About 5000 B.C., in the province of Punjab, in the district of Larkana there was on the banks of the ‘Sind’ river a town called “Nandur” (நண்டு ஊர்). This town was named so, after one of the constellations of the Zodiac. This place was very famous and fertile. Owing to the express of rain or the ‘Sind’ river flood or some other unknown cause, this town was buried 70 feet below the ground. After the recent excavation of this buried city, it is now known as Mohenjo-Daro.

The people who lived there were called Minar or Minavar or Minavan. Their language was pure Tamil. A king named Minavan ruled over Nandur. He was a famous king. His kingdom was called subsequently as Minadu (மீனாடு) and his flag was known as fish flag. The king, country and flag were so called because the people of that place worshipped the fish as their supreme god. It is to be noted here that the Fish is another of the constellations of the Zodiac and subsequently it became one of the gods.

Now, the question arises as to what Fish they used for their main workshop. It is a matter for speculation. It is said they used Horn-fish. This Fish is mentioned in the inscriptions of Mohenjo-Dero, the flag of which was hoisted at Orur when this city came into the hands of Minas, after a war between the Minas and Kavals.

In the course of time the population of this Minavars substantially increased and a portion of spread out like the birds of the air and lived around about Mohenjo-Dero like the birds. The name Paravar came to this community because they were rich, powerful and sagacious and able to do many things with the speed of a bird in flight. They took the “Bird as their totem and accordingly they were named after it”. – Rev. Fr. Heras, S.J. This insignia of the bird is even now found in the ‘thali’ of the noble Parava ladies.

The main workship of the Paravas was ‘Fish’ of the Minavars. To prove that the Paravars of Mohenjo-Daro were devoted to Fish worship, there is an inscription on one of the steatite seals of the said place which runs as follows:-

Parava nila ir min Minavan Mun Kan.

(பரவநிலா ஈர் மீன் மீனவன் மூன் கண்)

The three-eyed of the Minavan of the two fishes of the moon of the Paravas.

This inscription requires some explanation for one to understand it clearly, Space does not permit me here to explain. However my history called “The History of Pandyans” will elucidate the meaning in detail. This book will contain about 400 pages of history based upon 20 years of research.

(For explanation about Moon Paravas please sea infra section “Sun and Moon Paravas and their divisions”).

Again, a lecture on “the Religion of Mohenjo-Dero” delivered by Rev. Heras, S.J., M.A., Director of the Indian Historical Research Institute, Bombay at the Catholic Home, Fort, Colombo before a crowded house on 14th October 1936, indicates that “in ancient times in India the tribes had symbols that represented the tribe, such as the fish, the bird, the lotus flower etc., each tribe when too large had sub-sections and one such sub-section was the Moon Paravars who were a sub-section of the Mina tribe”. “We may therefore easily realize that the Minavan of the two fishes, was beyond doubt the king of the Minas. This king is said to be the Moon of the Paravas I.e., hailing from the Moon of the Moon Paravas which is easily understood after ascertaining that the Paravas are Minas”, Rev. H. Heras, S.J., Here, therefore it follows clearly that the Paravas are Minas who lived in Mohenjo-Daro. The sub-division of the Paravas from Minas is due to increase of population. In this connection we may here quote a letter written to the author by Rev. H. Heras, S.J., on 22.2.1947

Many thanks for your letter of the 13th February, 1947. Your surmise about the division of the Paravas from the Minas seems correct, viz., increase of population. And that very likely was also the cause of the division of the Paravas themselves…….

With kindest regards,

Yours sincerely,

H.HERAS, S.J.”

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