Madurai Veeran

Madurai Veeran, also known as Veeran is a Tamil folk deity popular in southern Tamil Nadu, India. His name was derived as a result of his association with the city of Madurai as a protector of the city. He is widely worshipped as a Great hero of the people.

For other uses, see Madurai Veeran (disambiguation).

Madurai Veeran
Protection and Justice
A typical village shrine to Madurai Veeran, who is in the centre
AbodesAll defenders of justice
WeaponSword or aruval
MountWhite Horse
RegionTamil Nadu
Ethnic groupTamils
ConsortBommi and Vellaiyammal

His name literally means "warrior of Madurai."

According to the Maduraiveeraswamikathai, Veeran was born to royal parents and was abandoned, and later adopted by a couple from the Arunthathiyar community (a Dalit community), although this has been challenged by EKS Elvangovan who asserts Veeran was born natively into the Arunthathiyar community and that the story of him being royal was a fabrication to make his worship acceptable for casteist higher caste people.

He grew up among them and became a guard in the court Bommanna Nayakan. When on duty as a guard of the chieftain's daughter Bomni, he fell in love with her. At night, he sneaked up to her room and the two eloped. During their escape, Bommanna Nayakan led an army after Veeran, and he defeated the army and killed Bommanna. The two then fled to Tirichy where Veeran was requested by the local king to defeat bandits terrorizing his people, which he did successfully and famously.

His fame brought him to Madurai which was troubled by bandits and Thirumala Nayakar requested Veeran to help him. Veeran then met Vellaiyammal, a royal danseuse, who was attracted to him because of his looks and skill in various arts. She asked him to teach her the Natya Shastra (tenets of dancing).

The king, who was himself attracted to Vellaiyammal, did not appreciate this development and viewed this as an affair. Some of his generals, who hated the closeness of Veeran to the king, used the opportunity to inform the king that the delay in suppressing the robbers was deliberate as Veeran was conniving with the robbers themselves. Furious, the king ordered a traitor's death for Veeran, who was taken to the gallows and had alternate hands and legs chopped off (marukkal marukkai). Hearing of this, Bommi and Vellaiyammal attend the gallows to see the severed limbs and chastise the king for his injustice.

The legend says that Veeran is brought back to life by the virtues of both these women and is vindicated by the presence of gods. Veeran, thereafter retires to a cave beneath what is now Meenakshi Amman Temple.

Other versions of the tale declare he and Velaiyammal attempted to elope but were caught by the guards. Mistaken for a bandit, he faced the punishment of marukkal marukkai. Both Bommi and Velaiyammal prayed to Goddess Meenakshi that he regain his limbs which he did. But he believed he must die by will of the goddess, and he cut his own head off with his sword. Both Bommi and Vellaiyammal threw themselves into his funeral pyre and the king was sorrowful once he learns his true identity. Veeran then prays to Meenakshiamman to ritualize his death properly. Veeran then appears as a Dalit disrupting normal life in a dream of the king's, and troubles ensue in real life. When the king asks Sivan and Meenakshiamman why, they tell him it is because Madurai Veeran's death was not honoured correctly.[1]

A shrine was later erected at the east gate of Meenakshiamman Temple by the king. The story persists through the singing of songs and street theatre.

See also

References
  1. Anand, Shilpaa (2 July 2019), "Disability and intimacy in the making of Madurai Veeran", The Politics of Belonging in Contemporary India, Routledge India, pp. 126–141, ISBN 978-0-429-29598-0, retrieved 1 December 2020
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