#ravidasan

Some Ponniyin Selvan themed tarot card designs! In no particular order. And there will be more!

Some design notes under cut

Excerpt From

Ponniyin Selvan Anaithu Pagangal (Tamil Edition)

Kalki

This material may be protected by copyright.

Context: After Ravidasan’s reveal that he and his compatriots are Veera Pandiyan’s Abhathudavaigal, Vandiyathevan replies that Veera Pandiyan is dead as Aditha Karikalan triumphed over him. This is Ravidasan’s reply to that.

“How did he win (over Veera Pandiyan?) Because of a young girl’s foolishness. She had far too much belief in the power of her web of allure. She believed that she could make that snake of the Chozha clan dance to her tune. The snake did dance its dance. However, it showed the power of its venomous fangs as well. Our King’s head rolled in the sand. They carried it all the way to Thanjavur. They mounted his head on a palanquin and showed it to one and all. Aha! Thanjavur! Thanjavur! See what state that city will fall too, brother!”

It is clear that Ravidasan and his men blame Nandini for their King’s death, that they were about to put her to death because of this until she swore to avenge the King and made sure Pazhuvettarayar was enamoured of her to further their goals, Ravidasan says as much after this snippet. How much of Nandini’s actions are born out of compulsion? Of the fear that she’d perish otherwise? This does bear giving some thought to.

In her imagination, Aditha Karikalan was a rowdy prince with multiple affairs and one of his lovers was the sister of the people who were punished for his murder. Granny knows that they were the government officials in that period. So they were working closely with Karikalan who wooed their chellam younger sister. Unfortunately his intentions weren't honourable. Betrayed (euphemism for impregnated and dumped) by the young prince, she committed suicide out of shame and the brothers killed Karikalan like the filmy heroes of 70s Tamil cinema and avenged her death.

Granny is too old to use Tumblr and Wattpad and the granddaughter has no interest in this. So she allowed me to share this. Our mothers and grannies in their heydays would have been more prolific and corny fanfiction writers than us if they had internet 😁

N. B. People punished for Aditha Karikalan's murder:

Soman .........

Ravidasan Panchavan Brahmadhirajan

Parameswaran Irumudichola Brahmadhirajan

Revadasa Kramavittan

and their families (mother, sons, wives uncles, son-in-laws, etc.)

Arulmozhi and his brother Aditya wear double tiger claw pendants. Besides being important to signify courage and bravery, it’s also particularly appropriate because they are princes of a dynasty that uses the tiger as its symbol. (You can see the red Chozha flag with its pouncing tiger in many scenes.) Aditya, who we almost always see in his armor, also has the tiger worked into that very same armor where the leather protects his upper legs. Fur also fringes his shoulder pads, again evoking a tiger for Aditya whose personality is the most focused on physical might and combat. 

Madhurantaka, brought up as a devotee of Shiva, wears garlands of rudraksha beads interspersed with gold. While other characters wear them as well, he wears the most, then tears them all from his chest in a scene where he verbally and symbolically rejects the identity of a devotee, declaring his ambition for the throne and saying he was never interested in leading a life devoted to Shiva to begin with. (I’m not sure if I’m remembering correctly, but I think he also wears a lot of white when we first see him on screen, mirroring the white worn by men and women associated with temple for its purity. It would be interesting if he stops wearing white completely in the second part of the film.)

While the Chozha characters wear gold, Ravidasan and the rest of the Pandyas are all wearing silver. The only gems they have are on their slain king’s sword, and the beads they wear look to be made of natural materials rather than precious metals. Along with the fact that they now must live in the forest, the dull silver jewelry and how they dress is a strong visual indicator of their status compared to the Chozhas. They’re also all wearing black and dark red. Beyond visually matching the image of Kottravai with smeared blood for her, the heavy amount of black in the Pandya’s clothing mirrors how they have remained in the shadows, planning to murder a Chozha prince in revenge. It’s like a symbol of ill will and matches the fact that Ravidasan is one of our antagonists for the first movie.

The great hair choices in this movie are difficult for me to talk about because I’m not sure I can articulate it very well, (let alone completely), but I think they also fit each character very well. In Arulmozhi’s first appearance, his hair is oiled and combed back around his head in a nice, controlled and neat style. But when we first see his brother Aditya, his hair is unbound and flowing around him. It’s more energetic and matches his passion for fighting and the intensity of the anger and heartbreak that he feels, which itself feeds in to his need to fight to distract himself. Even if both brothers change their hair during the movie--of course Arulmozhi’s is more unkept while he’s actually fighting--how it appears in their first scenes is important in establishing the audience’s impression. 

Ravidasan also has a lot of intensity and motivation for fighting, and he shares that long, loose hair with Aditya, but it’s also messier. (I don’t think he ever ties it back or binds it up in any way?) He and the other Pandyas have separated themselves from the rest of civilization to live in the forest, and they’re still focused on the calamity of the death of their king and destruction of their rule. The fact that Ravidasan has probably not conditioned or oiled his hair since the day his king was killed--and has focused purely on revenge and a will to fight since then--perfectly matches how the team of Ponniyin Selvan chose to style his hair. 

“நாங்கள் இருந்தால் என்ன?"

"கிழவர் இருந்தால் இளவரசருக்கு இராஜ மரியாதைகள் செய்து அழைத்துக்கொண்டு போகப் பார்ப்பார், காரியமெல்லாம் கெட்டுப் போகும்."

"மந்திரவாதி! நானும்தான் கேட்கிறேன். அவர்கள் இறக்க வேண்டிய அவசியம் என்ன? மதுராந்தகனுக்குப் பட்டம் கட்டிவிட எல்லாரும் சம்மதித்து விட்டால்...”

Excerpt From

Ponniyin Selvan Anaithu Pagangal (Tamil Edition)

Kalki

This material may be protected by copyright.

Context: Part of the Nandini’s conversation with Ravidasan. They are discussing t he possibility that Arulmozhi might be alive.

“If that is so, you accompany the old man (Pazhuvettarayar) and depart immediately. I shall stay here and return after searching.”

“What is the issue if we stay?”

“The old man would want to extend royal respect to the Prince and depart with him. Everything would be ruined.”

“Sorcerer! I too want to ask. What is the need for them to die? If everyone agrees to crown Madhurantakan…”

Hmm. So she wants only Aditha dead? (Technically) This lady’s motivations seem kinda nebulous.

Today’s snippet! Tagging @celestesinsight @mizutaama @whippersnappersbookworm @racoonpaws @harinishivaa @favcolourrvibgior @harinishivaa @deadloverscity @thereader-radhika @themorguepoet @thelekhikawrites and @humapkehaikaun

Ravidasan: Tell me the truth, girl! You've not lost your heart to the youngster’s [Vanthiyathevan] beauty, have you? Nandini: Chi, chi! What words! How can anyone talk about a man’s beauty? Only in this debased Chozha country do people rejoice over a good-looking Emperor. Aren’t battle scars the only signs of beauty in a man?” Ravidasan: That's well said.

Sundaran was a name frequently used by Pandya men, not Cholas. The first Pandya king who was named Sundaran is believed to have been Siva himself and he is worshipped as Sundareshwaran, the husband of Queen Thadathagai (Madurai Meenakshi).

Quite funnily, Meenakshi's brother (Vishnu) is also called the handsome one - Alagar.

Alagar giving away his sister Meenakshi to Sundarar

The pairing of Veeran and Sundaran as brothers' names is repeated throughout Pandya history. Veera Pandyan mentioned in the novel too had a brother named Sundaran. Veera Pandyan's Sivakasi Copper Plates say,

Just like Maha Vishnu (Upendran*) who conquered the world by his prowess had Devendran as his elder brother,  he [Veera Pandyan] had an elder brother named Sundarapandyan, who was a refuge for scholars.

This prince could have been a scholar and poet like Kandharadithan and Veera Pandyan could have been the more militarily active brother. Anyway Sundaran died when he was young, probably before Veeran rebelled against Cholas (we don't know if Veera Pandyan himself offed him ☠️). He constructed a pallippadai (sepulchre temple) Sundara Pandyar Isvaram-udayar Kovil, for his dear annan after he became the king.

Now the temple is known as Kalainathaswamy Temple and the village is called Pallimadam. This temple was quite famous in the academic circles during the time of publication of Ponniyin Selvan because it is the only Pandyan memorial temple that has survived to the present day.

An article published by The Hindu about the temple

Basically, Kalki is hinting that Nandini who is associated with Pandya rebels doesn't even know the basics of Pandya conventions or the bare minimum details about her dead 'master'. This is another historical easter egg like The Curious Case of Parthivendran. She is just bluffing and coasting with whatever little she knows and hoping that her emotional appeals will work. It is obvious that she got this idea from the rants of Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar, the veteran of 24 battles who bears 64 scars on his venerable body.

Meanwhile Ravidasan who really needs Nandini's Lankan coins is like

Bonus information: Pandya dynasty fell apart due to the civil war between another Veeran and Sundaran 🤣 in the 14th c.

* Upendran - Younger brother of Indran. This might be a bit confusing. In the beginning of early texts like Rig Veda, Vishnu is a minor god and Indra, as the King of Gods and the personification of the forces of weather is a mighty God. Later, Indra's influence reduced and Vishnu overtook him. Gradually, 'Upendra' came to refer only to Vamana, one of the avatars of Vishnu who was born as a younger son of Aditi. Still this Vedic influence can be seen in several later texts too, calling Rama and Krishna 'Upendra'.

Track List

Armageddon

Arunmozhi’s Dilemma

Chozha’s Bravery

Conspiracy

Exotic Queen

Life at Lanka

Nandini’s Fortress

The Guardian Angel

The Pandiyan’s Oath

The Thirst for the Throne

The Wise King

VT’s Play

Oo Rey Sooriyare

Saaya Sanjale

Soodanathu Rattham

May the swords raised against them stop on you. May the fire approaching them consume you. May the poison meant for them kill you. May the arrows aimed at them pierce you. May you be the fortress, weapon and shield of our Emperor. Go forth, kill and die for him.

With this, I declare myself the craziest and weirdest Ponniyin Selvan fan out here 😁

Chapters

1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 , 7, 8