Kannagi is eulogised as the epitome of chastity and is worshiped as a goddess in select regions in
South India and Sri Lanka. Various sculptures and reliefs of Kannagi are found in
Hindu temples, which mostly depict her holding an anklet in her hand. She is worshipped as Kannagi
Amman by the
Tamils, as
Bhagavati in
Kerala, and as
Pattini in
Sinhalese Buddhism.
South India The
Cilappatikāram, and its sequel
Maṇimēkalai, offer evidence that Kannagi was praised as a goddess during the lifetime of Maṇimekalai, the daughter of Kovalan and Madhavi.
Cilappatikāram describes that Chera king
Senguttuvan deifying Kannagi and dedicating a temple for her. It also describes that the Pandya king Vetrivel Cheliyan prayed to Kanangi, for relieving his lands from the drought and curse of Kannagi. However, Kannagi was deified in the ancient
Tamilakam, it does not have a significant presence in modern religious practice and insitutional practice in Tamil Nadu, whereas the cult became prominent in Sri Lanka and parts of Kerala. Kannagi's worship in Tamil Nadu might have been assimilated in the more common worship of the
Dravidian goddess
Mariamman. As per
Cilappatikāram, the city of Madurai was destroyed on a Friday in the month of
Aadi, and Fridays in the month are often associated with the cult of Mariamman. The Kannaki cult initiated by the Cheras, is still preserved in the form of the Bhagavati cult in Kerala. The
Bhagavati Temple at
Kodungallur, which was the former capital of Cheras, mentions the Kannaki cult in its
Sthala purana. Though the deity of the temple is still observed as
Bhadrakali, Kannagi is believed to be an incarnation of the goddess, and reached Kodungallur to attain salvation at the location of the temple.
Attukal Temple,
Mangala Devi Kannagi Temple, and
Thirupuraikkal Temple are some of the Bhagavati temples in Kerala, that are associated with the Kannagi cult, and are believed to have been located on the places visited by Kannagi on her journey to Chera Nadu after the burning of Madurai.
Sri Lanka According to Sri Lankan folklore, after the burning of Madurai, Kannagi traveled to Kerala and eventually arrived at the island of Pungudutheevu, near the ancient Manipallavam, now known as
Nainativu. She is said to have visited approximately 25 sites in Sri Lanka, mainly along the east coast, and before she reached
Vattappalai. Disguised as an old woman, she requested food from some herders, and they offered her
pongal made from buffalo
milk. She later asked for a lamp lit with sea water. Fearing that she was a witch, the boys sought help from the villagers. When the villagers arrived, Kannagi revealed her divine form, displaying 1,000 eyes on her head, declaring herself as Kannagi of Poompuhar, and then ascended to heaven. The villagers light lamps, and offer pongal to her during the annual festival celebrated during the month of
Vaikasi. Historical sources suggest that king
Gajabahu I later recognised Kannagi as Pattini, establishing her as a guardian deity of Sri Lanka. Kannagi is revered as Kannakai Amman, particularly among the
Sri Lankan Tamils of
Eastern Sri Lankan and
Vanni regions.
Yalpana Vaipava Malai, which gives a historical account of the
Jaffna Kingdom, attests to the widespread popularity of Kannagi worship during the rule of the
Aryacakravarti dynasty (1215–1624) in
Northern Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan epic
Kannaki Vaḻakkurai, recited in Kannaki Amman temples, is believed to have been authored by king
Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan (1380–1410), and mirrors the narrative of the Cilappatikāram. The Kannagi cult was particularly strong among coastal communities, who regarded Kannagi as a guardian deity due to her association with sea during her upbringing. During the
Portuguese rule, many of these coastal populations converted to
Catholicism, and numerous Kannagi shrines were converted into churches. In the 19th century, some of the remaining temples of Kannagi were transformed in the 19th century into
Raja Rajeshwari and
Bhuvaneshvari temples by activists from the
Jaffna-based
Shaivism movement, under the leadership of
Arumuka Navalar, who actively fought against veneration of Kannagi, whom he considered to be a
Jain merchantess. In modern practice, Kannagi is chiefly venerated once a year during the Catangu or Katavu Tirattal festival, majorly celebrated in the
Ampara and
Batticaloa districts. The festival celebrated over a period of seven days, includes rituals such as
kalyana kāl naduthal (planting wedding pillar),
valakkurai paaduthal (reciting the verses of
Kannaki Vaḻkkurai), kulirthi paaduthal (singing cooling verses). At the conclusion of the festival, the sanctum of the temple is closed and remains so until the next festival begins. The
Sinhalese Buddhists worship Kannagi as Pattini. The story of Kannagi differs from
Cilappatikāram and she is revered as an avatar of
Gautama Buddha. Kannagi was born in the garden of the Pandyan king, and as she was neglected by him, she grew up at the port of Chola country. She eventually slew the evil Pandyan king, and was later anointed as a guardian god by the Buddha. The
Esala Perahera festival was initially dedicated to Kannaki,
Kataragama,
Natha, and
Vishnu, which later incorporated the procession of holy tooth relic of Buddha during the 18th century.
Polkeliya (coconut fight),
Gammaduwa (village rituals), and
ankeliya (horn play) are three main aspects of the Pattini cult. ==In popular culture==