The Āṇḍāḷ Story

Abstract

The article "The Āṇḍāḷ Story" by Archana Venkatesan explores the sacred biography of Āṇḍāḷ, the only female Āḻvār saint of the Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition, with a focus on how her narrative is shaped through liturgy, hagiography, and local tradition. Venkatesan analyzes the two principal Tamil devotional texts attributed to Āṇḍāḷ—Tiruppāvai and Nācciyār Tirumoḻi—to illustrate how her voice as both lover and devotee of Viṣṇu shapes her identity as goddess, poet, and exemplar. Drawing from temple performance, vernacular storytelling, and commentarial traditions, the article details how Āṇḍāḷ’s life is portrayed as a mystical union with Lord Raṅganātha, culminating in her merging with the deity at Śrīraṅgam. Venkatesan also addresses the gendered dimensions of Āṇḍāḷ’s sanctity, examining how devotion and desire intertwine in her poetry and how her status as a divinely inspired woman is negotiated within largely male-dominated traditions. Ultimately, the study reveals Āṇḍāḷ not just as a historical or mythic figure, but as a dynamic symbol whose life and poetry animate living liturgical and cultural traditions in South India.