One more aspect of the Pirak phase (ca. 2000-500 BC) of civilization of early Tulu tribes is the adoption of names of planets of our solar system as proper names. The group of sages who settled in the NW Indian subcontinent and composed the Vedas worshipped various planets and other forces of the nature and the environment. Animal, hero and spirit worship were in vogue among the contemporary Tulu and other tribes of the day. Brahma/Bermer worship was initiated there. The practice of astrology was popular at that time. It is reported that even Abraham practiced astrology in the beginning. Therefore, it is but natural that several tribes living there at that time adopted the names of the planets of the solar system.
Prof .Mariappa Bhat pointed out in one of his research papers regarding the prevalence of names of various planets and Sun in the proper names of Tulu people. The names also correspond with the names of the seven days of the week and are as follows:
English Sanskrit .>. Tulu*
Sun Aditya Aitha
Moon Soma Soma/Toma
Mars Angaraka Angare
Mercury Budha Booda
Jupiter Guru Guruve
Venus Shukra Tukra
Saturn Shani Taniya
*[Tulu proper names were used with suffixes of –anna,-appa or aiha]
Tulu people earlier preferred these proper names extensively but nowadays these are being discontinued as being out of fashion and in favour of modernity. Out of the Sanskrit equivalents only Aditya, Soma and Guru are still preferred and the rest have become almost obsolete.
The astrological studies in the NW Indian subcontinent continued and the basic scientific and mathematical principles were refined further in the later historical years. The astrological study centres spread into the Indian mainland regions like Jaipur and Delhi, with Jantar Mantar being the major showcase of our heritage in astronomical studies.
The existence of these recently vanishing planetary names among Tulu people are indicative of their historical heritage dating back to the approximate period 2000 to 500 BC.
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