Kannagi
Encyclopedia
Kannagi or , a legend
ary Tamil
woman, is the central character of the South Indian epic
Silapathikaram. Legend states that Kannagi took revenge on the King
of Madurai
, for a mistaken death penalty imposed on her husband Kovalan
, by cursing the city with disaster
.
and fell in love with her. In his infatuation he forgot Kannagi and gradually spent all his wealth on the dancer. At last, penniless, Kovalan realised his mistake, and returned to Kannagi. Their only asset was a precious pair of anklets (chilambu—hence the name of the epic), filled with gems, which she gave to him willingly. With these as their capital they went to the great city of Madurai, where Kovalan hoped to recoup his fortunes by trade.
The city of Madurai was ruled by the Pandya king Nedunj Cheliyan I
. Kovalan's objective was to sell the anklets in this kingdom so that he and his wife would be able to start their lives over. Unfortunately, around the time he set out to sell the anklets, one anklet (out of a pair) was stolen from the queen, by a greedy court member. This anklet looked very similar to Kannagi's. The only difference was that Kannagi's were filled with rubies and the queen's filled with pearls, but this was not a visible fact. When Kovalan went to the market, he was accused of having stolen the anklet. He was immediately beheaded by the King's guards, without trial. When Kannagi was informed of this, she became furious, and set out to prove her husband's innocence to the king.
Kannagi came to the king's court, broke open the anklet seized from Kovalan and showed that it contained rubies, as opposed to the queen's anklets which contained pearls. Realizing their fault, the King and the Queen died of shame. Unsatisfied, Kannagi tore out a breast and flung it on the city, uttering a curse that the entire city be burnt (the old, the children and the disabled were spared). Due to her utmost Chastity
, her curse became a reality.
The city was set ablaze resulting in huge human and economic losses. However, after the request from the Goddess of the city, she withdrew her curse and later, attained salvation. The story was narrated by the poet
Ilango Adigal
. A fascinating, but ironic, fact about this epic is that it portrays Madhavi, Kovalan's amorous lover, as an equally chaste woman. Manimekalai
, another ancient Tamil epic, is written in praise of her.
After setting fire to Madurai City, Kannagi finally reached Kodungalloor and settled at Kodungalloor Devi Temple south of Guruvayoor.
The events related to Kannaki have high influence in the traditions and culture of Tamil Nadu
and Kerala
.
She is worshiped as goddess Pattini
in Sri Lanka
by the Sinhalese
Buddhists, Kannaki Amman by the Sri Lankan Tamil Hindus' (See Hinduism in Sri Lanka
) and as Kodungallur Bhagavathy and Attukal Bhagavathy in the South Indian state of Kerala.
It must be noted that Kannagi is also viewed as a brave woman who could demand justice directly from the King and even dared to call him "unenlightened king" ("Thera Manna", Vazhakkurai Kathai, Silappathikaram).
, on the famed Marina Beach
, since about 1968. It was removed during the regime of the ex-chief minister of Tamil Nadu, O. Paneerselvam in December 2001 during the night; ordered by ex-chief minister J.Jayalalithaa. The official reasons reported was that it was to be removed for facilitating traffic. But the media was rife with reports of a mystic counsel to Jayalalithaa advising her that as long as the statue of Kannagi in the posture of demanding justice stood there, she would have difficulty maintaining her office through the elected term.
The statue was reinstalled by the former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi
on 03-06-2006.
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
ary Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
woman, is the central character of the South Indian epic
Epic poetry
An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...
Silapathikaram. Legend states that Kannagi took revenge on the King
Nedunj Cheliyan I
Nedunj Cheliyan I was a Pandian king depicted in the Indian epic Silapathikaram. He is the king who ordered to behead Kovalan and died of shame after realizing he did injustice to Kannagi....
of Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
, for a mistaken death penalty imposed on her husband Kovalan
Kovalan
Kovalan is a central character in the ancient Tamil epic Cilappatikaram.-Plot:Kovalan, the son of a wealthy merchant in Kaveripattinam, married Kannagi, the lovely daughter of another merchant. They lived together happily in the city of Kaveripattinam, until Kovalan met the courtesan Madhavi and...
, by cursing the city with disaster
Disaster
A disaster is a natural or man-made hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in an event of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment...
.
The story
Kovalan, the son of a wealthy merchant in Kaveripattinam, married Kannagi, a young woman of legendary beauty. They lived together happily in the city of Kaveripattinam, until Kovalan met the dancer MadhaviMadhavi (Silappatikaram)
Madhavi is an important character in the Silappatikaram, one of the epics in Tamil literature. Silapathikaram is the first kappiyam among the five in Tamil literature. It belongs to the sangam period. She was a dancer and on those days these kind of people are made in the society to recreate the...
and fell in love with her. In his infatuation he forgot Kannagi and gradually spent all his wealth on the dancer. At last, penniless, Kovalan realised his mistake, and returned to Kannagi. Their only asset was a precious pair of anklets (chilambu—hence the name of the epic), filled with gems, which she gave to him willingly. With these as their capital they went to the great city of Madurai, where Kovalan hoped to recoup his fortunes by trade.
The city of Madurai was ruled by the Pandya king Nedunj Cheliyan I
Nedunj Cheliyan I
Nedunj Cheliyan I was a Pandian king depicted in the Indian epic Silapathikaram. He is the king who ordered to behead Kovalan and died of shame after realizing he did injustice to Kannagi....
. Kovalan's objective was to sell the anklets in this kingdom so that he and his wife would be able to start their lives over. Unfortunately, around the time he set out to sell the anklets, one anklet (out of a pair) was stolen from the queen, by a greedy court member. This anklet looked very similar to Kannagi's. The only difference was that Kannagi's were filled with rubies and the queen's filled with pearls, but this was not a visible fact. When Kovalan went to the market, he was accused of having stolen the anklet. He was immediately beheaded by the King's guards, without trial. When Kannagi was informed of this, she became furious, and set out to prove her husband's innocence to the king.
Kannagi came to the king's court, broke open the anklet seized from Kovalan and showed that it contained rubies, as opposed to the queen's anklets which contained pearls. Realizing their fault, the King and the Queen died of shame. Unsatisfied, Kannagi tore out a breast and flung it on the city, uttering a curse that the entire city be burnt (the old, the children and the disabled were spared). Due to her utmost Chastity
Chastity
Chastity refers to the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion....
, her curse became a reality.
The city was set ablaze resulting in huge human and economic losses. However, after the request from the Goddess of the city, she withdrew her curse and later, attained salvation. The story was narrated by the poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Ilango Adigal
Ilango Adigal
Ilango Adigal was a Tamil poet and a Jain monk, who was instrumental in the creation of Silappathikaram, one of the five great epics of Tamil Literature. Prince Ilango was the brother of Chera king Cheran Chenguttuvan , in South India. Ilango Adigal was born in the Chera dynasty that ruled parts...
. A fascinating, but ironic, fact about this epic is that it portrays Madhavi, Kovalan's amorous lover, as an equally chaste woman. Manimekalai
Manimekalai
Manimekalai or Maṇimekalai , written by the Tamil Buddhist poet Seethalai Saathanar is one of the masterpieces of Tamil literature. It is considered to be one of the five great epics of Tamil literature. Manimekalai is a poem in 30 cantos...
, another ancient Tamil epic, is written in praise of her.
After setting fire to Madurai City, Kannagi finally reached Kodungalloor and settled at Kodungalloor Devi Temple south of Guruvayoor.
The events related to Kannaki have high influence in the traditions and culture of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
Perceptions of Kannagi
Kannagi or Kannaki Amman is eulogized as the epitome of chastity and is still worshipped as its goddess. She is praised for her extreme devotion to her husband in spite of his adulterous behaviour.She is worshiped as goddess Pattini
Pattini
In Sinhala Buddhist belief the Pattini is a guardian deity of Buddhism. She is the deification of Kannagi, who is the central character of the Tamil epic Silapadhikaram of Ilango Adigal...
in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
by the Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
Buddhists, Kannaki Amman by the Sri Lankan Tamil Hindus' (See Hinduism in Sri Lanka
Hinduism in Sri Lanka
Hindus currently make up more than 15% of the Sri Lankan population, and are almost exclusively Tamils apart from small immigrant communities from India and Pakistan such as the Sindhis, Telugus, Kannadigas and Malayalees. In the 1915 census they made up almost 25% of the population, which included...
) and as Kodungallur Bhagavathy and Attukal Bhagavathy in the South Indian state of Kerala.
It must be noted that Kannagi is also viewed as a brave woman who could demand justice directly from the King and even dared to call him "unenlightened king" ("Thera Manna", Vazhakkurai Kathai, Silappathikaram).
Kannagi in Politics
A statue of Kannagi in anger holding her anklet in one hand obviously depicting her in the scene from Silapathikaram where she demands justice from the king, Pandiyan on the death of her husband Kovalan at the hands of the king's policemen, is an important landmark in ChennaiChennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, on the famed Marina Beach
Marina Beach
Marina Beach is a beach in the city of Chennai , India, along the Bay of Bengal, part of the Indian Ocean. The beach runs from near Fort St. George in the north to Besant Nagar in the south, a distance of , making it the longest urban beach in the country and the world's second longest...
, since about 1968. It was removed during the regime of the ex-chief minister of Tamil Nadu, O. Paneerselvam in December 2001 during the night; ordered by ex-chief minister J.Jayalalithaa. The official reasons reported was that it was to be removed for facilitating traffic. But the media was rife with reports of a mystic counsel to Jayalalithaa advising her that as long as the statue of Kannagi in the posture of demanding justice stood there, she would have difficulty maintaining her office through the elected term.
The statue was reinstalled by the former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi
M. Karunanidhi
Muthuvel Karunanidhi is an Indian politician and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He is the head of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian political party in the state of Tamil Nadu. He has been the leader of the DMK since the death of its founder, C. N...
on 03-06-2006.