Chapter 10

Pattini

Even today Pattini is worshipped in Kerala and Sri Lanka — a goddess from a Tamil poem, still binding people together centuries later

Pattini in Kerala and Sri Lanka

In later centuries the worship of Kannagi/Pattini spread beyond Tamil Nadu. In Kerala a local tradition about the Kodungallur Bhagavati temple, in the old Chera capital region, is said to be linked to Kannagi. In Sri Lanka both Sinhala Buddhists and Tamils have worshipped Pattini — in the Eastern Province there are more than sixty "Kannaki Amman kovils" (temples). Sri Lankan tradition also says that Gajabahu himself brought back an anklet of Pattini to Lanka and built a temple there — but some scholars hold the opposite, that this worship began in the 13th century and the Gajabahu story was added later to give it legitimacy. The Manimekalai, the story of Kovalan and Madhavi's daughter Manimekalai, is counted as this poem's sequel. This retelling sets out both views openly and takes neither side.

Modern memory

In the twentieth century Kannagi's story also became tied to Tamil identity politics — the 1942 film *Kannagi*, the 1964 film *Poompuhar* with a screenplay by M. Karunanidhi, Jeyamohan's novel *Kotravai* (2005), and Amritlal Nagar's Hindi novel *Suhag Ke Nupur* (1960). The statue of Kannagi on Chennai's Marina Beach was removed in 2001. The government gave reasons of a damaged pedestal and safety or traffic; the opposition challenged that explanation and alleged political and astrological motives as well. On 3 June 2006 the statue was reinstalled at the same Marina site.

A careful tribute

The Silappadikaram is often compared, as a foundational classic of Tamil literature, to epic traditions such as the Greek *Iliad* and *Odyssey*. But this story is worth remembering in all its complexity — a woman who burns a whole city over her husband's death; an authorial tradition whose religious identity remains disputed; a history that still does not know its own date. That complexity makes it not merely a heroic tale, but one that still gives rise to both argument and reverence today.

Source: Tamil epic — the Silappadikaram (traditionally by Ilango Adigal), Pattini

Now — how much stayed with you?

Fact

A local tradition in Kerala connected with Kannagi is linked to which temple?

  • The Guruvayur temple
  • The Sabarimala temple
  • The Kodungallur Bhagavati temple
  • The Padmanabhaswamy temple
Read the whole story — A Kerala tradition

A local tradition about the Kodungallur Bhagavati temple, in the old Chera capital region, is said to be linked to Kannagi.

It is a local tradition, not a direct part of the poem.

Fact

Which 1960 Hindi novel by Amritlal Nagar is connected with this story?

  • Suhag Ke Nupur
  • Godan
  • Chitralekha
  • Gunahon Ka Devta
Read the whole story — Kannagi's story in Hindi

Amritlal Nagar's Hindi novel Suhag Ke Nupur (1960) is connected with this story.

It is a modern form of Kannagi's story for Hindi readers.

The texts disagree

What is the disagreement about how Pattini worship began in Sri Lanka?

  • All scholars agree it began in Gajabahu's time
  • It never existed
  • All agree it began in Lanka, not India
  • One tradition says Gajabahu himself brought back an anklet; some scholars hold the worship began in the 13th century and the Gajabahu story was added later
Read the whole story — Two views

A Sri Lankan tradition says Gajabahu himself brought back Pattini's anklet and built a temple.

Some scholars hold that the worship began in the 13th century and the Gajabahu story was added later to give it legitimacy.

Fact

When was the Kannagi statue on Chennai's Marina Beach removed and reinstalled?

  • Removed 1990, reinstalled 1995
  • Removed in December 2001 and reinstalled on 3 June 2006
  • Never removed
  • Removed in 2010, not yet reinstalled
Read the whole story — The story of a statue

The Marina Beach statue was removed in 2001; the government gave reasons of a damaged pedestal and safety or traffic.

The opposition challenged that explanation and alleged political and astrological motives.

On 3 June 2006 the statue was reinstalled at the same Marina site.

Fact

Whose story is the Manimekalai, composed by Sattanar?

  • The story of Kovalan and Madhavi's daughter Manimekalai, a poem influenced by Buddhism
  • Kannagi's
  • King Senguttuvan's
  • The goddess Pattini's
Read the whole story — The next generation's story

The Manimekalai is the story of Manimekalai, daughter of Kovalan and Madhavi.

It is a poem influenced by Buddhism, and is held to be the sequel to the Silappadikaram.

What happened?

In which modern works did Kannagi's story appear in the twentieth century?

  • Only in films
  • Only in Sanskrit plays
  • It never appeared in any modern work
  • The 1942 film Kannagi, the 1964 film Poompuhar (screenplay M. Karunanidhi), Jeyamohan's novel Kotravai, Amritlal Nagar's novel Suhag Ke Nupur
Read the whole story — Modern memory

In the twentieth century Kannagi's story appeared in many modern works.

In films, novels and plays — in many forms the story is alive today.

Fact

How many temples connected with Pattini/Kannagi are reported in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province?

  • Fewer than ten
  • More than sixty "Kannaki Amman kovils"
  • About twenty
  • More than a hundred
Read the whole story — Wide worship

In Sri Lanka's Eastern Province there are more than sixty "Kannaki Amman kovils" (temples).

It shows that Pattini worship is deeply rooted among both Tamils and Sinhalese.

Fact

Which 2005 novel by Jeyamohan is connected with Kannagi's story?

  • Poompuhar
  • Kannagi
  • Kotravai
  • Suhag Ke Nupur
Read the whole story — A modern novel

Jeyamohan's novel Kotravai (2005) is part of the modern memory of this story.

It is reception history, not a part of the original poem.

Interpretation

Why is the Silappadikaram not called merely a heroic tale?

  • Because it has no hero
  • Because the poem is incomplete
  • Because it is not the story of any god
  • Because it has a complex heroine, an authorial tradition of disputed religious identity and an uncertain history
Read the whole story — Remembered with its complexity

Kannagi burns a whole city over her husband's death — this is no simple heroic tale.

The religious identity of the traditionally attributed author is disputed and the date of the history is uncertain — that complexity keeps it relevant today.

Fact

In which regions is the worship of Kannagi/Pattini said to have spread, according to this chapter?

  • Beyond Tamil Nadu, into Kerala and Sri Lanka as well
  • Only in Tamil Nadu
  • Only in North India
  • It did not spread anywhere, it remained only a literary story
Read the whole story — A wide spread

The worship of Kannagi/Pattini spread beyond Tamil Nadu to Kerala and Sri Lanka.

A goddess from a Tamil literary poem still binds many communities centuries later.