Kavalai

Azhagiya Nayagi Ammal

இந்தப் பக்கத்தை தமிழில் வாசிக்க: கவலை ‎

Kavalai is an autobiographical book written by Azhagiya Nayagi Ammal [1925-2008] in Tamil. It is considered important by sociologists. She is the mother of writer Ponneelan.

Writing, Publishing

Azhagiya Nayagi Ammal started writing the autobiographical story of Kavalai in June 1976 and finished it at the end of May 1977. The book depicts the period in her life till 1970.

Kavalai is not a copy written for publication. Ponneelan had a copy of this book for twenty years. Azhagiya Nayagi Ammal intended this as a collection of raw material for a novel she intended to write. Ponneelan's friend and writer Sundara Ramasamy asked him to publish it. Yet for twenty years Ponneelan made no decision. One reason was that handwriting was difficult to read. Then it was published on the advice of researcher A. Sivasubramanian.

This book was published in the year 1998 by the Folklore Advocacy Centre, Thuya Saveriar College, Palayankottai. Researcher A. Sivasubramanian has written the preface for it.

Synopsis

When the sea of milk accumulates poison over time, Bathrakali was formed and lived on a castle in a place called Puttapuram. She brought up seven children given birth by seven virgins. Lord Vishnu named them Chanar, Nadar and Sandror. They subsist on Pathaneer, the milk of Bathrakali. Chidambara Shiravan, the king of Puttapuram, settled in a town called Manavalakurichi in Kumari district. Azhagiya Nayagi Ammal begins to narrate her life story by telling a myth about the origin of her caste, her clan.

This story is like another version of Venkalarajan story. Paradesi Nadar, a grandson of Chidambara Shiravan. His oldes son settles in Enthamozhi. He had the clan name Kandaraikettu Nadan and owned some property. He received support from the Maharaja of Travancore for his military assistance. From him begins the family history of Azhagiya Nayagi Ammal.

The first wife of the Melvettu Ilayanadar who came in this tradition dies leaving behind a son and two daughters. Azhagiya Nayagi Ammal is his eldest daughter. He has an elder brother named Manakavalaperumal and a younger sister named Abaya Soundari. Bathrakali is the family god of Enthamozhi Nadan and her name is Azhagiya Nayagi. That was the author's name.

At the age of twenty-five, the Azhagiya Nayagi Ammal got married and went to her husband's town called Manikatti Pottal. Siva Ponneelavadivu is the husband's name. Azhagiya Nayagi Ammal gave birth to five children. Four of those children died young. The name of the remaining child is Sabapathy. These memoirs end with his education and marriage of her son. She refers to Ponneelan as Sabapathy.

"Appa Sabapati, I request you to write this story that I have written with difficulty for a year and not put it at a distance, write down the main parts of it briefly, edit the sentences and keep this as a story along with your stories" mentions Azhagiya Nayagi Ammal in the preface.

A Place in Culture

"I found this book outstanding in many ways. The life and culture of an ancient Tamil community in the south of Tamil Nadu has been recorded in Tamil for the first time. It contains previously unrecorded language, proverbs, idioms, stories, folktales, myths and legends" says Ponneelan.

"Social history books and family history books are rare in Tamil and there are only two family history books namely Savariraya Pillai Vamsa Varalaru [1899] and Savariraya Pillai Sarithram [1900] and in that respect Azhagu Nayagi Ammal's family history is a very important historical document and a pioneering effort" said A. Sivasubramaniam.

An important work on a pure literary sense. In this, the severe oppression of women and the hardships women face are reported in detail. It is only through education that one gets rid of them and attains happiness. At the end she feels relieved after writing about her life. Writing gives her freedom. Thus it can be considered as an autobiographical novel with a clear structure.

References

• Kavalai - Engal Kathai: Azhagiya Nayagi Ammal: Nattar Vazhakaatriyal Aivu Maiyam, Palayankottai Veliyeedu.

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