The Tamil word ‘Vilakku’ means ‘lamp’, and when it is used as a verb, it denotes the act of ‘explaining’ something. This is because a lamp not only dispels the darkness but clarifies the things around it. Early man overcame his fear of darkness thanks to the lamp and hence worshipped it. Theologians aver that one can glimpse the Lord in light. With the invention of light being such an an important landmark in human history, lighting the lamp is generally thought of as a sacred custom.
The Tamil word ‘Vilakku’ means ‘lamp’, and when it is used as a verb, it denotes the act of ‘explaining’ something. This is because a lamp not only dispels the darkness but clarifies the things around it. Early man overcame his fear of darkness thanks to the lamp and hence worshipped it. Theologians aver that one can glimpse the Lord in light. With the invention of light being such an important landmark in human history, lighting the lamp is generally thought of as a sacred custom.
In fact, it was once the most important custom in many parts of Kongunadu. Back then, people gifted land, paddy, gold, and cattle to various temples in the region so that sacred lamps could be lit with ghee. Both village and temple heads made use of the revenue obtained from these gifts and ensured that the lamps were lit in the name of the donors. They also executed deeds to the donors by inscribing on epigraphs and copper plates, promising that they would light the lamps until the Sun and Moon disappear from the universe. There were also persons employed at temples called ‘Thiruvilakku Kudigal’ whose sole duty was to light the lamps. Sometimes the failure of lighting up the temple was considered to be immoral and the temples had to be lit up double the time in the future to make up for the failure. With light being a symbol of fortune and favour, even defaults in paying taxes to the king were considered to be equal to that of blowing out the lamp. Even sinners sought absolution by lighting up lamps at temples, when they repented their evil acts.
With the expression ‘Vilaketruthal’ metaphorically meaning the beginning of a life of prosperity, Tamils always had the lamps lit by women. In view of this tradition, the great Tamil poet and disciple of Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi, Pavendhar Bharathidasan referred to the virtuous Tamil woman as ‘Kudumba Vilakku’ (Light of the family).
At a time when International Women’s Day is celebrated across the world, it is time we remembered the ladies of ancient Kongunadu, who lit up the lamps in the lord’s abode.
Proving the deep-rooted Tamil culture, several inscriptions discovered in Kongunadu have recorded the names of such eminent women who had gifted lamps to the temples in the region.
An epigraph dating back to 1015 AD found at the Nageshwarar temple in Vijayamangalam mentions that a Kongu woman Sokki had gifted a ‘Sandhiya Deepam’ (a lamp that is lit only during the evening pooja) to the temple. Another epigraph dating back to 1281 AD discovered at Kunnathur says that a woman named Andhiyurammai had offered gifts to light a Sandhiya Deepam at Kundramudayar temple.
According to different epigraphs, two girls named, Arayanvalli and Mallikesi donated lamps to the Kabaleeshwarar temple at Chevur, and another woman Myviravukanni gifted a lamp to Thirumurugan Poondi temple. At Sengarpalli (Sengapalli), a Kongu woman named Ganapathiyazhvi presented a lamp to the village temple.