Andal the saint poet, who lived to tell the world of a
devotion so high but which can be attainted through pure love. Her verses are very popular in the Tamil
culture that the month Margazhi sounds synonymous with Andal. Though the verses are very popular, we do not
know a very clear picture of her life.
Through folklore and hearsay, we know that she was the adopted daughter
of Saint Periyazhwar and she was the avatar of Bhu-devi.
The author has made a novel around the life of this saint,
using her imagination and entwining it with events that are well known
facts. It really was a fresh take on
Kodhai’s life. She was christened as
Andal much later, in her early life she was Kodhai. She paints a picture that is truly human with
a myriad of emotions ranging from lust to disappointment. I do know a few verses of Andal’s “Thirupavai”
and I always thought of how selfless the goddess was when she prays for the
world’s benefit. But here the author has
entirely twisted the idea and made it as a yearning of a teenage girl.
The book travels through some important ancient scriptures
like the Kurunthogai, Thirupavai, Nachiyar Thirumozhi and many more. Though I could recognise the English
translation of the verses, I regret that I do not know the whole verse by-heart
in Tamil. Now when I prostrate before
Andal I doubt if I will search for the teenage girl Kodhai, whose love for the
lord grows quickly and erotically in each and every verse. I had always been in awe of her love for the
God, how she takes Him to be her husband, lives for Him, yearns for Him,
finally attains Him. This book only
makes it easier for us to understand (though only through imagination) why and
how she loves Him and cannot fathom anyone else in His place.
The author’s prose is rich and the whole novel is a
monologue. Though this is her debut
novel she manages to pack an intense story in about 140 pages. Her expressions, emotions and even the very
atmosphere of the story is doused in every word with a rich vocabulary she has
carefully chosen. The author has peppered
the whole novel with settings synonymous to the Tamil culture, be it the Tamil
names of the characters, the millets used in diets instead of rice or the many
flowers which are native to Tamil Nadu. She
makes this imaginary story her base for the events of the Pavai nombu, which
beautifully says why and what made Kodai to pen those verses. She draws a picture of the ancient Tamil Nadu
with the rules for each strata of the society.
Also, a detailed account of the harvest festival Pongal is mentioned
here. Many Tamil words are literally
given in English without a translation.
It made me relish the story with a native feel though I know for many it
would limit their experience. The author
has mentioned about a mother for our protagonist but I would like to get to
know her more. Many a times I read and
re-read the same lines a couple of times.
This is a novel you would not want to rush with.
Though the author has altered many happenings in her novel,
she does give a detailed account of how the original story was told. She also gives references to how and what
made her depict a particular scene in the book.
The avatar and life of Andal has been very controversial and in recent
times it had made way for heated arguments and rows. But although the author has tried to shed a
new light, that is imaginary, in the life of Kodai, she will still be known as
the virtuous one who will heed to all our needs.
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