Book Review of Dushyanth Sridhar's much discussed recent book: 'Ramayanam Vol 1'

In this book review, we'll discuss it all: What was exceptional, what was good, what was okay, what can be improved, and yes, what was controversial. And if this book is recommended or not.
(1/10) This carefully planned volume has 108 chapters - and Dushyanth starts it off by paying obeisance to his Gurus.

The book doesn't start with Bala Kanda as usually narrated, but from a scene in Uttara Kanda & then ties back to Bala Kanda.
It ends with an underrated Pattabhisheka!

What does the strategist and writer Cho have to say about the recent Ramayana dating controversy?

Although Cho isn't alive today, he has shared his opinion on this topic in the preface to his immortal work 'Hindu Maha Samudhram'.

And he does take a clear side. A thread (1/8)

Cho starts his 6 volume compendium of Hindu Maha Samudhram with the traditional mantra for Sankalpa, & proceeds to explain the math behind Brahma's 1 day equaling 4.32 lakh human years.

He contrasts the western date 14/1/2005 with the Sankalpa date as per Sveta Varaha Kalpa.

Did Rama live in Treta Yuga lakhs of years ago, or in 5114 BCE?

Is there an element of truth in the astro-logical/nomical analysis that date Ramayana to our history?

Is there merit to this intellectual exercise of chronologizing an Itihasa or is it pointless?

A thread (1/8)

Every book must first know its audience and their intellectual context.

There's an Indic mind that's capable of visualizing one Brahma's day as 4.32 billion human years.

There's also a western educated skeptic mind that relies on scientific method to comprehend the world.

Might be hard to believe today, but once upon a time, in 1971, Tamilnadu was one of the two states within the country, to have total prohibition of alcohol in force. Along with Gujarat.

This is the story of who implemented Prohibition in TN and who lifted it, and why : (1/8) Again, it might be hard to believe today, but TN was once the bastion of Congress.

In the 1st Madras legislative assembly election in 1937, Congress won 159/215 seats - its most impressive electoral performance across all provinces.

Led by Satyamurthy and Kamaraj initially.

According to sources, Film Companion is shutting down, as Anupama Chopra is moving on to Hollywood Reporter.

For those who don't know, what TNM is for "journalism", FC is for film reviews.

You couldn't find a more w0ke, biased film site even if you tried. A 🧵of their reviews: FC Review#1:

The Kerala Story is not even a film since it is all propaganda based on "Whatsapp Forwards"

The film featured interviews of real victims of radicalization, grooming and LJ, and who were jailed in Afghanistan.

Today is Thirunaaraiyoor Nambiyaandar Nambi's guru poojai (Vaikasi Punarapoosam).

The story of how Nambi was asked by Rajaraja to discover and compile the Shaivite Thirumurais is fascinating.

A thread on this miraculous Sthala Puranam (1/9): Thirunaaraiyoor, a small village 20 km Southwest to Chidambaram houses a Paadal Petra Sthalam, Soundareswarar Temple.

In this temple, the son is more famous than his father – and goes by the name Pollaa Pillayaar.

It is not பொல்லாப் பிள்ளையார் as is commonly misspelt, but பொள்ளாப் பிள்ளையார் meaning “unsculpted”. This is because this Pillayar murthy here is believed to be a swayambhu murthy.

How on earth did the educated, civilized and God fearing people of Tamilnadu allow this malicious, unfair harassment of TBs to continue for a century now?

Nobody desires evil Thanos, yet this vicious harassment has not gone away for generations, so what gives?

A thread (1/9)

Because this targetted harassment has an utility, it has a benefit for the society at large.

For as long as this one community remains the punching bag, the spotlight is taken away from all other communities and they are shielded.

The Great Indian Democratic Festival starts today.

At its core lies Electronic Voting Machines designed by BEL.

Are EVMs tamper proof? Since when is it used?
Why should India use it even when Western superpowers don't?

Writer Sujatha, whose team at BEL designed it, answers:

EVMs were used for the first time in the general election in Kerala in 1982.

An LDF candidate filed a petition to stop EVM use. After Sujatha's demo in judge's chambers, EVM was permitted .
The same candidate who filed a complaint had won.

"Electronics won" wrote Sujatha!

On the subject of Kamalhassan, his hypocrisy and double standards and misinformation have been documented by Tamil Labs over the past 1.5 years.

A thread compiling all such posts for your reading pleasure, Kamal fans are welcome to give a factual rebuttal: 2020 Kamal criticizing ADMK for rain-flood mismanagement, and 2023 Kamal blaming the force of nature instead of DMK:

https://x.com/labstamil/status/1731673497087209865

One of the most engaging but dishonest film is Jana Gana Mana, from Commiewood.

Infact the movie clearly states its political ideology and bigotry very clearly, including its emotional manipulation technique.

But alas, we were hooked to cinema and missed it all.

A thread. Spoilers Ahead.

The film was good only no? Why are you calling it called dishonest, you ask? Good question.

The film states one thing and does exactly its opposite - isn't this dishonest?

Take this scene for example - it hates discriminating people by color. A school textbook that calls people fair and ugly is criticized. Valid point.

But what does the film do?

The Srirangam Files:

In 1323 CE, just like today, crowds had thronged to Srirangam Temple for the Panguni festivities.

Mohammed Bin Thuqlaq was camping at what is Samayapuram today, near Trichy. He wasn't coronated as the "Mad Delhi Sultan" yet, and went by his real name Ulugh Khan.

It was a sacred temple festival for the locals, but for the Sultan-to-be, it was an expedition - a chance to loot and ransack the huge temple and strike fear at the hearts of idol worshipping Kh@firs.

Sensing that Khan might attack, the temple Archakar Vaduladesikar had made arrangements for the Murti to be saved.

Wrath had filled the Mad Tyrant Ulugh Khan and he screamed his orders. Trained army men behe*ded 12,000 unarmed devotees making the Kaveri river turn red with civilian blood.

It took weeks before all the bodies could be disposed. This bloody history, this "Srirangam files" won't be found in most history books.
But the Srirangam temple's own record book 'Koil Ozhugu' documents this incident as 'பன்னீராயிரம் திருமுடி திருத்திய கலகம்’.

We must consciously recall and respect the sacrifices of our ancestors. Otherwise, those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.
Sri Vedanta Desika who played a crucial role in saving the Murthi, had composed a stotra 'Abeedhi Sthavam' asking Ranganathar to remove the fear instiled in people by Turks and Yavanas (Greeks).

Compiling all threads and posts from the past few days, on the TM Krishna- Music Academy saga, EVR's problematic statements cited from primary sources, at a single place.

Bookmark this for quick reference. RT this to spread the word. (1/11) Many were asking for sources on whether EVR really called for a genozide.

In this Srirangam speech, he himself takes credit for asking people to st@b any and all TB men and women, keeping fire to their agr@harams and it resulting in a policy change:

https://x.com/labstamil/status/1771222508798193953?s=20

Challenge Accepted. Thread (1/5)

Instances of EVR profanity against women

1: 1971 EVR (age 92) speech at a wedding at Madurai:

"Why do women spend so much time in makeup?

The only reason is to make others (men) take a look at them.

They dress provocatively such that their body parts are visible rousing emotions in men.

The makeup and the dress they wear is what arouses emotions (lust) in men" 2. EVR, of age 94 says in his Irudhi Perurai (Final Great Speech) in 1973:
"Why are temples still alive?

Because only in a temple's festive crowd, will a husband get the pleasure of seeing his wife being groped.

He is habituated to this because everyone else's wife is also subject to the same.

Women could also get such a chance to graze multiple men only within temple premises. If we make different arrangements for this, women would not go to temples"

One of the most misinterpreted story is "Scorpion and the Saint", where a saint keeps saving a scorpion from drowning, despite it stinging him every time.

This is our version of "If someone slaps your cheek, show them the other"

But this story has a better interpretation (1/7) When the saint saves the scorpion from drowning, despite it stinging him many times, somebody asks him why.

He says:
"It is the nature of the scorpion to sting, it is my nature to save;
When the scorpion isn't giving up on its nature, why should I give up on my Sva-Dharma?"

Oppenheimer wins the Oscar for the Best Picture, and Nolan wins the Best Director award.

Nolan thoroughly deserves it for his ambitious filmmaking and storytelling.

We all know that Oppenheimer quoted from the Gita after the Trinity test, but do you know why he did so?

(1/7) Oppenheimer, after he witnessed the Trinity Test, the first detonation ever of a nuclear weapon, opines with glistening moist eyes:

"We knew the world would not be the same.
A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent.
I remembered the line from the Gita."

Once, when Sundaramoorthy Naayanar was on a yatra to Chola temples, he crossed a river & continued to walk near Mazhapaadi, an area covered by dense Konnai trees.

He heard a voice: "Sundaram, Ennai Marandhaayo?" (Sundaram, did you forget me?) but it was not from any human(1/5) Shocked, he enquired the locals if there were any temples around.

With their guidance, he discovered a small temple fully covered by Konnai trees (golden shower) that were fully bloomed.

This Kondrai flower is a favorite of Lord Shiva, who is called கொன்றை வேந்தன். (2/5)

Yesterday, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for ISRO's second spaceport at Kulasekharapatnam in TN's coast.

But TN had a chance to be ISRO's first choice for a launchpad, even before Sriharikota.

But the chance was ruined, thanks to a DMK minister in the late 60s.

(1/5) ISRO had zeroed in on East Coast as ideal sites for launchpad, as launching rockets along the spin of the earth gave a cost advantage.

To setup a launchpad at Kanyakumari coastline, Vikram Sarabhai wanted to meet the CM Annadurai, the CM.

But Anna had severe shoulder pain.

Tamil Youtube has some of the worst non-censored content that does targeted abuse of one comm alone in such a vile, disgusting manner.

Not only are these micro-communities openly denigrated, their slang and profession is mocked, their intents are questioned, their lives are laughed at.

The guy performing this cheap "parody" goes by the name "420 Michael" in videos from his earlier channel.

Ambedkar wanted Sanskrit to be India's official language, but this follower of Ambedkar calls it as an "alien" language in the video.

In the public space, no other comm can be made such a punching bag with no consequences.

If you question this utter indecency for the targeted abuse it is, you become "c@steist" , "pr!vileged", "S@nghi" and whatnot.

The sad thing is, everyone has started accepting this as the new normal in the "civilized, progressive" TN.
Will this crassness ever stop? If there was any real impact of EVR in real life, it is normalizing this TB hate to such an extent that its become second nature in TN.

There is literally no social or legal ramifications to doing this "parody". Infact, it is incentivized and covertly encouraged.

Such indecent stuff will go utterly unnoticed by w0kes and Ds. Tamil Peter Sandhu will not outrage over this, they become silent enablers for such crassness.

Many will laught it off, some will give justifications for the need to do such parody, a few will call this out.

But it will never stop. Its a well oiled hate machine funded by you know who.

In 1987, Cho published a warning of a news item from The Hindu in Thuglak:

"In research centers, when frogs were dissected, 1.75 ft long snake was discovered in its stomach"

Many curious readers asked to explain this warning.

But he didn't explain it for 3 years.
Why?

(1/5) Cho was reading Mahabharata's section on Sagunam/Nimitham on what were considered bad omens for the king.

In it were listed:
1) When sun is on east, if an object's shadow is cast on east, the king will die

2) If a frog in a country swallows a snake, the king will die

Today is #ThiruvalluvarDay & there is a lot of confusion about his identity.

Was he an atheist? A H? Xtian? M? Jain? Buddhiśt?

Leaving politics aside, is there is a way to determine his identity by analyzing his work?

Yes and the answer is clear.

A fact-based thread (1/15)

Some might ask: Should we even be doing this research?

Why try to box Thiruvalluvar into a religious identity? Isn't his work universal, and common for all?

Good question!
The answer to this consists of 2 points.

Is ignoring what we dislike (especially on SM ) a winning strategy?

Say a movie like Annapoorani comes out where an Iyengar eats meat, learns to cook beep, wears a burqa before cooking, should u speak out?

Or Should u be the silent majority?
When to ignore? When not to?
(1/8)

Lets flip it.
When Kerala Story and Kashmir Files came out, did the illiberal LW ignore it?

Nope. They kept writing review after review, giving 0.5 star rating. Why didn't they simple ignore it, if they didn't want people to see it?

Cuz they know something that the RW doesn't.