Madurai Veeran

Madurai Veeran was a real life hero who lived in
the early part of the seventeenth century. Though he
came from the cobbler community, he was a great
warrior who was always ready to fight to protect
his people.


At the same time, there was an invincible warlord by
name Sangili Karuppan who was terrorizing the people of
Madurai that was ruled at that time by the king Thirumalai
Nayakkar. Madurai Veeran, finally, was the one who
defeated Sangili Karuppan.


After defeating Sangili Karuppan, Madurai Veeran was
appointed as one of the generals under Thirumalai
Nayakkar.


Madurai Veeran fell in love with one of
the maids in the king's palace. Madurai Veeran,
married her inspite of opposition from the king
who could not allow someone from the cobbler
community to a marry a woman from a high caste.
And Thirumalai Nayakkar ordered that the limbs
of Madurai Veeran be severed. And so it was done.
Madurai Veeran, the invincible warrior, who
fought for the good of his people was left
to bleed to death.


And strangely, soon after Madurai Veeran's death
Thirumalai Nayakkar's body was found at the
bottom of a well. And that was the end of his era.


And for this reason, before you enter the
Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple, you get to
meet Madurai Veeran, the temple guardian.


And that guardian god, sitting on his huge horse
with a thick black moustache, bulging bloodshot eyes, and a
huge sword in his hand, outside of every village
in Tamil Nadu is the same warrior, who probably
gave his life fighting to protect his people. And
he is reverentially called as Iyenar.


In a sense Madurai Veeran and Iyenar are one and
the same. And for all those who hail from the soil
of those great selfless warriors, there is a part
of them still living in us.

Note: This article is an extract from an Yahoo Group Message posted by Madurai Veeran. Thank You to Madurai Veeran! Credit goes to you!!