AVVAI, the Virgin Saint

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Jul 1, 2001

Tamil children over the centuries have grown up learning the “Arichuvadi” or the Wise Alphabet. Its author was Avvaiyar, who has carved her name in the annals of Tamil literature. Avvaiyar, to be really truthful, was not one woman, but several. In ancient Tamil society, any woman who forsook the normal bonds of matrimony, child rearing and family and devoted herself to higher learning was respectfully called Avvai. But the real heroine of our story is the Avvai who flourished during the heydays of Tamil society- the Sangam era.

Her history is an interesting one. She was a “liberated” woman way back during those patriarchal times. Her wedding was arranged at an appropriate age, but Avvai who from her childhood, had lost her heart to the elephant-headed god, Ganesha, appealed to him for mercy. She prayed fervently to strip her of her youth and beauty and thus help her escape the snares of Cupid and the fetters of marriage. Ganesha granted the boon. An old, wrinkled wise woman stood in the place, where a few moments ago, a maiden of ravishing beauty had smiled. Avvai was quite satisfied. She left her parents home and took to the life of a wandering mendicant.

Avvai is known for her various treatises and songs on contemporary society. Hers was the voice that guided her people in living a life of righteousness and justice and virtue. Avvai, apart from creating songs and couplets of unsurpassed beauty in Tamil, also acted as advisor to kings and chieftains. In fact she was the closest friend of the Tamil king, Adhiyaman Neduman Anji. To denote close Platonic friendship, people say “like Avvai and Adhiyamaan”.

There are many places in Tamil Nadu that worship the woman scholar as a benign goddess. In particular, there are temples dedicated to her at Muppandal, Thaazhakudi nad K.Maraimalai. Women and girls undertake the “Avvai Fast”. They create small figurines from rice flour which are used for worship. Stuffed rice cakes are offered to the “goddess” for granting wise and healthy children.

Since only women are allowed to undertake this fast, the worship that takes place is also said to be a secret and mysterious affair that can be witnessed by women alone. Goddess or woman, Avvai has captured the imaginations of many women, then and now.