your bridge home
Festivals
The same woman who destroyed an entire city in her fury is remembered, just as clearly, for a quiet moment by a river, asking a stranger for a small kindness.
Kannagi was born to a wealthy merchant family in the ancient city of Kaveripattinam. She grew into a woman known, across the Tamil epic Silappatikaram, for her great devotion and virtue. She married Kovalan, the son of a prosperous merchant, and the two began their married life together with real hope for the future.
Kovalan's fortunes turned in time. He lost all his money. The couple travelled to Madurai to start again. They carried with them one of Kannagi's own anklets, filled with precious gems, to sell and rebuild their lives. In Madurai, Kovalan tried to sell it. Sadly, it closely matched one recently stolen from the queen herself. Accused of a theft he never did, Kovalan was seized and put to death on the king's own order. He had no real trial, and no chance to defend himself.
The rest of this story, read aloud, and a new one every day.