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Pattini

Pattini, also known as Kannaki or Kannagi, is a revered female deity in Sri Lankan culture, worshipped by both Sinhala Buddhists and Tamil Hindus as the guardian of the island, embodying chastity, fertility, health, and protection from epidemics such as smallpox.^[1]^[2] Her unique status as the only female figure honored in the Sinhala Buddhist pantheon highlights her role in bridging Hindu and Buddhist traditions, with rituals focused on offerings for prosperity, rain, and moral virtue.^[3]^[4] The origins of Pattini's cult trace back to the ancient Tamil epic Silappatikaram, composed around the 5th century CE, which recounts the legend of Kannaki, a chaste wife whose story of injustice and deification forms the basis of her worship.^[5]^[6] According to legend, Pattini's worship was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 2nd century CE by King Gajabahu I, who brought sacred relics including her anklet from South India following interactions with the Chera king Senguttuvan; however, scholars suggest a later introduction, possibly after the 5th century CE.^[1] This integration exemplifies Hindu-Buddhist syncretism, as Pattini is revered by Hindus as an incarnation of Kali, while Buddhists view her as a bodhisattva-like protector of the Dharma and the nation.^[1]^[4] Her cult gained prominence under later rulers, such as King Parakramabahu VI in the 15th century, who formalized rituals and shrines to invoke her blessings for peace and prosperity.^[1] Shrines, or devalayas, dedicated to her—such as those at Navagamuwa and Kaduwela—feature non-Brahmin priests called kapuralas who perform ceremonies like the milk-offering ritual (Kiri Amma invocation) and fire-walking processions to honor her powers.^[1] These practices persist today, particularly in rural areas, where she is invoked during festivals and crises for healing and safeguarding the community.^[3]

Identity and Origins

Etymology and Attributes

The name Pattini derives from the Tamil word paṭṭiṇi, signifying a "chaste woman," which is etymologically connected to the Sanskrit term pativratā, referring to a devoted and faithful wife who upholds her marital vows with unwavering loyalty.^[7] Pattini embodies core attributes as the patroness of fertility, health, and chastity, serving as a protective deity against illnesses, particularly smallpox, known in Sinhala as deviyange ledé or "the goddess's affliction." Her role extends to safeguarding marital fidelity and maternal well-being, reflecting ideals of purity and devotion in both Hindu and Buddhist contexts.^[8] Among her epithets, "Kannagi-Pattini" highlights her identification with the Tamil literary figure Kannagi, while "Goddess of the Golden Arm" evokes her symbolic power and divine grace.^[8] Key symbols include the golden hand, representing benevolence and protection, and the ankle bracelet (miniya), emblematic of her unbreakable vow of chastity.^[9] In iconography, Pattini is typically depicted as a seated woman in royal attire, often holding a fan or betel leaves, which underscore her queenly dignity and nurturing, maternal essence.^[8] These representations emphasize her dual role as a sovereign figure and compassionate guardian, integral to her veneration across syncretic traditions.^[2]

South Indian Roots

Pattini traces her origins to the Tamil epic Silappatikāram, composed around the 5th century CE (though some scholars date it to the 2nd century CE) by the Jain prince Ilango Adigal, in which she appears as Kannagi, the archetype of the wronged wife embodying unyielding chastity and moral retribution.^[10]^[11] In this literary foundation, Kannagi's narrative establishes her as a deified figure whose vow of vengeance against injustice elevates her from mortal to divine status, laying the groundwork for her worship as a protector of fidelity and righteousness in South Indian culture. The epic's events are set in the 2nd century AD, synchronized with the reigns of Pandyan and Chera kings.^[12]^[13] Kannagi's emergence as a folk deity occurred in ancient Tamil Nadu, where she became central to chastity cults intertwined with early Dravidian goddess worship traditions that revered female power and domestic virtue.^[10] These cults positioned her as a guardian against marital discord and infertility, reflecting broader Dravidian emphases on matrilineal elements and heroic femininity in pre-medieval society.^[14] The development of Kannagi's cult drew significantly from Jain and early Hindu traditions in South India, framing her as an enduring symbol of marital fidelity amid ethical and devotional currents.^[12] As a Jain-authored figure, she exemplifies ascetic ideals of non-violence and moral purity, yet her attributes parallel Hindu exemplars of wifely devotion, facilitating her role in syncretic worship that bridged sectarian divides in pre-medieval Tamil Nadu.^[10]

Mythological Narrative

Legend of Chastity and Vengeance

The legend of Pattini originates from the Tamil epic Silappatikaram, where the chaste wife Kannagi transforms into a divine avenger following profound injustice. Kannagi, a virtuous woman from the merchant class in the ancient Chola kingdom, marries Kovalan, but their life unravels when he squanders their wealth on the courtesan Madhavi. Reduced to poverty, the couple journeys to the Pandya capital of Madurai to seek fortune, where Kovalan attempts to sell one of Kannagi's golden anklets. Tragically, the city's goldsmith, having stolen a similar anklet from the queen, falsely accuses Kovalan of the theft, leading the Pandya king to order his immediate execution without trial.^[15]^[16] Devastated by grief and rage, Kannagi rushes to the palace with her remaining anklet—the silambu—as irrefutable evidence of her husband's innocence. She confronts the king, breaking the anklet open to reveal rubies inside, contrasting the queen's anklet filled with pearls, thus exposing the goldsmith's deceit and the monarch's hasty judgment. Enraged by the irreversible wrong, Kannagi curses the Pandya king and the city of Madurai for harboring injustice, invoking the power of her unyielding chastity (karpu). She tears off her left breast and hurls it toward the city, commanding the god of fire, Agni, to consume the unjust. Flames erupt, devastating Madurai and claiming the lives of the king and queen, who die realizing their error. This cataclysm underscores the theme of chastity as a supernatural force capable of both protection and destruction when moral order is violated.^[15]^[17]^[16] In the aftermath, Kannagi ascends a hill outside the burning city, where the gods, including Indra, receive her and elevate her to divinity. The gods, moved by her righteousness, deify her as Pattini, a goddess of vengeance against tyranny. This foundational narrative, centered on the silambu as a symbol of truth and the fire as retributive justice, spreads her cult across South India and Sri Lanka, establishing her as a protector of the wronged.^[16]^[15]

Deification and Multiple Lives

Following her act of vengeance against the Pandyan king for the unjust execution of her husband Kovalan, Kannagi ascends to divine status as the goddess Pattini, with deities such as Indra intervening to affirm her chastity and cosmic power, thereby granting her dominion over fertility, justice, and protection from calamity. In the Sinhala mythological expansions, this deification occurs after she extinguishes the flames engulfing Madurai, a symbolic act of benevolence that underscores her transformation from mortal avenger to benevolent deity.^[18] Central to Pattini's eternal narrative in Sinhala traditions is the concept of her seven births, known as Sath Pattini, each incarnation reinforcing themes of fidelity, devotion, and moral purity as a chaste wife, queen, or spiritual devotee. These cycles include extraordinary origins such as birth from a woman's body, a lotus flower, a sacred lake, a mango tree, a rose-apple tree, a coconut flower, and bangles, culminating in her final, immortal form as the eternal guardian goddess.^[19] Variations in folklore describe alternative births, such as from a volcano or cobra's tears, highlighting the fluid, localized adaptations of her myth across Sri Lankan regions.^[1] In Sinhala Buddhist cosmology, Pattini is reimagined as a bodhisattva-like figure who safeguards the Dharma and the island's prosperity, blending Hindu origins with Theravada principles through rituals that invoke merit transference and Pali incantations.^[1] This integration positions her as a protective force against moral decay, distinct from her initial Tamil vengeance narrative. Mythological variations further depict her intervening in crises, such as alleviating famines by introducing rice cultivation—where she meditates on a mountain and provides sustenance to a beggar, enabling the crop's propagation across the land—and warding off plagues like smallpox by commanding disease-bearing spirits.^[20]^[18]

Worship Practices

Core Rituals and Offerings

The core rituals of Pattini worship center on communal ceremonies known as devol-madu, which encompass a range of performative acts designed to invoke the goddess's blessings for protection, fertility, and prosperity. These include the kohomba kankariya, an elaborate expiatory dance ritual originating as part of Pattini devotion, featuring rhythmic drumming, masked performers enacting divine invocations, and symbolic gestures to appease deities and ward off afflictions.^[21]^[9] Similarly, the gammaduwa (village rebirth) festival structures annual observances with processions carrying sacred symbols, intense drumming sequences, and masked theatrical performances that dramatize Pattini's legend, fostering community unity and supernatural safeguarding.^[21]^[3] A prominent ritual reenacting Pattini's mythological vengeance is fire-walking or trampling, performed during gammaduwa and related ceremonies to balance elemental forces and cure communal ills, such as epidemics, by devotees traversing hot coals as an act of devotion and purification.^[3]^[20] Flag-hoisting ceremonies, often integrated into these festivals, symbolize the elevation of Pattini's protective presence over the village, marking the commencement of rites that ensure agricultural abundance and health. Offerings form the symbolic core of these practices, emphasizing fertility and renewal; betel leaves, milk, and rice are presented as primary tributes, with milk-rice (kiri) boiled in coconut milk representing nourishment and the goddess's role in childbirth and sustenance.^[21]^[20] These are offered during gammaduwa consecrations, alongside lights and boughs, to pacify Pattini and transform participants through prasada (blessed remnants) that promote healing and prevent disease.^[3] Devotees undertake vows (heta) as personal commitments for healing or protection, involving fasting, pilgrimage to devalayas, or ritual abstinences that invoke Pattini's intervention against ailments, often culminating in thanksgiving performances once fulfilled.^[22]^[23] Protective rites prominently feature Pattini's image or amulets, such as her sacred anklets (salamba), worn or carried to avert illnesses like smallpox and measles through exorcistic dances in rural settings, where tovil performers summon the goddess to expel malevolent forces.^[3]^[20] These practices, historically tied to her deification, continue as vital safeguards in village life.^[21]

Alms-Giving and Vows

In the worship of Pattini, a prominent practice among devotees, particularly nursing mothers, is the kiri amma danaya, or alms-giving by milk mothers, where postpartum women offer milk rice (kiri) and other dairy-rich foods to seven elderly women representing the goddess as nurturers. This ritual seeks Pattini's blessings for child protection, successful breastfeeding, and maternal health, with participants dressed in white and invoking the deity through chants and boiled milk offerings to symbolize purity and abundance.^[24] Vow fulfillment forms a core element of devotion to Pattini, with individuals promising specific offerings such as cloth draperies for her statues or food items like rice and sweets upon the granting of prayers for fertility, safe childbirth, or recovery from illnesses like smallpox. These vows, often made during personal crises, are fulfilled at temples through public acts of giving, reinforcing the goddess's role as a guardian of women's life cycles and emphasizing reciprocity in her cult. Communal alms-giving during Pattini festivals further extends these practices, involving group distributions of rice-based foods to the poor as a form of merit-making (pin), tied to her mythological association with sustenance and averting famine. Such collective efforts promote community welfare and fertility, with participants pooling resources to honor her protective powers over agriculture and household prosperity. These traditions, emphasizing women's active participation in public piety, are documented from the medieval Kandyan kingdom (1591–1815), where Pattini devale rituals integrated almsgiving as a means of social cohesion and royal endorsement of the cult.

Sacred Sites

Major Temples in Sri Lanka

The Nawagamuwa Pattini Devalaya, situated near Colombo in the Kaduwela area of the Western Province, stands as one of the oldest and most revered centers of Pattini worship in Sri Lanka. According to historical accounts, it was established in the 2nd century AD by King Gajabahu I (112–134 AD), who returned from a campaign in South India with the sacred anklet of the goddess, using it as the foundational relic for the shrine.^[25] The site, declared a protected archaeological monument, features structures dating to the Kotte Kingdom (15th–16th centuries) and later renovations, including a moonstone entrance and wall paintings in the Kandyan style.^[26] Its annual Gon Pita Perahera festival in August draws pilgrims seeking remedies for cattle ailments, bolstering the local village economy through processions, offerings, and related trade.^[27] In the central highlands, Kandyan-era temples underscore Pattini's role as a guardian deity, most notably the Pattini Devalaya within the Sri Dalada Maligawa complex in Kandy. Constructed during the Kingdom of Kandy (1592–1815), this shrine is positioned to the west of the Natha Devalaya and is believed to safeguard the sacred Tooth Relic, with devotees offering vows for fertility, health, and national protection.^[28] The temple hosts rituals tied to broader Buddhist observances, reinforcing its centrality in Sinhala worship. Architectural elements across these devalayas emphasize symbolic and functional design, often featuring intricate wooden carvings that narrate Pattini's legendary exploits, such as her acts of vengeance and chastity. Inner sanctums provide secluded spaces for personal vows and offerings, while outer structures typically include timber-paneled walls on stone platforms, latticed fences for enclosure, and processional items like lances and sandalwood idols.^[29] In Kandy, the devalaya's rectangular form with southern shrine orientation exemplifies this style, supporting pilgrimage-driven village economies through seasonal festivals and relic veneration.^[30]

Regional and Syncretic Sites

In Tamil Nadu, Pattini worship manifests primarily through the veneration of Kannagi, her South Indian counterpart, centered around the ancient city of Madurai as depicted in the epic Silappatikaram. Dedicated Kannagi temples exist in Tamil Nadu, such as the Mangala Devi Kannagi Temple in Theni district near the Kerala border, though her narrative of chastity and fiery retribution against Madurai's unjust king is commemorated annually during cultural festivals, including recitations of the epic and symbolic fire rituals that evoke her act of burning the city. These practices, often integrated into broader temple festivals like those at the Meenakshi Temple, emphasize Kannagi's role as a symbol of moral justice and female empowerment, drawing devotees for dramatic performances and offerings.^[31]^[32]^[10] Syncretic sites in Sri Lanka extend Pattini worship beyond traditional Sinhala Buddhist devales, incorporating hybrid elements with local Hindu deities. The Munneswaram Temple complex in Chilaw exemplifies this blending, where Pattini is revered alongside Shiva, Kali, and Mariamman in a shared Hindu-Buddhist space; Sinhalese Buddhists, forming the majority of patrons, participate in the annual Adi festival through offerings, processions, and firewalking, while legends portray Pattini subduing Kali to protect devotees. In the Eastern Province, joint shrines like the Ampitiye Pattini Devale in Panama serve multireligious communities, hosting the 13-day An Keliya festival in August that attracts Tamil Hindus, Sinhalese Buddhists, and even Muslims for communal rituals under a single roof. Over 60 Kannaki Amman kovils dot the region, many established in the 18th-19th centuries, fostering interethnic harmony through shared veneration.^[33]^[10] Regional variations highlight Pattini's dual aspects: Tamil traditions in sites like Eastern Province kovils stress her vengeful justice, with rituals like cooling songs to appease her anger from the Madurai legend, while Sinhala practices prioritize healing and compassion, integrating her into Buddhist guardian roles through therapeutic ceremonies like water-cutting. Shared elements, such as relic adoration, underscore underlying unity across these expressions.^[10]

Cultural and Religious Role

Guardian in Buddhism and Hinduism

In Theravada Buddhism, Pattini holds a prominent position as one of the five guardian deities (devata) of the island of Sri Lanka and the Buddha-sasana (Dharma), alongside Natha, Vishnu, Skanda (Kataragama), and Saman.^[34] She is invoked for protection against threats to the Buddhist order and the nation's well-being, with her story adapted into Sinhala literature, such as the 15th-century compendiums that integrate her legend into Buddhist moral teachings.^[35] As the sole major female deity in the Sinhala Buddhist pantheon, Pattini embodies chastity and maternal care, serving as a bodhisattva figure aspiring to enlightenment while safeguarding fertility, health, and the moral fabric of society.^[3] In Hindu traditions, particularly among Sri Lankan Tamils, Pattini is revered as an incarnation of chastity-oriented goddesses, drawing from the Tamil epic Silappatikaram where she originates as Kannaki, a symbol of unwavering fidelity and righteous vengeance.^[10] Her worship incorporates Shaivite elements, associating her with fierce protective aspects akin to Kali or Bhadrakali, emphasizing her role in upholding dharma through feminine power in Tamil devotional practices.^[1] The syncretic integration of Pattini into both religions began in the 2nd century AD, when Sinhala kings adopted her cult from South Indian origins to foster religious and cultural unity amid diverse populations.^[36] This adoption extended to state rituals, notably in the Kandyan Kingdom (1592–1815), where she was invoked for royal protection and national stability, with temples like the Kandy Pattini Devale serving as centers for invocations against calamities.^[30] Her unique protections encompass defense against foreign invasions, famines, epidemics, and moral decay, positioning her as a unifying divine force across Buddhist and Hindu communities.^[2] Pattini embodies ideals of female empowerment rooted in chastity and moral authority, serving as a model of the devoted wife who wields supernatural power through self-control and righteous indignation in Sri Lankan folklore.^[37] Her chastity is central to her deification, symbolizing wifely loyalty that grants her the ability to curse wrongdoers and protect the innocent, a theme drawn from the Tamil epic Cilappatikāram adapted into Sinhala traditions.^[37] As a patron of women's rights, Pattini is invoked by women seeking justice in cases of marital infidelity or injustice, reflecting her role in empowering females within patrilineal societies through ritual oaths that affirm their moral standing. In folklore, Pattini functions as a guardian of marital harmony, where her story promotes balanced domestic relations, particularly in matrilocal systems that afford women leverage via dowry and residence rights to mitigate conflicts.^[37] She also symbolizes child welfare, revered for her kindness and tenderness toward small children, embodying well-being and fertility to ensure family prosperity and protection. Socially, her cult aids dispute resolution through oaths sworn in her name, where perjurers face divine retribution, a practice historically used among Sinhalese Buddhists to settle conflicts over property or adultery without formal courts. Pattini's influence extends to Sinhala literature, particularly poetry, where her laments and exploits inspire verses on feminine virtue and justice, as seen in traditional ballads and ritual songs that recount her vengeance.^[38] Modern feminist interpretations reframe her as a symbol of resilient womanhood, challenging patriarchal norms by highlighting her agency in defying injustice, though her idealized chastity sometimes reinforces traditional gender roles.^[39] In contemporary observance, Pattini's cult has seen revivals during health crises, paralleling her historical role in smallpox protection through rituals that invoke her against epidemics.^[40] During the COVID-19 pandemic, practices like the Gammaduwa ritual were adapted for national protection, with performances broadcast on television and online platforms such as YouTube to reach urban audiences unable to attend in person.^[3] These urban adaptations, including televised Sath Paththini Seth Shanthiya events in 2021, shifted from rural village settings to public media, blending traditional dances with modern dissemination to foster communal healing.^[41] Urbanization has led to declining rural rituals, rendering the cult increasingly moribund in traditional forms, yet it persists in efforts toward Tamil-Sinhala reconciliation post-conflict, where shared devotion to Pattini-Kannaki bridges ethnic divides through cross-communal worship and exhibitions documenting her unifying symbolism.^[37]^[42] Post-war devotions invoke her for justice and solace among war-affected communities, highlighting her enduring social relevance in promoting harmony amid ethnic tensions.^[43]

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