Kannagi's Abode in Madurai
The present-day Madurai might evoke our thought on the Goddess Meenakshi alone, thanks to her centrally located gigantic temple. However, the historic city has much more for us to explore and experience. One such not so often tapped subject is the significant connection of the Tamil epic "Silappadhikaram" with this city. This article is to throw some light on one such lesser-known site that is claimed to be related to Silappadhikaram. For the benefit of starters, let me brief the basic details of the epic first. Silappadhikaram is one of the five epics of Tamil. It was authored by Ilango Adigal during the Tamil Sangam age (believed to be the 3rd or 4th century CE). The epic depicts the story of a woman named Kannagi who sought justice for the killing of her husband. (I firmly believe that her name should be spelled as Kannaki; however, as the entire state spells it Kannagi, I, too, follow the same, just to avoid confusion.) Kannagi was from a wealthy family in Poompuhar. Sh