AVVAIYAR
The Avvaiyar means respectable
women or Grandmother was the title of more than one poet who was active during
different periods of tamil literature.She was born to a Brahman called bhagavan
and his untouchable wife called Adi.Since Bhagavan was on a spiritual journey
at the time of her birth,both of them decided to abandon the child.A poet
passing from there noticed the abandoned child and took her under his care.Right from childhood,she showed a deep
interest in poetry.At the
tender age of four,she was able to complete complicated verse that even the
most distinguished poet of the land could not.
Avvaiyar was extremely devoted to lord ganesha since
childhood.She always asked him three gifs – poetry,music and drama.As she
grew,her talents also grew to the highest levels.At the same time,she also
started getting marriage proposals.She fed up with the proposal and being
constantly pressurized to get marries,avvaiyar asked Lord Ganesha to remove her
beauty and turn her into an old woman.The god obliged and in acknowledgement of
his generousity,she sang a great paean of praise for him,regarding as the
equivalent of the Vedas.
Abithana Chintamani states that
there were three female poets titled
Avvaiyar.Avvaiyar I lived during the sangam period(1st and 2nd
centuryCE) and had cordial relation with the tamil chieftains Paari and
Athiyaman.She is considered to be contemporary to poets Paranar,kabilar and
thiruvalluvar.She is attributed as the author of 7 verses in Narrinai,15 in
kuruntokai,4 in akananuru,59 in purananuru.She travelled from one part of the
country to another and from one village to another,sharing the gruel of the
poor farmers and composing songs for their enjoyment.Once the great king
Athiyamaan gave an eternal gooseberry Nellikani fruit to Avvaiyar .This is the
special and powerful fruit ,whoever eats it will have a healthy and long life.Athiyamaan
wanted avvaiyar to eat the eternal fruit as she was the right person who could
serve the community.Most of her songs about chieftain Vallal Athiyamaan
Nedumaan Anji and his family and also about chieftain Tontaiman.
Avvaiyar II(medievaal period) lived
during the period of kambar and Ottakoothar during the reign of the Chola
dynasty in the 13th century.She is often imagined as an old and
intelligent lady by tamil people.She found great happiness in the life of small
children.Kontrivendhan and Aathichoodi were written for younger
children.Mooturai and Nalvali were written for older children.Her famous quote
is Kattrathu
kai mann alavu,kallaadhadhu ulzagalavu.She wrote many poems are very
popular and included in school textbooks in tamilnadu.There is a famous legend
that is associated with Auvaiyar,a female poets/ethicist/political activist of
sangam period and Naaval pazham in tamilnadu.She met
Lord Murugan under Naaval pazham tree who later revealed himself as god
and made her realize that there was still a lot more to be done and learnt.
The movie named Avvaiyar reveals a real story
debuted by K.B.Sundarambal in 1953.Annual avvai vizha is organized and
conducted by Government of tamilnadu to commomerate the avvaiyar contribution
to tamil literature.This festival is celebrated every year in the month of
panguni on sadhayam star day.Tamil scholars and scholars from various fields
participating with the passion on this festival and deliver their speech.Awai
vizha is conducted in the temple of Awaiyar
situated at thulasiyapattinam village,Vedaranyam,Nagapattinam district in the
temple premises of Arulmigu
vishwanathaswamy Thirukovil.This place is referred to famous interaction
between Lord Muruga and awaiyar “Suttapazham venduma sudadhapazham venduma”.This
temple is under the control of Hindu religious and Charitable Endownments
Department.