I submitted my PhD to the Jawaharlal Nehru University, which explores Human-non-human-animal relationships where lives, stories, and destinies are interwoven. This realm of inquiry delves beyond mere coexistence and looks into threads that link our histories, the spaces we've shared, and the profound impact these interactions have had on humanity and the animal kingdom.
The paper analyses the concept of tiṇai (five eco-zones) to reconstruct gender ideals that existe... more The paper analyses the concept of tiṇai (five eco-zones) to reconstruct gender ideals that existed in early Tamil society. Caṅkam literature constitutes the primary source for the study. Based on the literary as well as archaeological explorations, the essential characteristics of the society during this period are understood as a militaristic one expanded to neighbouring regions that idealised heroism and performed various rituals related to war and victory. Within this socio-cultural context, these eco-zones are portrayed as five distinct realms, each imbued with its unique physiological essence, serving as a metaphor for the emotional landscape of the characters, and this sets the backdrop for the tales of love, longing, and sorrow. The paper expands its purview into the Tamil notions of love and marriage using various kinds/ forms of animal imagery. Sources have shown that an adult male was supposed to serve the ruling class upon attaining a certain age, and women were married off when they were still at a tender age. The treatment of these categories was never equal; however, in most instances, they were imposed with the responsibility of upholding the community’s pride. Be it a man fighting on the battlefield or a woman reaching the marriage age. The paper will conclude with a discussion on the role of flora and fauna in the creation and propagation of gender ideals that contribute to a gendered understanding of nature.
The Pallavas ruled the northern districts of present-day Tamil Nadu, the region known as Toṇṭaima... more The Pallavas ruled the northern districts of present-day Tamil Nadu, the region known as Toṇṭaimaṇṭalam in the records, shared their border with Cōḷamaṇṭalam in the south-west, with the Cāḷukyas of Vātāpi in the north-west and the Pāṇṭiyas in the south between the 7th and 9th Centuries CE. One of the significant aspects of this newly emerged state was the creation and projection of the ruler as an ‘ideal’ one, a reflection of which can be seen in the contemporary court literature, praśastis and birudās or epithets/titles of the rulers. In most cases, we see “a conscious attempt to link the historical reality of the ruling dynasty with the mythical lineage of the ithihāsa-purāṇa milieu” 2 to validate their power while retaining their indigenous identity.
Airavateśvara temple at Dārasuram (Rājarājeśvaram) is located at Kumbhakonam in Thanjavur distric... more Airavateśvara temple at Dārasuram (Rājarājeśvaram) is located at Kumbhakonam in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. The region, known also as Paḷaiyarai in early records, was an important centre of Cōḷa administration during the 11 th-12 th centuries CE. The temple owes its existence to the vision of Rajaraja II, son of Kulothunga Cōḷa II, who reigned from 1146 to 1172 CE. It is the third jewel in the crown of Cōḷā monumental stone temples, following the illustrious Brihadīśvara Temple. While the temple may not match the sheer size of the Brihadīśvara or the grandeur of Gangaikoṇḍcōḷapuram, it possesses a unique allure that has captivated generations of admirers.
This is an exploration into the origin and development of the indigenous style of Kerala temples ... more This is an exploration into the origin and development of the indigenous style of Kerala temples within the broader category of Dravidian architecture. The present paper, rather than focusing on any intact stylistic aspect, would focus on the formation of sub-regional architectural styles in pre-modern times.
Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology, 2020
In Kerala, sites of some early structural temples have yielded sculptures that may be dated to t... more In Kerala, sites of some early structural temples have yielded sculptures that may be dated to the 8 th and 9 th centuries AD. The early group of sculptures included the Saptamatṛ ka, Viṣ ṇ u and Śastā and are found from different parts of the region. It is argued that during the Pallava-Paṇ ṭ iya period (7 th-9 th centuries CE) the iconographical representations of goddesses were not primarily restricted to sectarian considerations, but also by the power structures which was seeking legitimization of certain authorities.
This article gives an overview of the history of the Indian History Congress, the largest body of... more This article gives an overview of the history of the Indian History Congress, the largest body of Indian historians founded in 1935.
This paper analyses the structure and patterns of collective patronage in pre-modern Kerala, one ... more This paper analyses the structure and patterns of collective patronage in pre-modern Kerala, one of the elusive areas of historical research as far as pre-modern Kerala is concerned. The inscriptions and other epigraphical sources which refer to patronage illustrate the key importance given to the underlying concerns of the act of donation like the patron, the recipient, the occasion on which the donation is made and the formal relationship by which it is recognized, and the object of given exchange and the function of the act; these are the concerns in almost all records.
As Ciṅgam kickstarts, Kerala gears up for its most vibrant and awaited festival: Onam (ഓണം). It i... more As Ciṅgam kickstarts, Kerala gears up for its most vibrant and awaited festival: Onam (ഓണം). It is the time of celebrations with captivating flower carpets (Pūkkaḷam), rhythmic songs (Ōṇapāṭṭu), and grand feasts (Ōṇasadya)! Onam falls on the 22nd star (Thiruvōṇam) of Cingam in the Malayalam calendar, Kolla Varsham. As we celebrate Ōṇam this month, let's reflect on its origins and evolution.
The paper analyses the concept of tiṇai (five eco-zones) to reconstruct gender ideals that existe... more The paper analyses the concept of tiṇai (five eco-zones) to reconstruct gender ideals that existed in early Tamil society. Caṅkam literature constitutes the primary source for the study. Based on the literary as well as archaeological explorations, the essential characteristics of the society during this period are understood as a militaristic one expanded to neighbouring regions that idealised heroism and performed various rituals related to war and victory. Within this socio-cultural context, these eco-zones are portrayed as five distinct realms, each imbued with its unique physiological essence, serving as a metaphor for the emotional landscape of the characters, and this sets the backdrop for the tales of love, longing, and sorrow. The paper expands its purview into the Tamil notions of love and marriage using various kinds/ forms of animal imagery. Sources have shown that an adult male was supposed to serve the ruling class upon attaining a certain age, and women were married off when they were still at a tender age. The treatment of these categories was never equal; however, in most instances, they were imposed with the responsibility of upholding the community’s pride. Be it a man fighting on the battlefield or a woman reaching the marriage age. The paper will conclude with a discussion on the role of flora and fauna in the creation and propagation of gender ideals that contribute to a gendered understanding of nature.
The Pallavas ruled the northern districts of present-day Tamil Nadu, the region known as Toṇṭaima... more The Pallavas ruled the northern districts of present-day Tamil Nadu, the region known as Toṇṭaimaṇṭalam in the records, shared their border with Cōḷamaṇṭalam in the south-west, with the Cāḷukyas of Vātāpi in the north-west and the Pāṇṭiyas in the south between the 7th and 9th Centuries CE. One of the significant aspects of this newly emerged state was the creation and projection of the ruler as an ‘ideal’ one, a reflection of which can be seen in the contemporary court literature, praśastis and birudās or epithets/titles of the rulers. In most cases, we see “a conscious attempt to link the historical reality of the ruling dynasty with the mythical lineage of the ithihāsa-purāṇa milieu” 2 to validate their power while retaining their indigenous identity.
Airavateśvara temple at Dārasuram (Rājarājeśvaram) is located at Kumbhakonam in Thanjavur distric... more Airavateśvara temple at Dārasuram (Rājarājeśvaram) is located at Kumbhakonam in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. The region, known also as Paḷaiyarai in early records, was an important centre of Cōḷa administration during the 11 th-12 th centuries CE. The temple owes its existence to the vision of Rajaraja II, son of Kulothunga Cōḷa II, who reigned from 1146 to 1172 CE. It is the third jewel in the crown of Cōḷā monumental stone temples, following the illustrious Brihadīśvara Temple. While the temple may not match the sheer size of the Brihadīśvara or the grandeur of Gangaikoṇḍcōḷapuram, it possesses a unique allure that has captivated generations of admirers.
This is an exploration into the origin and development of the indigenous style of Kerala temples ... more This is an exploration into the origin and development of the indigenous style of Kerala temples within the broader category of Dravidian architecture. The present paper, rather than focusing on any intact stylistic aspect, would focus on the formation of sub-regional architectural styles in pre-modern times.
Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology, 2020
In Kerala, sites of some early structural temples have yielded sculptures that may be dated to t... more In Kerala, sites of some early structural temples have yielded sculptures that may be dated to the 8 th and 9 th centuries AD. The early group of sculptures included the Saptamatṛ ka, Viṣ ṇ u and Śastā and are found from different parts of the region. It is argued that during the Pallava-Paṇ ṭ iya period (7 th-9 th centuries CE) the iconographical representations of goddesses were not primarily restricted to sectarian considerations, but also by the power structures which was seeking legitimization of certain authorities.
This article gives an overview of the history of the Indian History Congress, the largest body of... more This article gives an overview of the history of the Indian History Congress, the largest body of Indian historians founded in 1935.
This paper analyses the structure and patterns of collective patronage in pre-modern Kerala, one ... more This paper analyses the structure and patterns of collective patronage in pre-modern Kerala, one of the elusive areas of historical research as far as pre-modern Kerala is concerned. The inscriptions and other epigraphical sources which refer to patronage illustrate the key importance given to the underlying concerns of the act of donation like the patron, the recipient, the occasion on which the donation is made and the formal relationship by which it is recognized, and the object of given exchange and the function of the act; these are the concerns in almost all records.
As Ciṅgam kickstarts, Kerala gears up for its most vibrant and awaited festival: Onam (ഓണം). It i... more As Ciṅgam kickstarts, Kerala gears up for its most vibrant and awaited festival: Onam (ഓണം). It is the time of celebrations with captivating flower carpets (Pūkkaḷam), rhythmic songs (Ōṇapāṭṭu), and grand feasts (Ōṇasadya)! Onam falls on the 22nd star (Thiruvōṇam) of Cingam in the Malayalam calendar, Kolla Varsham. As we celebrate Ōṇam this month, let's reflect on its origins and evolution.
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marriage using various kinds/ forms of animal imagery. Sources have shown that an adult male was supposed to serve the ruling class upon attaining a certain age, and women were married off when they were still at a tender age. The treatment of these categories was never equal; however, in most instances, they were imposed with the responsibility of upholding the community’s pride. Be it a man fighting on the battlefield or a woman reaching the marriage age. The paper will conclude with a discussion on the role of flora and fauna in the creation and propagation of gender ideals that contribute to a gendered understanding of nature.
indigenous identity.
marriage using various kinds/ forms of animal imagery. Sources have shown that an adult male was supposed to serve the ruling class upon attaining a certain age, and women were married off when they were still at a tender age. The treatment of these categories was never equal; however, in most instances, they were imposed with the responsibility of upholding the community’s pride. Be it a man fighting on the battlefield or a woman reaching the marriage age. The paper will conclude with a discussion on the role of flora and fauna in the creation and propagation of gender ideals that contribute to a gendered understanding of nature.
indigenous identity.