Valli
Encyclopedia
Valli is a Goddess and the divine consort of the prominent Hindu God Murugan
, according to Hindu
mythology. She represents the "Ichha Shakti" (power of aspirations), and Goddess Deivayanai
depicts "Kriya Shakthi" (power of actions), and the Vel embodies "Gnana Shakthi" (power of knowledge).
Valli in Tamil language
means a creeper and is also used as a title of many tribal
or idigenous peoples goddesses in Tamil Nadu
, Kerala
and by the Rodiya
(Ezhava) people of Sri Lanka
.
Dictionary defintiion is: வள்ளி (vaḷḷi), s. a plant, convolvulus batatas
; 2. a winding plant, dioscorea sativa
, படர்கொடி; 3. a ratan-shield, பிரப்பங் கேடகம்; 4. a jewel, ஆபரணம்; 5. a bracelet, கைவளை; 6. a kind of play, a dance, ஓர் கூத்து; 7. a consort of Subramanya
.
Goddess Valli is also known as Pongi, at Vallimalai, and the pond from which she drew water to quench the thirst of Her Lord, is still existent here. This pond though in an open ground, does not receive the rays of the sun. Pongi in this context, refers to the Her bhava in which is overflows with youth, beauty and devotion.
Descendants of the Vedda tribe are still inhabitant around the Kathirgamam region and there are temples dedicated to the God of Mountains, Lord Muruga in this region of Sri Lanka.
In her previous birth, Valli and her sibling Deivayani (another consort of Lord Murugan) were the daughters of Lord Vishnu, and both of them undertook severe penance to become the consorts of Lord Muruga, who appeared before them and gave the boon of marriage in their next birth. And in the present birth, the Goddess was destined to marry the God of Mountains, Lord Murugan and would never consider anyone else. At a tender age, Sage Narada informed Her father that she was an intimate Shakti of Lord Subramanya incarnated for the fulfillment of the Lord's lila.
The mountain chief planned to develop a field for growing millets, and assigned Valli to take in-charge of protecting the field from birds and animals who might devour the crops. Lord Murugan saw this as an opportunity to meet the Goddess, and therefore He assumed the form of a handsome tribal hunter and appeared before her, as if he lost his way on chasing a deer during hunting. Valli did not recognize the stranger and promptly asked him to leave the place. The Hunter was about to leave and at that moment the chief was returning to the place bringing honey and fruits for Valli, the God in order to avoid being caught, turned himself into a tree. After the chief and his followers left the place, the God changed back into the hunter form and proposed his love to Valli.
The princess who had only the Mountain God in her heart, was infuriated at the proposal and lashed out at the hunter. (This form of Lord Muruga called the 'Veduvan Kolam' can be seen at the Lord Palaniapaar temple at Belukurichi
). The chief and his followers were again returning to the place, so the hunter changed himself into an old man, without being noticed by Valli. When the chief on seeing the old man, requested him to stay with Valli till they return from the hunting.
The old man was hungry and asked Valli for food, and she gave Him a mixture of the millet flour and honey, but it made him thirsty and asked for water. She provided water from a nearby stream and the Lord jokingly remarked that she has satisfied his thirst and she can quench his thirst for a companion. The Goddess was angered again and started to leave the place, the Lord requsted assistance from His brother, Lord Ganesha to appear as a wild elephant at that time. On seeing the wild elephant, Srimati Valli was scared and ran back to the old man, pleading Him to save Her from the elephant. Lord Muruga proposes to save Her only if She agrees to marry Him. In the heat of the moment, she agrees and the Lord reveals His true form. It was then Valli realises that it was her beloved Lord, who was with her all the time.
This place came to be known as Vallimalai, the divine place were Lord Muruga and Goddess Valli spent their times of courtship and eventually got married. It is located in Vellore District of Tamilnadu state, in South India.
After their wedding, Lord Murugan and Goddess Valli, moved to Thiruthani, which is one of the Arupadai Veedu (the six battle camps) of the Lord.
Murugan
Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
, according to Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
mythology. She represents the "Ichha Shakti" (power of aspirations), and Goddess Deivayanai
Deivayanai
Deivayanai is a Hindu goddess and a divine consort of Lord Murugan. She is the daughter of God Indra, the King of Heaven.The Goddess is also known as Deviyani, Deivanai, Jayanti and Devasena.- Birth :...
depicts "Kriya Shakthi" (power of actions), and the Vel embodies "Gnana Shakthi" (power of knowledge).
Valli in Tamil language
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
means a creeper and is also used as a title of many tribal
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
or idigenous peoples goddesses in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and by the Rodiya
Rodiya
Rodi or Rodiya are one of the widely reported untouchable social group or caste amongst the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka. Their status was very similar to all the Untouchable castes of India with segregated communities, ritualized begging, eating off the refuse of upper castes and refusal for the...
(Ezhava) people of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
Dictionary defintiion is: வள்ளி (vaḷḷi), s. a plant, convolvulus batatas
Convolvulus
Convolvulus is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the bindweed family Convolvulaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution. Common names include bindweed and morning glory, both names shared with other closely related genera....
; 2. a winding plant, dioscorea sativa
Dioscorea
Dioscorea is a genus of over 600 species of flowering plants in the family Dioscoreaceae, native throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. The vast majority of the species are tropical, with only a few species extending into temperate climates...
, படர்கொடி; 3. a ratan-shield, பிரப்பங் கேடகம்; 4. a jewel, ஆபரணம்; 5. a bracelet, கைவளை; 6. a kind of play, a dance, ஓர் கூத்து; 7. a consort of Subramanya
Subramanya
Subramanya is a commonly used Indian name. It is also another name for the Hindu deity Murugan. Other common spellings are Subrahmanya, Subramania and Subramaniam. The name may refer to:People...
.
Goddess Valli is also known as Pongi, at Vallimalai, and the pond from which she drew water to quench the thirst of Her Lord, is still existent here. This pond though in an open ground, does not receive the rays of the sun. Pongi in this context, refers to the Her bhava in which is overflows with youth, beauty and devotion.
Descendants of the Vedda tribe are still inhabitant around the Kathirgamam region and there are temples dedicated to the God of Mountains, Lord Muruga in this region of Sri Lanka.
The Birth of the Goddess
In ancient times, the mountainous regions in South India were ruled over by various tribes. One of the prominent tribal people were the Veddas, who were prevalent in the Southern part of India, including a part of Sri Lanka or Ceylon, in areas known as 'Katirkamam'. The chief of this Mountain tribe, Nambi Raj and his wife prayed to the Mountain God for a girl-child. Their prayers were answered when the chief found a new-born girl child during one of his hunting expedition. As she was found among creeper plants, they named the child as Valli and she grew up as the princess of the mountain tribe.In her previous birth, Valli and her sibling Deivayani (another consort of Lord Murugan) were the daughters of Lord Vishnu, and both of them undertook severe penance to become the consorts of Lord Muruga, who appeared before them and gave the boon of marriage in their next birth. And in the present birth, the Goddess was destined to marry the God of Mountains, Lord Murugan and would never consider anyone else. At a tender age, Sage Narada informed Her father that she was an intimate Shakti of Lord Subramanya incarnated for the fulfillment of the Lord's lila.
The Divine Revelation
Goddess Valli had her heart and soul dedicated to Lord Subramanya and would always pray with fervent devotion and love, to be with Him. The Lord was moved by the highest form of love expressed by the mountain princess, and so He planned to appease Her in person by creating the perfect situation after an enactment of His lila.The mountain chief planned to develop a field for growing millets, and assigned Valli to take in-charge of protecting the field from birds and animals who might devour the crops. Lord Murugan saw this as an opportunity to meet the Goddess, and therefore He assumed the form of a handsome tribal hunter and appeared before her, as if he lost his way on chasing a deer during hunting. Valli did not recognize the stranger and promptly asked him to leave the place. The Hunter was about to leave and at that moment the chief was returning to the place bringing honey and fruits for Valli, the God in order to avoid being caught, turned himself into a tree. After the chief and his followers left the place, the God changed back into the hunter form and proposed his love to Valli.
The princess who had only the Mountain God in her heart, was infuriated at the proposal and lashed out at the hunter. (This form of Lord Muruga called the 'Veduvan Kolam' can be seen at the Lord Palaniapaar temple at Belukurichi
Belukurichi
Belukurichi is a small village located in Namakkal district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India. The village is right bellow Kolli Hills...
). The chief and his followers were again returning to the place, so the hunter changed himself into an old man, without being noticed by Valli. When the chief on seeing the old man, requested him to stay with Valli till they return from the hunting.
The old man was hungry and asked Valli for food, and she gave Him a mixture of the millet flour and honey, but it made him thirsty and asked for water. She provided water from a nearby stream and the Lord jokingly remarked that she has satisfied his thirst and she can quench his thirst for a companion. The Goddess was angered again and started to leave the place, the Lord requsted assistance from His brother, Lord Ganesha to appear as a wild elephant at that time. On seeing the wild elephant, Srimati Valli was scared and ran back to the old man, pleading Him to save Her from the elephant. Lord Muruga proposes to save Her only if She agrees to marry Him. In the heat of the moment, she agrees and the Lord reveals His true form. It was then Valli realises that it was her beloved Lord, who was with her all the time.
The Wedding
After the millet harvest was over, the chief with his daughter and entourage returned to their native land. The Lord, again returned for His devotee and The Divine Couple enjoyed love sports away from Srimati Valli's family. Nambi Raja on being alerted about Srimati Valli's absence, flew into rage and went in search of Her. When they finally found The Lord along with Srimati Valli, the chief and followers shot arrows at Him, but they all failed to even touch the Lord and instead, the chief his sons fell lifeless. Goddess Valli was disheartened to see the lifeless bodies of her kith and kin, and requested to the Lord to bring them back to life. Lord Murugan instructed Her to revive them Herself and by Her mere touch everyone was brought back to life. The chief Nambi Raja and his tribesmen realised that it was their God of Mountains, in the form of the old man and prayed to Him. Lord Muruga took his true form and blessed the tribesmen, and the chief conducted the marriage between his daughter and the Lord.This place came to be known as Vallimalai, the divine place were Lord Muruga and Goddess Valli spent their times of courtship and eventually got married. It is located in Vellore District of Tamilnadu state, in South India.
After their wedding, Lord Murugan and Goddess Valli, moved to Thiruthani, which is one of the Arupadai Veedu (the six battle camps) of the Lord.
Links
- Pongi.org web site of Vallimalai Tiruppukazh Ashram, home of Pongi a.k.a Valli Amma
- www.murugan.org/centers/vallimalai.htm