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Alli Raani
Alli Rani (), also known as Alli arasi , is a legendary Tamil queen of the Sangam period, who is thought to have ruled the whole western and northern coast of Sri Lanka from her capital Kudiramalai. According to folklore, her fort, Allirani fort, is located in Mannar, Sri Lanka. She is sometimes seen as an incarnation or multiform of Meenakshi and Kannagi. Legends attribute her as an "Amazon" ruler, who had an administrative and an army of only women, with male being their subordinates and servants. There are references to her in several texts such as ''Alli katai'', ''Alli Arasani Maalai'', ''Pavazhakodi Maalai'' and ''Pulavendran Kalava Maalai.'' She is also depicted in a popular dramatic compilation in Tamil language, entitled as ''Alli Arasani Nadakam''. Legend The only daughter of a Pandyan king, she was considered an immaculate conception as she was found on an ''alli'' (Tamil word for lily) after the end of a Putrakameshti ritual. She was at young age sent to guruku ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sangam Period
The Sangam period or age (, ), particularly referring to the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Sri Lanka (then known as Tamilakam) spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. It was named after the famous Sangam academies of poets and scholars centered in the city of Madurai. The First Sangam to be located in ''Then Madurai'' under the patronage of 89 Pandya kings, during this period. It is said to have lasted for 4,440 years, and this would put the First Sangam between 9600 BCE to 5200 BCE. In Old Tamil language, the term Tamilakam (''Tamiḻakam'', ''Purananuru'' 168. 18) referred to the whole of the ancient Tamil-speaking area, corresponding roughly to the area known as southern India today, consisting of the territories of the present-day Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, parts of Andhra Pradesh, parts of Karnataka and northern Sri Lanka also known as Eelam. History According to Tamil legends, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gurukula
A or ( sa, गुरुकुल, gurukul) is a type of education system in ancient India with ('students' or 'disciples') living near or with the guru, in the same house. The guru-shishya tradition is a sacred one in Hinduism and possibly appears in other dharmas in India, such as Jainism and Buddhism. (In the Sikhism, Sikh tradition by contrast, the word Guru Granth Sahib, Guru has a very restricted use and not generally applied to individual teachers, while the institution of Gurdwara has a major social role instead of a monastic one.) The word is a combination of the Sanskrit words ('teacher' or 'master') and ('family' or 'home'). The term is also used today to refer to residential monasteries or schools operated by modern gurus. The proper plural of the term is , though ''gurukuls'' is also used in English and some other Western world, Western languages. The students learn from the guru and help the guru in his everyday life, including carrying out of mundane daily ho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mythological Queens
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrative as a myth can be highly controversial. Many adherents of religions view their own religions' stories as truth and so object to their characterization as myth, the way they see the stories of other religions. As such, some scholars label all religious narratives "myths" for practical reasons, such as to avoid depreciating any one tradition because cultures interpret each other differently relative to one another. Other scholars avoid using the term "myth" altogether and instead use different terms like "sacred history", "holy story", or simply "history" to avoid placing pejorative overtones on any sacred narrative. Myths are often endorsed by secular and religious authorities and are closely linked to religion or spirituality. Many soci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamil Monarchs
Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, natively spoken by the Tamils * Tamil script, primarily used to write the Tamil language **Tamil (Unicode block), a block of Tamil characters in Unicode * Tamil dialects, referencing geographical variations in speech See also * Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood, the word being a portmanteau of Kodambakkam and Hollywood. * Tamil cuisine * Tamil culture, is considered to be one of the world's oldest civilizations. * Tamil diaspora * Tamil Eelam, a proposed independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka * Tamil Nadu, one of the 28 states of India * Tamil nationalism * ''Tamil News'', a daily Tamil-language television news program in Tamil Nadu * Tamilakam, the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil people, covered today's Tam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamil Mythology
Tamil mythology refers to the folklore and traditions that are a part of the wider Dravidian pantheon, originating from the Tamil people. This body of mythology is a fusion of elements from Dravidian culture and the parent Indus Valley culture, both of which have been syncretised with mainstream Hinduism. Tamil literature, in tandem with Sanskrit literature and the Sthala puranas of temples, form a major source of information regarding Tamil mythology. The ancient epics of Tamilakam detail the origin of various figures in Hindu scriptures, like Agathiyar, Iravan, and Patanjali. Ancient Tamil literature contains mentions of nature-based indigenous deities like Perumal, Murugan, and Kotravai. The Tolkappiyam hails Shiva as Brahman, Murugan as Seyyon (the red one), and Kotravai as the goddess worshipped in the dry lands. By the eighth century BCE, the Tamil country became the springboard of the Bhakti movement, invoking devotional poetry composed by the poet-saints called the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Puttalam Lagoon
The Puttalam Lagoon is a large lagoon in the Puttalam District, western Sri Lanka. The lagoon is fed by two rivers, namely the Kala Oya and Mi Oya, discharging at and respectively. It is linked to Mundal Lagoon to the south by a channel. The lagoon's water is brackish to saline. The lagoon is surrounded by a region containing coconuts, open forests, grasslands and shrublands. The land is used for prawn fishing, salt production, and rice cultivation. The lagoon has extensive mangroves, seagrasses and some salt marshes, attracting a wide variety of anatidae. Islands A moderate number islands scatter over the lagoon including: See also * Geography of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, formerly called "Ceylon", is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, southeast of the Indian subcontinent, in a strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes. The nation has a total area of , with of land and of water. Its coa ... References {{Lagoons of Sri Lanka Bodies of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Flood
A flood myth or a deluge myth is a myth in which a great flood, usually sent by a deity or deities, destroys civilization, often in an act of divine retribution. Parallels are often drawn between the flood waters of these myths and the primaeval waters which appear in certain creation myths, as the flood waters are described as a measure for the cleansing of humanity, in preparation for rebirth. Most flood myths also contain a culture hero, who "represents the human craving for life". The flood-myth motif occurs in many cultures, including the Mesopotamian flood stories, Native American in North America, the Genesis flood narrative, ''manvantara-sandhya'' in Hinduism, and Deucalion and Pyrrha in Greek mythology. Mythologies One example of a flood myth is the ''Epic of Gilgamesh''. Many scholars believe that this account was copied from the Akkadian ''Atra-Hasis'', which dates to the 18th century BCE. In the Gilgamesh flood myth, the highest god, Enlil, decides to destr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akkaraipattu
Akkaraipattu (Tamil language, Tamil: ''அக்கரைப்பற்று'', Sinhala language, Sinhala: ''අක්කරපත්තුව'') is a large town in the Ampara District, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. The town is strategically located with links via the A25 road (Sri Lanka), Siyambalanduwa-Ampara Road (A25) and the A4 road (Sri Lanka), Colombo-Batticaloa highway (A4). Akkaraipattu is situated from Colombo. History During the period of British rule, Akkaraipattu was within the Batticaloa District. A Government Agent headed each district. The posts of ''Maniyakkara'' (Assistant Government Agent) and ''Vanniyanar'' (Additional Government Agent) reported to the Government Agent.. The ''Vanniyanar'' appointed two officers directly responsible for irrigation, development, and education. Under this structure, agriculture and road construction became a prominent part of the development of the Akkaraipattu area. The ''Vanniyanar'' was also responsible for appointing the c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chilaw
Chilaw ( si, හලාවත, translit=Halāvata, ta, சிலாபம், translit=Cilāpam) is a large town in Puttalam District, North Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is governed by an urban council. The town is located 80 kilometres away from Colombo via Negombo. Etymology The name Chilaw derives its name from its Tamil name ''Cilāpam'', meaning pearl fishery. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral The seat of the Chilaw Diocese, this cathedral has a history of more than two centuries. According to legend, 200 years ago, most of what is now Chilaw Town was covered by a forest. A woman was searching for firewood and heard the sound of a lady speaking, "Please take me". She stopped her work and searched for the source of the sound. A statue of Mother Mary was on a tree. The woman took the statue and handed over it to the parish priest who recognized it as Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Many believe that this same statue now stands in the cathedral. Many in Chilaw celebrate the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kalpitiya
Kalpitiya (, ) is a coastal town located in western region of, Puttalam District. The Kalpitiya peninsula consists of a total fourteen islands. It is developing as a tourist destination. Etymology Scholars identify the Sinhalese name "Kalapiti-Kuli which is mentioned in Sigiri graffiti as modern Kalpitiya" According to another theory, Kalpitiya is derived from the Tamil name Kalputti, stemming from the words ''kal'' meaning stone and ''putti'' meaning elevation. The place was in ancient times also known as ''Arasadi'', meaning in Tamil "place of Arasa tree". The place was in colonial era known as ''Calpentyn''. History Records going far back reveal that the peninsula was associated with maritime trade and smuggling escapades since ancient times. It was first colonised by the Portuguese in early 17th Century. The arrival of the Dutch eventually resulted in the ousting of the Portuguese from here and elsewhere in the island. Historical records show that during the Dutch peri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pearl Fishery
Pearl hunting, also known as pearling, is the activity of recovering pearls from wild molluscs, usually oysters or mussels, in the sea or freshwater. Pearl hunting was prevalent in the Persian Gulf region and Japan for thousands of years. On the Pearling in Western Australia, northern and north-western coast of Western Australia pearl diving began in the 1850s, and started in the Torres Strait Islands in the 1860s, where the term also covers diving for nacre or mother of pearl found in what were known as pearl shells. In most cases the pearl-bearing molluscs live at depths where they are not manually accessible from the surface, and diving or the use of some form of tool is needed to reach them. Historically the molluscs were retrieved by freediving, a technique where the diver descends to the bottom, collects what they can, and surfaces on a single breath. The diving mask improved the ability of the diver to see while underwater. When the surface-supplied diving helmet became ava ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thaali
A mangala sutra (), or thaali (ISO: ''tāḷi''), is a necklace that the groom ties around the bride's neck in the Indian subcontinent, in a ceremony called ''Mangalya Dharanam'' (). The necklace serves as a visual marker of status as a married Hindu woman. Mangala sutra's origin dates back to the 6th Century AD as a single yellow thread was tied around the bride for protection from other men and evil spirits. Mangala sutra is a social practice widespread in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. The term mangala sutra in Sanskrit means holy thread. Overview Mangala sutram literally means "an auspicious thread" which is knotted around the bride's neck. It is usually a necklace with black beads strung from a black or yellow thread prepared with turmeric. Sometimes gold, white or red beads are also added to the mangala sutram, depending on regional variation. It is a symbol of marriage worn by women. The idea of sacred thread existed for centuries, even going back to Sangam perio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
