KANNAGI – SILAPPATIKARAM - #BLOGCHATTERA2ZCHALLENGE2022
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There is nothing more dangerous than a woman scorned. This is the premise of the story of Kannagi or Kannaki, the heroine of the Tamil epic ‘Silappatikaram’ or ‘The Tale of an Anklet’ written by Ilango Adikal.
Kannagi was the chaste wife of Kovalan whose parents were
sea traders. The initial joy turned into frustration as Kovalan strayed,
falling into the clutches of a beautiful dancer, Madhavi. He was so besotted by
her that he lavished all his money on her and ended up penniless. When he
finally realised his folly, he returned to his faithful wife, Kannagi.
A repentant Kovalan wanted to recoup his losses and live
happily with Kannagi again. He took her anklet, which had precious gems within
it, and decided to sell it in the Madurai market.
The Pandya king, Nedunj Cheliyan I, ruled over the
kingdom at the time. When Kovalan went to a jeweller to sell the anklet, the
latter thought that the anklet belonged to the queen. He reported it to the
king, who was furious with Kovalan. Without further verification, and without a
trial of any sort, he had Kovalan beheaded.
An enraged Kannagi set out to prove her husband’s
innocence. She stood before him, as regal as a goddess, and chastised him for
having punished Kovalan without a second’s thought. She took out her other
anklet and held it out. The next moment, she threw it with force on to the
floor. The anklet broke open and rubies poured out of it.
“Is this your wife’s anklet?” she asked him, her eyes
blazing.
The king was in shock. He stared at the rubies scattered
on the ground, consternation on his face. He had made a terrible misjudgement
because the Queen’s anklets contained pearls within. He had sentenced an
innocent man to death.
Unable to face up to what he had done, the king committed suicide. However, Kannagi was still not appeased. She uttered a curse that the city of Madurai be burnt down. The capital city of Pandya began to blaze, with heavy losses following. It was then that the Goddess Meenakshi, the deity of the Madurai Meenakshi temple, approached her and calmed her down. Kannagi bowed to Her divine wishes and attained salvation. It is said that she was surrounded by the gods, with Lord Indra himself escorting her to heaven.
The saga of Kannagi continues to fascinate readers over
the centuries. Cheran Chenguttuvan, an ancient king, built a temple in her name
around 2000 years ago, and named it the ‘Kannagi Kottam’ or the ‘Mangala Devi Kannagi
temple’ which is situated in Theni district in Peerumedu Taluk in Kerala.
There have been a few film adaptations of Silappatikaram. In 1942, the film ‘Kannagi’ came out, the title role being performed by actor Kannamba. It had its share of success.
The next movie called ‘Poompuhar’ was one penned by Karunanidhi. The popular television series – ‘Bharat Ek Khoj’ talked about Silappatikaram in two of its episodes. Pallavi Joshi and Rakesh Dhar played the roles of Kannagi and Kovalan. In 1996, Doordarshan brought out a series called Upasana on the same theme.
I am participating in the #Blogchatter A to Z Challenge! Happy Reading and Writing! :)
Very interesting story and well written.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that.
I have seen that there is less English books on various deities like Murugan, Ayyappa, Amman and other gods and goddesses.
It is mainly seen in regional languages.
Thank you so much, Deepak! You're right. There are fewer books about regional deities even though they are known by different names in different regions.
DeleteI vaguely recall reading this issue of ACKas a kid. It was interesting to read this all over again after all these years.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. :)
Thank you so much, Pri. I am happy to hear that you enjoyed the read.
DeleteI didn't know about Bharat Ek Khoj. Interesting. Silappathikaram was written by Elango, a jain ascetic. Kannaki is worshipped as a form of Shakti. Madhavi (the dancer)'s daughter Manimekalai was converted to Buddhism. 'Manimekalai' is another epic that talk about Buddhism and Manimalai's life/love.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. All the best.
Thank you so much for the additional information. I am happy that my post elicited it. Very interesting, indeed!
DeleteI had heard of the Kannaki story earlier but it became clear now. A king committing suicide can happen only in South India, however.
ReplyDeleteStrange things happen when people are provoked or driven by guilt. Isn't human nature the same everywhere, after all? A point to ponder over!
DeleteThis is a lovely story that I knew from childhood. In the south kannagi is revered.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed, Brinda. However, different people have different views. Some adore Kannagi, others feel that she took things too far. Interesting perspectives!
DeleteI knew nothing about this. It only goes to show how we live under a shell. Thanks for this interesting and informative post
ReplyDeleteI had heard this story a long time ago, but many aspects became clearer after I did some research on it. Thank you, Manali, for all the interest and support.
DeleteWhat a wonderful story and character you chose. This did not go the way I had thought it would and that was even better!
ReplyDeleteSuchita, there are so many conflicting reactions to this story. Some feel that she did the right thing, others feel that her actions were extreme, given that the ruler rued his verdict and committed suicide. Thank you for your take on this.
DeleteThank you Deepti ma'am for bringing us a character that not many beyond the southern part of India would know about. I do think I read this story in an ACK , but I loved your re-telling.
ReplyDeleteHarshita, this story has its fans as well as people who dislike the ending. I am really happy you enjoyed reading it. Thank you so much!
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