There cannot be a crueller joke than this! Leftist distortians like Romila Thapar, who drew heavily upon Western and colonial historiography and promoted contested narratives such as “Ashoka ruled before Yudhishthira” through their writings and even in school textbooks, are now making such claims! It is, in fact, Indic scholars who have sought to correct these distortions through indigenous primary sources, including our scriptures, inscriptions and literary traditions, who are qualified to make such a statement. thehindu.com/news/national/h…

The reigns of Aditya I and Parantaka I witnessed the construction of numerous temples along the banks of the Kaveri. One such remarkable example is the Vada Thirthanathar Temple at Andanallur, near Tiruchirappalli. This Shiva temple was built by Sembiyan Irukkuvel, also known as Poodi Parantakan. An inscription in the temple records that the chieftain sought land from the king for its construction. Having obtained the land, he built the temple and performed ‘Jala Samprokshanam’ (the consecration ceremony). Interestingly, the inscription specifically mentions Jala Samprokshanam, not Kudamuzhukku. The chieftain also made extensive land endowments to support the temple's daily rituals and upkeep. These included provisions for: - Sennadai (food offerings) - Eight perpetual lamps - Four Manis (temple accountants) - Two conch blowers and two trumpet blowers - two flower garlands every day - Temple cleaning and maintenance - Recitation of Thevaram Pathigams What makes this inscription particularly fascinating is that the temples were not merely constructed and consecrated; they were endowed with resources to ensure the continuity of worship, music, offerings and daily services.

Annabhishekam of Gangai Konda Choleeswarar !

Rice getting carried to the sanctum of Gangai Konda Cholapuram temple for Annabhishekam today !

It was a pleasure to speak about inscriptions and our rich cultural heritage before a distinguished gathering of scholars and literary enthusiasts at #WesternGhatsLitFest. @jaggu916 @ShefVaidya @theverandahclub

Remembering the valiant Marudhu Brothers on their martyrdom day! A day to honour their courage, sacrifice, and unwavering resistance against British colonial rule.

Honoured to be part of the ‘Western Ghats Lit’ Fest by @theverandahclub, Celebrating Bharat Rising! Will be speaking on “Inscriptions and Our Heritage.” Looking forward to meeting an illustrious gathering of speakers, scholars, and literary enthusiasts over the next two days.

He conquered kingdoms, commanded armies, built an empire and raised a temple that still leaves the world in awe. But Rajaraja Chola was far more than a conqueror. He was a visionary statesman who transformed governance, a patron who nurtured a flourishing civilisation, and a monarch who immortalised his age in stone. Despite all these great achievements, he was happy to be called as ‘Sivapadasekhara’, a devotee of Shiva. Remembering the Emperor of Emperors on his birthday today !

On the eve of Aipassi Sadhayam, the birthday of the great Rajaraja Chola, let us look at one of the major adminstrative reforms undertaken by him.