Thiruvarur, the hometown of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, witnessed a surprising revelation as the murti of Bhagwan Ram was discovered during excavation for a construction project, countering the repeated claims by Dravidian, left, and other parties that Bhagwan Ram is a mythical, fictional character associated with North India.
The discovery of the Bhagwan Ram’s murti, buried beneath the soil in Thiruvarur district, challenges the narrative propagated by parties like DMK, left, Dravidar Kazhagam, VCK, NTK, claiming that Bhagwan like Ganeshji (Vinayagar), Murugan, Shiva, and Ram are exclusively North Indian deities. These parties have also dismissed epics like Ramayan and Mahabharat as fictional creations, not rooted in historical reality.
This finding gains significance in the context of the 2007 controversy surrounding the Sethusamudram project, where DMK’s M. Karunanidhi questioned Bhagwan Ram’s existence, asking sarcastically about his engineering qualifications and challenging the historical authenticity of the Ram Setu. The recent discovery of a Ram murti in the same region brings a tangible aspect to the age-old debates.
Additionally, the DMK’s attempts to restrict celebrations and poojas during Ayodhya Pran Prathistha events faced legal challenges and opposition from various quarters. The I.N.D.I. Alliance, comprising several political parties, such as the Congress party, distanced itself from such events, citing various reasons, including the absence of a Ram Mandir in Tamil Nadu’s religious landscape. This point was reiterated by the Congress MP from Tamil Nadu, Jothimani.
However, Bhagwan has his own way of making his presence felt, and this is evident from the fact that in the past, the murtis of Bhagwan Ram, Lakshman, Mata Sita, and Hanumanji were also discovered.
Meanwhile, the quiet village of Perumalakaram in Tiruvarur district was suddenly buzzing with activity, as there was both excitement and controversy when the local flower shop owner, Marimuthu, discovered an ancient murti of Bhagwan Ram while excavating the foundation for his house. The precious murti, crafted from a 5-metal alloy known as panchaloga (Aimpon), stands approximately 2 feet tall.
The villagers were elated as they found a string lamp, a chain for hanging the lamp, and a headband, which led to the villagers to perceive it as a divine blessing. However, the joy was short-lived, as government officials were promptly informed about the find and they visited the site for inspection.
திருவாரூர் மாவட்டம் பெருமாளகரத்தில் வசிக்கும் மாரிமுத்து என்பவர், வீடு கட்ட அஸ்திவாரம் தோண்டியபோது, 5 அடி ஆழத்தில் ஐம்பொன் ராமர் சிலையை கண்டெடுத்துள்ளார். தகவலறிந்த அரசு அதிகாரிகள் சம்பவ இடத்திற்கு விரைந்து ராமர் சிலையை மீட்டனர். 40 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு இதே இடத்தில் குழி… pic.twitter.com/60hBLy6Kvy
— Thanthi TV (@ThanthiTV) March 9, 2024
The village administrative officer, Rajkumar, and Tahsildar Devendran took charge of the situation, and they swiftly seized the murti of Bhagwan Ram and transported it to the Tahsildar’s office. Devendran stated that the true nature of the statue, whether it is an Aimpon idol or crafted from another metal, as well as its value, can only be determined after examination by archaeologists. Local residents recalled a similar discovery more than 40 years ago, where over 10 different types of metal objects, including a Ram padam, were found in the area.
However, a netizen injected an element of scepticism, sarcastically questioning the depiction of Bhagwan Ram with a hair bun and a long hole in his ear. The comment suggested a resemblance to Buddha, insinuating a potential misidentification.
ராமருக்கு என்னைக்கு தலையில கொண்டை, காதுல நீள ஓட்டை இதெல்லாம் இருந்துருக்கு?!
கிடைச்சது புத்தர் சிலை, குங்குமம், சந்தனம், மாலை போட்டு ராமர் சிலைன்னு கதையளந்துட்டு இருக்கான். https://t.co/15r0eyQp5s pic.twitter.com/lrBb9XRFo9
— Joe…😎😎 (@ItzmeeJoee) March 9, 2024
The discovery of Bhagwan Ram’s murti revives memories of the 1970s when EV Ramaswamy Naicker, commonly known as Periyar, organised an anti-Hindu event. In one procession, he garlanded a picture of Bhagwan Ram with slippers, sparking widespread condemnation. Notably, Dravidar Kazhagam’s present chief, K Veeramani, has openly claimed that this incident, where Bhagwan Ram was hit with slippers, played a role in DMK’s rise to power, ousting Congress in Tamil Nadu.
