Shri Mariamman Kovil (Palakkad)

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  kalidas tambrampilla (guest)

  it's our samudhaya temple...

  14 years ago | reply | hide comment
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  Kalidas.S Thambrampilla (guest)

  Sangam literature In Sangam literature, the chiefs of the vellala tribes were called the Velir The Velir or the Vellalar tribes are described as a landed gentry who irrigated the wet lands and the Karalar were the landed gentry in the dry lands. Numerous poems in the ancient Sangam literature extol these chieftains' charity and truthfulness. Among the most prominent were those known as the 'seven patrons' (kadaiyezhu vallal); Vel-Pari, Malayaman Thirumudi Kaari, Ori, Adigaman, Began, Nalli and Ay Kandiran. They had close associations and held high positions of office with the three main Tamil dynasties, Chera, Chola and Pandya. Some of them even had marital relations; Ilamcetcenni, the king known for his fleet of warships, married a Velir princess, and his son Karikala Chola also married a Velir princess from Nangur. Warrior chieftains The Vellalars not only held absolute control over the feudal society but also demonstrated great military prowess. To quote a few: Ma-Vel-Evvi the famous chief known for his valour and bravery was a Vellala from Millalikurram in Pandimandalam. He was the law around the southern bank of the Kaveri basin. His territory included one of the most fertile fields of the Cauvery basin. Vel-Pari was known as the great patron of poets. This chief was a relative of Ma-Vel-Evvi and after the demise of the latter he took over the territory around the mountains of Parambu. Poet Kapilar, his life long companion described him as the lord of three hundred villages in ancient Tamilakkam who could only be won over by the sound of a lute Karkathar or Karkarthar or Karalar or Karaikkathar or Karaikattu Vellalar Again these people claim that they are SUPERIOR to other Saiva Pillai's. Because they ruled most of the water bodies. The tamil meaning of karkathar is the folks who guarded the "kar" -the clouds -thus maintained the fertile soil -thus they are Vellalars or Karalars mostly they are landlords -till today -their Thali, Marriage customs slightly differ from other saiva community, but still they intermarry. Also called as KARALARS, they have GOTHRAM like the BRAMINS to avoid marrying in the same blood. All other Saiva and Asaiva Pillai dont have GOTHRAM. So All other Pillai call their GOTHRAM as "SIVA GOTHRAM". Mahakavi Kambar greatly praised Karalar ] is the term used to denote theKarkatharcommunity from very early times. Manimekhalai, one of the five great Epics in the Tamil language, makes use of them twice in the phrase, Karalar Sanbai meaning the city Sikali of the Karkathar. Sanbai is one of the 12 names of Sikali made immortal by saint Gnanasambanda in his song sung before the Pandiya prince of Madurai, saying that he hailed from Sikali the holy place with twelve names. It was called Sanbai because of the wild growth of the elephant grass, Sanbankorai in the place. Sikali was then a seat of the Karkathar and so was called Karalar Sanbai in the epic. The history of Tamil literature and the Saiva religion tell us that the city was the headquarters or the capital city of the Saiva religion from very early times up to the fifteenth century A.D. The term Karalar means, those engaged in agriculture; it has had the same connotation through the centuries even up to the present day. Kar meant the steel blade of the plough, or ploughshare; Kar-anmai meant the utilization of the ploughshare, i.e., agriculture; and Kar-alar meant those who were masters of the ploughshare and they were naturally Karkathar. GENERAL OUTLOOK OF SAIVA VELLALARS These Saiva Vellalars are generally orthodox, intelligent, studious, good in maths (so they mostly became Kanakku Pillai's). They are devout Shiva devotees. Panniru Thirumurai is their Vedham. They were once Jamindhars, Pannaiyar's of the Villages along river bed like Tanjore, Tirunelveli. During recent era they took largely to Kanakku Pillai, Village Administrative Officers (VAOs) and in to Business due to the Trade bertween Yazhp Panam (Jaffna) and South India. Tobacco and Grocery business was very famously done by these Pillai Community during British Period. Such was the clout of these people, that one of the community man Va. Voo. Chidambaram Pillai floated a SHIP on to the high seas of Tuticorin. He lost the race with British, but his was one of the major business ambush on the British. Va. Voo. Si or VOC as he is fondly called, has become a great leader due to his sacrifices in the name on India. He is also called [Chekiluththa Chemmal] (means theGreat man who pulled the Oil press as a Jail punishment in the British Raj, for the sake of Independence of India)

  12 years ago | reply | hide comment