Comparison of the shield from Sinauli with shields of similar shape depicted on Harappan seals.

Sinauli divinity with a peepal leaf and horns on head as depicted on the coffin compared with Harappan Yogic divinity with peepal leaves and horns on head as depicted on Indus seal.

Aitareya Brahmana (2.1) of Rig Veda mentions the sacrificial post (yupastambha) used in Vedic Yajnas is to be made with wood of khadira tree. Rig Veda (3.53.19) also mentions the Khadira wood.

This tree is grown only in India. Khadira is the catechu or Acacia catechu tree, which is entirely native to India, Indo-China and Southeast Asia.


Another evidence for the nativity of Vedic Yajnasamskara which is deeply rooted within the land of Bharata. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegalia…

An interesting Dutch document on Thiruvalla Sri Vallabha temple and Travancore-Kochi confrontation.
Sharing translation here.
When Marthanda Varma was expanding Travancore, the Nair troops faced hurdle at Thiruvalla in Thekkumkur kingdom where the Brahmins halted them under the under the order of the Kochi Raja who had rights over the temple. The Kochi Raja then sent some of his Nairs to defend Thiruvalla. Travancore Nairs inevitably had to retreat since the Nairs usually took oath to protect the Brahmins before being recruited as soldiers

A thread on ancient fire altars (chiti) used in Vedic Aryan rituals and their shapes and layers as described in the ancient Vedic ritual texts. Consider this as an updated version of my older thread from years back.

1) Rathacakra-citi, wheel shaped altar with and without spokes

2) Paricāyya-Upacāyya citi

There have been debates among Kerala folklorists and historians about the nature of the Ettuveettil Pillamar, the 8 Nair aristocrats of Travancore, and their supporters who plotted against the king Marthanda Varma. Some regard them as patriots who resisted the tyrannical rule of Marthanda Varma who wished to eliminate his cousins - the Thampi brothers who was born of a non-Malayali lady - and the Pillamar as they posed a threat to him.

Dikshita Nambuthiri Yajamana (consecrated sacrificer) in the attire of Vedic Aryan Soma ritualist. The planting of the sacred Yupa stambha (sacrificial pillar).

This passage from Agnyadheyabrahmana (which deals with establishment of sacred Vedic ritual fires) of the now defunct Katha shakha of the Krishna or Black Yajur Veda is extremely significant.

Writing a thread on this context - First, it speaks of the creator Prajapati performing intense Tapasya with his head touching the ground & legs raised upwards. This is a description of Yogic Shirshasana. So here in this ancient Vedic text we have clear description of a Yogic asana.

The more I read the wisdom of Father Manu, the more I realize he safeguarded women's security. He mandates the king himself should protect childless women, those women in distress and widows who remain faithful to their deceased husband.
The property of widowed women is also to be safeguarded by the king. If in-laws tries to appropriate her property, the king should punish them like thieves, which includes cutting off limbs.

A thread on Harappan iconography -

I had always wondered why the sacred arch iconography found in the Harappan seals had pipal leaves instead of fire (prabhavali, signifying the tejas or flaming aura of the deities) like we encounter in later Indian iconography.

I had initially thought it may simply signify divine status of the pipal tree, being associated with the deities since the Harappan times as in later Hindu and Buddhist tradition. But from my recent readings, now I got the precise answer.

AK Coomaraswamy's summing up of Hindu cosmological conceptions. Make of it what you will.

On the Nair military system of medieval Kerala, primarily consisting of suicide fighters known as Chaverukal (known to Europeans as Amoucos/Amochi), who are vowed to seek vengeance for the death of their Lords and for the sake of their pride even by offering up their own lives. Suicide fighters of Cochin.

Listing some names of the Vedic Gods and Gotras occurring in the early Tamil inscriptions starting from the Sangam age. Many are Tamilized forms of Prakrit names.

1) Āditya 2) Mitra

The Balinese Hindu fire ritual recalls the old Vedic Dyava-Prithvi motif, here Shiva is considered as Dyaus Pitr, the Sky Father who united with Prithvi or Mother Earth.
I shall post a brief account of Balinese Hindu fire ritual which contain old Vedic motifs in this thread.

This work gives a good insight into the lives of Kshatriya-Nair women of Kerala who were Sanskrit scholars and authors belonging to traditional matrilineal households. Panini's grammar were quite popularly taught in Kerala, that it became a common talk in the households.

A thread on what makes Bharatavarsha a Punyabhumi - List of sacred Tirthas mentioned in Itihasa-Puranas. Pilgrimage to these sites grants fruits of performing Vedic rites for a layman. While many Tirthas are in northern Bharata, south also have them. Some are also unidentifiable.

In Shankarasmriti, the code of law which became popular in Kerala with rise of Namboothiri tradition, It is stated that the eldest son in a family must perform Pitr Karma for all his paternal uncles as well. It is since younger brothers of father mostly married into matrilineal castes like Kshatriya-Nairs and Ambalavasis, and they did not have any heir to perform Pitra Karma for them becuase children in these unions belonged to mother's family and they performed Pitr Karma to their

On the Dharmic Hindu character of the Padmanabhadasas of Travancore. The Maharaja was looked upon as representative of Sri Padmanabha Swami, and often called as 'Ponnu Thampuran' or 'Golden Lord'.