– Nediyedath Divya Bipin
Standing 144 feet tall and bereft of anycolor, the stark white Vellayi gopuram of Srirangam in Tamil Nadu has a poignant tale to tell. Vellai means ‘white’ in Tamizh. It is thus, easy to believe that the gopuram derives its name from its color. The name and this story, however, belongs to Vellayiamma – a ‘devadasi’ who had dedicated her life to the lord and protected the temple and all that it stood for, with her life.
Like most temples in Bharat, Srirangam too was the victim of multiple attacks. In 1323, a decade after Malik Kafur and his army raided and plundered the city, troops of Ulugh Khan attacked with a resolve to destroy and demolish. Though they aimed at destroying everything precious and divine, their eyes were set on the ‘Abaranji’ gold vigraham (idol) of Namperumal – Sree Ranganathar. The temple authorities and the city people were quick to react. Under the leadership of Pillai Lokacharya, they decided to relocate and hide the vigraham. It is said that around 12000 people lost their lives trying to protect the temple. As the looters closed in, people realised that Pillai Lokacharya was really short on time. The invaders were hunting for him and unless the army was distracted and held back, their beloved namperumal would be lost.
Vellayiamma, who was trained to put the lord above herself and everything else came to the rescue. She and her team danced for the troops for hours together, and were able to distract them. Promising to take him to the idol, Vellayiamma took the army chief to the top of the gopuram and pushed him down – killing him instantly and buying Pillai Lokacharyamore time. She then jumped off the gopuram herself, to end her life. Maybe she could not go back into a temple that now did not house her lord. Or perhaps after having surrendered her life to her lord and the temple, and then having had to dance for a mere plunderer, life didn’t make sense anymore.
Whatever her reasons, the tower stands witness to her KshatraVeeryam and her story is proof that Dharma survives not only because of those well-known heroes, but also because of each ordinary person who knows when to ignite that extraordinary spark of Kshatram in them.
Note:
Devadasis are a group that is extremely misunderstood and misrepresented (specially in Indian cinema and contemporary art). There is sufficient proof for the fact that they were a group of talented and strong people. They dedicated their life to the temple, its arts and education. They helped in the running and administration of the temple, acted like event managers when needed, and extended support to the healthcare system during war times. They interacted with the learned, the scholars, the bhaktas, the art connoisseurs, the traders and the ruling folk alike. They were highly respectedand many powerful devadasis had a say in the decision-making process of a city/town. Many devadasis have risen to power and fame, though we rarely realize today that they belonged to this truly empowered clan. Their only reason to peril was the foreigner’s inability to digest such a free and accepting society.
