Alli Rani (), also known as Alli arasi , is a legendary

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

queen of the

Sangam period The Sangam literature ( Tamil: சங்க இலக்கியம், ''caṅka ilakkiyam''), historically known as 'the poetry of the noble ones' ( Tamil: சான்றோர் செய்யுள், ''Cāṉṟōr ceyyuḷ''), connote ...

, who is thought to have ruled the whole western and northern coast of

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

from her capital

Kudiramalai Kudiramalai (, ) is a cape and ancient port town on the west coast of Sri Lanka. On the Gulf of Mannar near Silavaturai, the town shares a history with nearby Karaitivu Island, the ancient port town of Mannar and the Ketheeswaram temple. Kudir ...

. According to folklore, her fort, Allirani fort, is located in

Mannar, Sri Lanka Mannar (, ; , , formerly spelled Manar) is the main town of Mannar District, Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is governed by an Urban Council. The town is located on Mannar Island overlooking the Gulf of Mannar and is home to the historic Kethee ...

. She is sometimes seen as an incarnation or multiform of Meenakshi and

Kannagi Kannagi (), sometimes spelled Kannaki, is a legendary Tamil woman who forms the central character of the Tamil epic '' Cilappatikāram''. Kannagi is described as a chaste woman who stays with her husband despite his adultery, their attempt to re ...

. Legends attribute her as an "

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

" ruler, who had an administrative and an army of only women, with male being their subordinates and servants. There are references to her in several texts such as ''Alli katai'', ''Alli Arasani Maalai'', ''Pavazhakodi Maalai'' and ''Pulavendran Kalava Maalai.'' She is also depicted in a popular dramatic compilation in

Tamil language Tamil (, , , also written as ''Tamizhil'' according to linguistic pronunciation) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. It is one of the longest-surviving classical languages in the world,. "Tamil is one of ...

, entitled as ''Alli Arasani Nadakam''.

Legend

The only daughter of a Pandyan king, she was considered an immaculate conception as she was found on an ''alli'' (Tamil word for lily) after the end of a

Putrakameshti Putrakameshti () is a special yajna performed in Hinduism for the sake of bearing children. It is classified under a series of rituals called the kamya-karma. Literature In the ancient Indian epic Ramayana, upon the recommendation of Sage Vas ...

ritual. She was at young age sent to

gurukula A () is a traditional system of religious education in India with ('students' or 'disciples') living near or with the guru in the same house for a period of time where they learn and get educated by their guruji. Etymology The word is a com ...

and perfected riding and martial arts. Alli Raani is described as courageous and alert. She defeated and killed in a battle an usurper to the Pandyan throne named ''Neenmugan'', "The blue faced one", who came at her with an army. After the victory was she crowned to the throne of

Madurai Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...

. Several myths attribute her as being married to the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

hero

Arjuna Arjuna (, , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, �ɾd͡ʒun̪ə is one of the central characters of the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is the third of the five Pandava brothers, and is widely regarded as the most important and renowned among them. ...

. Arjuna who penetrated the palace of Alli Raani, took the form of an old

ascetic Asceticism is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures through self-discipline, self-imposed poverty, and simple living, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their pra ...

man. He called out for the love of the queen, who responded back by sending snakes and elephants to kill him. Arjuna later on came to her room in the form of a snake as she was asleep, thereupon embracing the queen. According to other versions of this myth is this event followed by a marriage with Arjuna tying the Thaali on Alli Raani. Alli Raani ruled over the in western and northern coasts of Sri Lanka and controlled there the pearl fishery. According to local traditions did the gulf of Arasadi have no opening towards the north, but communicated with the sea by a channel running in the line of the present

Chilaw Chilaw (, ) is a city in Puttalam District, North Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is governed by an urban council, whereas the outskirts are governed by a pradeshiya sabha of the same name. The town is located 80 kilometers away from Colombo via ...

canal. Alli Raani used to proceed from

to Akkaraipattu by land. A

great flood A flood myth or a deluge myth is a myth in which a great flood, usually sent by a deity or deities, destroys civilization, often in an act of divine retribution. Parallels are often drawn between the flood waters of these myths and the primeva ...

submerged greater parts of land, subsequently leaving Arasadi on a narrow split of land, forming the present

Puttalam Lagoon The Puttalam Lagoon is a large lagoon in the Puttalam District, western Sri Lanka. The lagoon is fed by two rivers, namely the Kala Oya and Mi Oya, discharging at and respectively. It is linked to Mundal Lagoon to the south by a channel. ...

and destroying her palace.{{Cite book, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iloCuf8NDQgC, title=Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, last=Colombo, first=Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland Ceylon Branch, date=1887, publisher=Colombo Apothecaries Company, pages=38, language=en

References

Tamil monarchs Mythological queens Sri Lankan Hindus Sri Lankan Tamil royalty Sri Lankan Tamil people Pandyan kings

Legend

See also

References