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13 November 2007

Have we changed the name?


Have we changed the name? Because nobody has told me or anyone else here at Tiruvannamalai!


Well I feel a little disappointed in my previously respected source of what I considered good information - i.e. Wikipedia, 'the free encyclopedia'. A couple of times when supplying a link to articles mentioned in my narratives, I referred to Wikipedia as an authority, however specialists of subjects of some of the narratives got in touch to suggest better links. I rather think those people are now right because of my own experience with Wikipedia, 'the free encyclopedia'.

Go to the 'Wikipedia' site at http://www.en.wikipedia.org/ and type 'Arunachala' in the search box and you will be sent to 'Annamalai Hill'. Which is an article supposedly maintained by the 'Tamil Nadu Work Group, to 'improve organisation and standardised look and feel of articles related to the Indian State of Tamil Nadu.' The Group has decided to abandon the name 'Arunachala' (Sanksrit) in preference for the name 'Annamalai' (Tamil).

Ironically in their blurb on the 'Annamalai Hill' page, the Group also kindly informs us that; 'This place is also known by the names Arunagiri, Annamalai, Arunachalam, Arunai, Sonagiri and Sonachalam'. Not once mentioning the accepted and loved name (used since antiquity) of 'Arunachala'.



On further investigation I also see that 'Arunachaleswarar Temple' has now been christened 'Annamalaiyar Temple' by the Tamil Group intelligentsia.


Yesterday evening I performed giripradakshina around the Hill, and pretending I was a new arrival to the area, asked many local, ordinary Tamil-speaking residents - 'What is the name of this Hill?' Each one answered 'Arunachala' on my second enquiry, 'Isn't the correct name Annamalai Hill?' I was invariably and patiently informed, 'Annamalai' is a name for Shiva, but the Hill is Arunachala and the God, Arunachaleswarar.

Well the Tamil language intelligentsia have been very successful in lots of expensive, unnecessary name changes i.e. Madras to Chennai, etc., so one needs to wait and see. But one thing for sure I will definitely be using Wikipedia a whole bunch less.

3 comments:

  1. What about contacting the group via email or phone, to inquire about the name-mangling? It would be interesting to hear their explanation. I believe anyone is free to edit in Wikipedia, so maybe you can shake things up a bit!

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  2. Although Wikipedia is a
    brilliant setup, it has serious flaws. One of the most serious of which is that the process can be highjacked. So if you have a large motivated group - it can can edit and re-edit whatever an individual person writes about. FIn this respect I don't have the time or interest to battle against those kinds of odds. Best for me to continue posting ACCURATE information on Arunachala Grace Network and let that be my contribution to disseminating the Truth.

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  3. Thanks for this. I had not noticed the change.

    I have posted a link, re: this post, over at acalayoga.

    It's a funny old world. ;)

    om namo bhagavate sri ramanaya

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