Dear Friends DID YOU KNOW THAT-- Thailand and the entire South East Asia was once called an Indian colony by historians. Here are some interesting facts on the subject.
# Two buddhist monks sent by Ashoka in 276 B.C reached Thailand and introduced religion and other practices in this region·
# The first Kingdom of SE asia called Funan was founded by Kaudinya - a Brahmin from the Indian Pallava dynasty· Between 3 rd and 10th century thousands of Brahmins from Tamil Nadu and Benaras were brought here who spread Hinduism here.
# The Brahmins introduced a concept called Devaraja principle by which the Kings were worshipped as Vishnu and Shiva. This spread Shaiva and Vaishnav cult along with Buddhism.
# Even now in the annual coronation ceremony for the King, he is praised as Vishnu and Shiva with songs from Thiruvaasagam and Thiruppavai sung during the Coronation.
# Every December, Brahmins in Thailand hold a fifteen day celebration for Shiva and Vishnu called Trivambave ..Tribave.. which is nothing but our Thiruvempavai and Thiruppavai. The Thai Brahmins recite thiruppavai and thiruvempavai songs that are written in Thai script.
# Other than Vishnu and Shiva the Thai's worship Brahma, Indra, Ganesh and Uma Devi · Pallava Kings were believed to have ruled Thailand. Kings here had the common surnames of Pallava Kings ..(Jaya varman.. Surya Varman.) and in one instance a king from SE was taken to India to rule the Pallava kingdom. Stone inscriptions found here refer the Pallava Capital Kanchipuram and Kanchi Sankaracharya.
# Rajendra Chola invaded Java and Sumatra twice at the request of kings from Far east. One Burmese princess of 12th century has married a Chola King.
# Thai, Khemer and other languages originated based on Sanskrit.
# Like Vedic times, Children in Thailand who are between 11 and 14 years have their heads tonsured. When it is done for the Thai Prince they erect a small mountain called "kailasa" and dress up the King like Shiva. The prince is made to sit on his lap and his head tonsured very much like our Purana story of Ganesha sitting on Shiva's Lap.
# The Thai legal system was based on our Manu Smriti
# Ruins of Temples in Khorat and Buri ram with its Mahabalipuram style kopurams , images of Hindu gods and sanskrit inscriptions stand testimony to the fact that they were Hindu temples.
# The Thai Ramayan , with all its interesting variations like Seetha being Ravana's daughter and Hanuman having two wives etc, is an amalgamation of various versions of Indian Ramayana like Vaalmiki, Kamban, Bengali, Kashmiri and Jain Ramayan.
# Other than Ramayan, Shagunthala, Sathyavaan Savithri, Nala Damayanthi stories have been copied into Thai Literature. The Thai Kings latest book is "Manimekala" (our Manimegalai)· The Hindu Yantra images are worshipped in Thailand and some aspects of Hindu tantric beliefs are still practised here.
# Hindu festivals like Deepavali and Sankaranthi have their influence in Loy kratong and Shongkran.
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