Avudai Akkal
Avudai Akkal, also known as Shenkottai Sri Avudai Akkal, was an 18th-century Tamil composer[1] and saint.[2] As was the custom those days, she was married at a very young age but her husband passed away too soon. At that time, the great saint Sridhara Venkatesa Ayyaval visited their village. She approached him for guidance. He initiated her into the mystic aspects of Advaita. She mentions his name in almost every songs. She has written several plays, songs, poems full of spirituality. She is said to have mysteriously disappeared in the hills of Courtallam on an aadi amavaysa day.[3]
Works Published as
About 100+ of Avudai Akkal's songs have been collected and published as
1. A book ″Shenkottai Sri Avudai Akkal Padal Thirattu (A collection of Vedantic songs of Avudai Akkal of Shenkottai)”
2. CD of Avudai Akkal songs sung by Bombay Sisters
3. Translation of these Tamil Verses is published as “Transgressing Boundaries – The songs of shenkottai Avudai Akkal” by Zubaan books
References
- Pattabhi Raman, Sulochana (30 December 2003). "Compositions of Avudai Akkal". www.thehindu.com. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- Pisharoty, Sangeeta Barooah (10 November 2013). "Reclaiming Akkal". The Hindu. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- https://solvanam.com/2010/08/23/%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%88-%E0%AE%B8%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%80-%E0%AE%86%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%81%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%88-%E0%AE%85%E0%AE%95/
Further reading
- Natarajan, Kanchana (2012). Transgressing boundaries: the advaitic songs of Shenkottai Avudai Akkal. New Delhi: Zubaan. ISBN 978-9381017-16-6.
- செங்கோட்டை ஸ்ரீ ஆவுடை அக்காள், Tamil, 2012, Sri Gyanananda Niketanam