1. It is R Venkat who first posted the interview summary of Madan and when we all reacted that Madan was not right, Venkat also asked us to post one to Vikadan urgently as rejoinder.
2. Simultanously I came to know through various History lovers and Scholars that Madan has notified directly and Vikadan too. So did not post rejoinder ourselves.
3. varalaaru.com has come out with a open rejoinder on this subject. We very much appreciate the same.
4. Singularing a subject Chola (we will make it CHOLA - instead of CHOZHA)- Pass as of now, I sumbit more points, since I first posted the reference of Chola pass about 2 years back in our Group:
i) MU.RAGAVAIYANGAR under " Himalayan war expeditions of Tamil Kings" has first referred CHOLA PASS and CHOLA RANGE citing quotes from Aganaanuru, Silambu, Kalingathuparani & Periyzahwar.
ii) He has also cited IMPERIAL GAZETTE OF INDIA, HAND GAETTIER AND ENCYLOPEDIA BRITTNICA.
iii) In Periyapuranam, (a) under Thirukuripputhondar episode, Sekkizhar quotes : " Ilangu Verkarikal peruvalathon Vannthiral PULI IMAYAMAAL varai mel vaikka veguvon " ..
(b) In Eripathar episode:: PONMALAI PULIENDRU ONGA PUDUMALAI IDITHU PORTRUM ANNERI VAZHIYEYAGA AYALVAZHI ADAITHA CHOZHAN " - roughly translated to : As one of the passes to the Golden Peak was not found fit, Chozhan has closed that pass and OPENED A NEW PASS (Ayalvazhi). This is written in 1100 AD. Thousand years back !
Therefore it is appropriate to call this as Chozha pass.
Also, there is nothing wrong in recording our 1000 year old reference in Periyapuranam related to CHOZHA PASS along with the 200 year old Tibetian details..
But we go with Thiru. Iraiyanbu IAS : It is time that recent finds are also added and Tamil History updated .. not only in the form a History book for School students, but like Madan's " Vandargal Vendrargal" which severs as another reference related to Mohammedan History - of late.
In this direction we can plan collectively plan something workable.
Hi Sps > 1. It is R Venkat who first posted the interview summary of Madan > and when we all reacted that Madan was not right, Venkat also asked > us to post one to Vikadan urgently as rejoinder.
Hope Madan comes out with his reasons why he chose to say this. should be interesting.Thats why I wanted a quick rejoinder to be sent. strike when the metal is hot principle.
> i) MU.RAGAVAIYANGAR under " Himalayan war expeditions of Tamil > Kings" has first referred CHOLA PASS and CHOLA RANGE
just today I did read His article in a sri lankan tamil website.but he had written the article in 1936 when tibet was still the FORBIDDEN LAND and i thought he would not have chances to check the local dialect meaning. (weightage should be given to local dialects first I guess.cho la literally means "pass of the goddess" or perhaps "pass to the everest")
I am sure however that the chola pass he was talking about and what we know today are one and same. the other great possibility of chola pass being so famous in the 1930's is that the everest expeditions were increasing by the day then. everest was finally conquered in 1952.
I am convinced because of 2 things. logic and logistics.
this is a no mans land covered with snow at 5400 metres. ( same height as kargil)I am sure logistics do not permit an army of even early 20th century to survive there for long. and the map I have posted shows it literally leads to nowhere. to crossover to tibet using this pass one would have to scale the everest and get down on the other side.