Vatakkiruttal (, 'fasting facing north'), also Vadakiruthal and vadakiruttal, was a

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 ...

ritual A ritual is a repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning. Traditionally ...

of fasting till death. It was especially widespread during the

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

. The Tamil kings, in order to save their honour, and prestige, were prepared to meet their death facing North ('Vatakkiruttal'), and never would they turn their back in battle. It was a Tamil martial vow (, 'vow'). This was either done alone or as a group with the supporters of the captured

king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

Examples

Few examples of Vatakkiruttal for friendship: After the death of king

Vēl Pāri Vēḷ Pari was a velir ruler who ruled Parambu nadu and surrounding regions in ancient Tamilakam during the Sangam period. He was the patron and friend of poet Kabilar and is extolled for his benevolence, patronage of art and literature. He ...

in a battle, his friend poet

Kapilar Kapilar or Kabilar ( Tamil: கபிலர்) was the most prolific Tamil poet of the Sangam period (c. 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE). He contributed 206 poems, or a little less than 10% of the entire Sangam-era classical corpus by 473 ...

performs this act in

Kabilar Kundru Kabilar Kundru (or Kabilar rock) is a hill rock in the middle of the Ponnaiyar River near Tirukoilur in Viluppuram district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for Tamil poet Kapilar did Vadakirrutal (fast unto death) here, after his friend Vēl ...

. In another, King

Kopperuncholan Kopperuncholan () was a Tamil king of the Early Cholas mentioned in Sangam Literature. We have no definite details about this Chola or his reign. The only information we have is from the fragmentary poems of Sangam in the '' Purananuru''. So ...

and his friend poet Pisiranthaiyar did Vatakkiruttal.

Examples

References

Further reading