மழுவாள் நெடியோன் - January 10th Lecture at EFEO, Pondicherry

Indus Crocodile Cult as seen in the Iron Age Tamil Nadu

    Lecture at 4:30 PM, January 10, 2014

  EFEO (http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/EFEO) , Pondicherry

This lecture will be about some aspects of Indian religion in the Post-Harappan period. The meaning of the anthropomorphic axes of the 2nd millenium BC as a ritual symbol of a Makara (crocodile) god will be presented. An interpretation of the Tamil Brahmi inscription at Tirupparangunram,  discovered by History department, Pondicherry University recently will be offered as mentioning the crocodile god and his spouse. The lecture will include Dravidian names such as Nakar, Gharial, Makara, Karaa for the  three species of Indian crocodiles and the Ashvamedha sacrifice on the banks of a Water Tank done for a crocodile as seen in Pandyan Peruvazhuti  coins. Graffiti symbols from Saanuur and Suulur as linguistic sign for the crocodile  deity, and the crocodile couple as seen in Adichanallur burial urn (500 BCE) along  with the battle-axe bearing great god in Sangam poetry will be used to illustrate  the prevalence of the crocodile based religion until the Early Sangam period. The first stone sculpture made in south India at such places as Mottur, Udaiyanatham, - monumental in size over ten feet tall -, in the Iron Age will be linked to the earlier Anthropomorphic Axes, made in metal, found in many Post-Harappan OCP sites of North India.

All are invited. Happy New Year! and eager to see you in Pondicherry on January 10th.

A photo from the event that was published in Dinamalar paper: