Kannaki - Wife, Fury & Goddess, Story of Attukalamma.

In a land of myths and legends, the story of Kannki and her Silappatikaram is not just a celebrated story but the tale that gave birth to a Goddess who undoubtedly commands the devotion of more women than any other spiritual being.  

The story begins with the lady Kannaki and her husband Kovalan, merchants by profession having a bit of marital rift as Kovalan was enamored by Madhavi, a dancer. Kovalan ruined himself financially over the dancer and penniless he returned to Kannaki, who received him without any issues. The duo decided to relocate for a fresh  start and went to  the city of Madhuri ruled by the Pandyan king Nedunjelian I.

 Kannaki gave one half of her last precious possession, an anklet to Kovalan to sell so that he can have some capital to start a business. Unfortunately at the same time someone stole an anklet belonging to the queen of the city and a search for the thief was undertaken.  At the market a search party came upon Kovalan who was in the process of bargaining a fair price for his wife's anklet. The grunts overzealous and hopeful for some reward seized Kovalan, confiscated the anklet and dragged him to the court. The king who must have been pestered to hell by the queen in poor judgement commanded to relieve Kovalan off his head. 

Kannaki & Silapathikaram from Tamil literature

The news of Kovalans arrest reached Kannagi and she ran into the court with her other half of the anklet and screamed her cause at the king. This anklet was decorated with rubies while the queens missing ones were of pearls. The king knew that he screwed up and had fatal cardiac event and in the caos that followed some one (possibly Kannaki) knocked over lamps over the drapes and a blaze engulfed the palace. Kannaki in an act of valor and savageness tore off and threw her breast at the city cursing it to burn for the injustice it had done to her husband. The fire gutted a huge portion of the city with the palace and the barraks in ashes. There was huge loss of life and property and finally the patron Goddess of the city Meenakshi requested Kannaki to withdraw her curse. Anger abated at the suffering she caused, she withdrew her curse and that act gifted her salvation and a stature of Goddess. 

She left the smoking city and traveled towards Kerala taking the form of a small girl. At a place called Attukal in Trivandrum she requested an elderly man to help her cross the river Killi and later that night she appeared in his dream to build her a shrine at the nearby sacred grove, which with reverence he did. Kannaki traveled northwards and finally settled at the village of Kodungallor. The shrine the old man build at Attukal grew over the years to what is now the temple of Attukalamma and the shrine build to her at Kodungallor grew to become Kodungallor Devi temple. The legend says that Kannaki comes to Atuukal once every year on the day the Pongala festival to bless her devotes gathered there.

Kannaki is regarded as the Goddess of prosperity, wealth and feminine power and worshiped by millions of devotes with much reverence.  The Pongala festival celebrated with women building a hearth in which they prepare the payasam (a boiled mix of rice, jaggery, ghee, grated coconut and spices) near the temple, at their house or sometimes the closest they could reach the city of Trivandrum. 

Bird's eye view of the Temple and devotees at Pongala

To understand the implication of this statement you must know that the city of Trivandrum have a population of ten million and in 2016, it was estimated that 4.5 million lady devotees build up hearth at temple premise, on the roads of the city and all available spaces to offer the Pongala to their Goddess. The entire of the city turns into a hallowed ground complete with prayers, offerings and the presence of mystic energies can be felt surging through. The entire population of the city is immersed in the ritual with volunteers providing food, water, refreshments and medical aid. The city officials forget their lethargy and work round the clock to ensure smooth and safe conduct of the festival. 

The true devotees of Goddess

Once the rituals are finished and river of devotees flows out of the city, what remains is the heaps of trash they leave behind which includes bricks, ash, tinder, flowers, disposable plates and glasses etc. The true wonder of the day begins with the emergence of blue clad corporation clean up crew. I often think that their devotion to restore the city to the level of neatness that was before the ritual eclipse that shown by the devotees themselves. Within a couple of hours, you will find no trace of four million hearth, their owners or the trash they generated.

 Cleanliness is not next to Godliness; it is Godliness.

Rush after Pongala

For the people of Trivandrum, Attukal Pongala is not just a yearly celebration of a temple or an occasion to project their city and show their devotion but something much more. As world today is repulsed with violence against women; some speak for her protection while some for her empowerment, but in this city resides a lady who burned down a king, his entourage and his palace for the injustice they did to her.

Here we celebrate the unique feminine strength, capable of consuming a city and also willing to forgive it, here we celebrate the most empowered woman who walked this earth.