்சியார் கோயில்). The inscription during the reign of Rajaraja II, made by his minister Vedavanamudaiyan Perumal Nambi Pallavarayan mentions the name of the goddess as “Paraloka Menmozhi Nachiyar”, signifying the Yoga Shakthi manifestation of the goddess Kamalamba.

Their idiocy never ceases to amaze us. They don’t even know how to hold the national flag properly, yet have the audacity to say they are ‘unfurling the flag’. 🤦🏻‍♂️ The protest began with allegations of “SIR manipulation” and demands for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner. Then came talk of regime change and the “Bangladesh model.” Now, amid the backlash, the national flag has entered the picture. They don’t know that a true nationalist can see through their game. Nationalism is demonstrated through conduct, not merely by waving a flag.

The GenZ that Dipke and Congress combine miscalculated!

Hoysala king Veera Ballala III completely destroying Ghiyasuddin’s army at Kannanur Koppam instead of agreeing to a truce and sending an enemy soldier to Madurai with a letter. This single decision proved disastrous. The Sultan of Madurai launched a treacherous night attack, captured the Hoysala king alive, and brought his campaign to a tragic end. It was a decisive turning point in the struggle against the Madurai Sultanate. With the fall of Veera Ballala III in 1343, one of the strongest forces resisting the Sultanate disappeared, and Tamilakam remained under its shadow for decades.

Remembering the valour, devotion and indomitable spirit of Veerapandya Kattabomman on his martyrdom day!

India, much against all the odds, is able to keep up the growth. In fact, we've been the fastest-growing in the last four or five years since COVID. So, it's a performance which is consistent with the kind of efforts that we're taking. Particular reasons for it I would think is being inclusive and making sure everyone has access to resources and access to skilling for the young and making sure that fiscal prudence is not lost in this. We are conscious that we have a responsibility with public money and therefore, have a very clear understanding that we can't be splurging money, even as we have to take care of those who are vulnerable in the economy. - Smt @nsitharaman in Bangkok, Thailand (1/n)

The Tirupparankundram Temple, widely revered as the first of the six sacred abodes of Lord Murugan, was originally conceived as a Shiva–Vishnu shrine and subsequently incorporated Shakta elements. The arrangement of the shrines in the accompanying layout offers fascinating insights into this architectural and religious evolution. 1. Vishnu Durga Shrine 4. Gajalakshmi Shrine 5. Bhuvaneswari Shrine 6. Jyeshta Devi Shrine The unnumbered shrine originally housed the Saptamatrikas, whose images have since been relocated to the Gajalakshmi shrine. What makes the Pandyan rock cut temples particularly fascinating is their remarkable integration of multiple worship traditions within a single sacred complex. Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakta traditions coexist in a carefully conceived architectural arrangement, reflecting the rich diversity of religious practices within our Dharma. Tirupparankundram stands as a beautiful testimony to this multidimensional character of early Pandyan temple architecture. #Navaratri

Goddess in Penance ! #MaduraiMeenakshi #Navaratri