Chennai: Devotees, spiritual leaders and leaders of Hindu outfits came out in huge number to protest here on Monday against lyricist Vairamuthu and demand apology for his controversial remarks against Goddess Andal.
Spiritual leaders, including Sriperumbudur Sri Appan Jeeyar, said Vairamuthu had insulted Andal and offended them by making his terrible remarks against the goddess.
The well attended stir, held at Chepauk, saw thousands of devotees, spiritual leaders and those belonging to Hindu outfits raising protest slogans demanding that Vairamuthu apologise in front of the famous Sri Andal shrine at Srivilliputhur. Hindu Munnani leader Rama Gopalan, Right wing ideologue RBVS Manian were among those who participated.
Devotees have been staging protest demonstrations and lodging police complaints against Vairamuthu in several places, including Chennai. The lyricist however had claimed in a statement that he used the reference to Andal only in a positive connotation as that of the original authors of a research work in the US, from which he had quoted. “Thamizhai Aandaal (Andal ruled over Tamil) was my tribute to Poet Aandal, celebrating her contribution to Tamil,” he said.
Andal, the only woman among the 12 revered Vaishnavite saints hailed as ‘Alwars’ in Tamil, is also venerated as a Goddess and a gifted poet in view of her classic Tamil work ‘Thiruppavai,’ in praise of Lord Krishna.According to the spiritual texts, she lived in the eighth century AD in Srivilliputhur.
