How Deepavali became a 5-day festival (My talk in Mediyaan Channel)

 Deepavali is celebrated as Naraka Chaturdasi in Tamilnadu whereas it is a five-day festival in North India. In this interview to Mediyaan News Channel, I explained the genesis of Deepavali as a 3 day festival in memory of Mahabali and how it expanded to a five-day festival during Krishna's time. 

I also replied to the questions that are currently circulating.

* Is Diwali an Aryan festival?

* Is Narakasura a Tamilian?

* Is Diwali just about celebrating the killing of a Tamilian?

* Isn't this a northern festival? 

* What are the evidences for Deepavali celebrated in Tamil lands?

* Tamilians light lamps only for Karthigai? Isn't that a Tamil festival?

Please watch and share.

My talk about Ayudha Puja in Mediayaan channel

Due to pre-occupations, I couldn't post some of my videos in the past few weeks. 

Let me start uploading here one by one starting with my interview in Mediyaan News Channel on Ayudha puja.

In this interview I am answering questions such as 

# Is Ayudha Puja an Arya festival?

# Why should we celebrate it?

# Does celebration of Ayudha Puja mean celebration of violence?

I also pointed out the details of the Vettuva Vari in Silappadhikaram as the earliest evidence of Ayudha Puja.

Apart from that, the 'TuRai" called VaaN Mangalam mentioned in Tolkappiyam shows that there was a practice of worshiping weapons. In connection with that, there is a Purananuru verse about Avvaiyar talking to Tondaimaan.

In Pari Paadal there is also a description of Mallars decorating their weapons.

All these are not pujas done just for the sake of preparing for the war.

It is a pooja performed every year on Maha Navami which is the day of Ayudha Puja. 

In this connection, I discussed the epigraphical evidence and literary evidence found in Periya Puranam.

The interview can be watched here:

My talk about Yoga and International Yoga Day (Mediyaan News)

Today is International Yoga Day. Watch the video where I talk about it.

I have given evidence from Tholkappiyam and temple architecture that Tamil people were practicing yoga from an undated past. The Siddha-s practiced yoga. The origins of Yoga can be traced to Valakhilya-s and to Dhruva even before them. By the prevalence of an asana by name Valakhilyasana, we understand the description about them in the Mahabharata on how they did tapas by hanging from tree-branches. With one leg bent around a branch, they stretched their body upside down and balanced with their hands holding the other leg.

Yoga, as part of Astika darshana-s is attributed to rishi Patanjali and practiced as Ashtanga yoga in a comfortable asana for the sake of Realisation of the Ultimate Reality. Today we have adopted the asana feature alone as a means of bettering our health. In his maiden speech in the UN Assembly in 2014, our PM, Modi suggested Yoga to overcome many a life-style problems of the current times. It was welcomed by a record number of countries and resulted in observing International Yoga Day every year on 21^st June. This date happens to be the day of summer solstice when daytime is the longest in the northern hemisphere.

Though our country had released coins and stamps in connection with this day, the UN also released 10 stamps with pictures of asanas and OM next to them. 

Though certain communities resisted the use of OM and Namaskar in the poses, it must be remembered that the upper echelons of those communities have no problem in learning and practising Yoga in its original form. Even the Gulf countries have added Yoga in their school curriculum.

In the current times, Yogasana was popularised by Thirumalai Krishnamachari who received the knowledge from his remote ancestor, Sriman Nadamunigal, through trance. Nadamunigal himself was a beneficiary of Yogic practice that he received 4000 Divya Prabhandam-s of Azhwars by focusing on the verses of Madhurakavi Azhwar in praise of Nammazhwar. Nammazhwar himself was a yogi seated in Padmasana in which state he could see Vishnu in different kshetras.

With such amazing events seen in our country, it is surprising to see archaeological finds in Mexico in yogic postures. I talk about these poses in Olmec and Tlatilco cultures that thrived 3000 years ago. 

The Indus region in Bharat has much older evidence of seals with images in Yogic asanas and even a skeleton unearthed in Yogic samadhi. 

The Mexican evidence perhaps can be traced to Mayan who built the city and palace for the Pandavas in the Mahabharata 5000 years ago before he moved out of Bharat.

I wind up this talk with an appeal to learn yoga from a trained teacher and practice it regularly for a healthy life. Please watch this talk which is in Tamil and share.  

In what way Bhagawan Shri Rama is connected with Tamilnadu (my talk-series in Mediyaan)

In connection with the Prana Pratistha of Bhagavan Shri Rama in his Janma Bhumi, I have given a series of short interviews to Mediyaan channel days before the Prana Pratistha. The links to all of them are given here along with a brief note on what I have spoken in each video. 

Part 1: The connection between Rama and Tamilnadu is highlighted by citing the inscription of Veera Rajendra Chola which claims that the Cholas were the descendants of Rama. Literary sources stating the same are also given besides explaining how this connection existed. 

Part 2: 

* The 'Kula dhanam' given by Rama to Vibhishana is identified * The epigraphic evidence of Rama having made Setu to cross the ocean. * Chola connection to Rama * 'Sangrama Raghava' and 'Kodandarama' in Chola dynasty.

Part 3:

* Rama guarded the tank in Madhurantakam * Did Rama appear in person to the British collector in Madhurantakam? * Evidence on how the ancient Tamils had known Valmiki Ramayana.

Part 4:

* Significance of Pattabhisheka Raman. * Rare temples of Pattabhisheka Rama in TN. * Dakshina Ayodhya at Vaduvur & Injimedu. * Why Madhurantakam Ram temple is special. * Pancha Rama kshetras in TN.

Part 5:

* the proof for Ayodhya as the birth place of Rama.
* Rama's presence widespread in TN with examples of Naga kudaiyaan & Semponsei koyil * central govt's involvement in the temple