Kannagi
Topic: Sangam Age and Early South India · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 6 "The Age of Reorganisation"
Meaning
Kannagi is the heroine of the Tamil epic Silappadikaram. She stands for a faithful wife and for justice against a king's mistake. Her story takes place across all three Sangam kingdoms: Chola, Pandya and Chera. People still worship her as a goddess in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Example
Kannagi gave her husband Kovalan one of her anklets to sell. At Madurai, he was falsely accused of stealing and was put to death by the Pandya king. Kannagi proved he was innocent with her second anklet. The king died of shock, and her curse made the fire god burn Madurai. She then walked west to the Chera kingdom, where she was made into a goddess.
Don't confuse with
- Manimekalai: she is Kovalan's daughter and the heroine of the separate epic Manimekalai. Kannagi is the heroine of the Silappadikaram.