The Life
Born a Chola princess at Pazhaiyarai, Mangayarkarasi married the Pandya king of Madurai (Koon Pandiyan) and remained a steadfast devotee of Shiva though the court had turned to Jainism. With the loyal Shaiva minister Kulachirai, she grieved at the decline of Shiva-worship. When the young saint Thirugnana Sambandar came to Madurai at her invitation, the Jains set fire to his lodging; Sambandar turned that fire into a burning fever upon the king. The Jains failed to cure it, but Sambandar healed the king with sacred ash and hymns, straightened his hunched back, and restored him to health. The king embraced Shaivism, and through the queen's unwavering faith the worship of Shiva was re-established across the land. She is honoured as one of the three women among the sixty-three Nayanmars.