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Thread on the the UNICORN depiction found in the seals of IVC & it's connections to the ancient Tamizh Agricultural ways & traditions which is followed TILL DATE in TN.
Standard dictionary definition of unicorn doesn't hold good 4 IVC unicorn.
Thread on the the UNICORN depiction found in the seals of IVC & it's connections to the ancient Tamizh Agricultural ways & traditions which is followed TILL DATE in TN.
Standard dictionary definition of unicorn doesn't hold good 4 IVC unicorn.
Standard dictionary def:
Unicorn a fabulous mythological animal of horse's body & single straight tail.
But IVC unicorns seals resemble more of wild buffalo, sometimes goat ,have sometimes 2 horns clearly indicating that Unicorn was a mythic animal among the people of IVC .
Unicorn a fabulous mythological animal of horse's body & single straight tail.
But IVC unicorns seals resemble more of wild buffalo, sometimes goat ,have sometimes 2 horns clearly indicating that Unicorn was a mythic animal among the people of IVC .
Now to Tamil connections..
The ancient Tamils were acquinted with the knowledge of Unicorn & Rhino, their respective names being Uccikomban ( உச்சி கொம்பன்,
horn on the center forehead) &
Kal Yanai (கல் யானை ,stone elephant) .
The ancient Tamils were acquinted with the knowledge of Unicorn & Rhino, their respective names being Uccikomban ( உச்சி கொம்பன்,
horn on the center forehead) &
Kal Yanai (கல் யானை ,stone elephant) .
The 1st ploughing ceremony in a yr among the Dravidians known as PONNER (பொன்னேர், Golden ploughing) involves symbolically yoking a "Unicorn " along with the bull in the plough.
This practice forgetten in many places ,fortunately this ancient practice is still observed in Salem.
This practice forgetten in many places ,fortunately this ancient practice is still observed in Salem.
Till date this ceremony is observed every yr during the month of Adi( july-august) in a village Goddess Mariyamman temple at Kottaiyur Village near Mettur dam in Salem, TN.
Pictorial representation of Yoking symbolically the plough with unicorn & bull represented by men.
Pictorial representation of Yoking symbolically the plough with unicorn & bull represented by men.
On a auspicious day immediately after the 4th day of announcing the 15 day festival of the temple, a farmer from a particular Vellala agriculturist family holds the handle of the plough & 2 teenage boys yoke the plough.
A 2 horned turban cloth is tied on the head of the 1st boy.
A 2 horned turban cloth is tied on the head of the 1st boy.
A single horned turban is tied on the head of the 2nd boy.
This is done by a person belonging to the washerman community & then a bard 4m the SC comes nr the plough & starts singing in praise of the occupation of agriculture, the rain,the king & the cattle beginning the ceremony.
This is done by a person belonging to the washerman community & then a bard 4m the SC comes nr the plough & starts singing in praise of the occupation of agriculture, the rain,the king & the cattle beginning the ceremony.
The Tamil people clubbed different features of different animals to represent a super animal "UNICORN" with super strength & that's why it's used in TN for the ploughing ceremony...for bounty & auspiciousness in agriculture most likely!
The IVC people could have used the depiction of UNICORN by clubbing the body features of diff animals to represent a particular syllabic sound or symbolic token figure as a trade mark.
