Suryakaladi and Yakshi
Author’s Note: This article is my personal retelling of the stories from the legendary collection of Kerala folklore, Aithihyamala, originally compiled by Kottarathil Sankunni.
Restating not only to give credit to the effort Kottarathil Sankunni put in to muster the tales, but also to praise the narrative mastery of the original Aithihyamala.
The duel between the terrifying Kalliyankattu Neeli and Kadamattathu Kathanar is, to date, the stuff of cinema.
But Kathanar may not have been the only one to face her. In Kerala folklore, the Suryakaladi Namboothiris hold a colossal ‘place in the sun’.
The sun did not always shine so bright on the Kaladi Mana. Its magnanimity was born from a night of profound terror, a tragic loss, and a vow made in the face of an unspeakable challenge.
In the thorny forests of Kalliyankadu, a woman named Alli lived a virtuous life, devoted to her husband. He, however, was a man consumed by greed and an illicit relationship. With deceitful words, he led her into the Kalliyankadu. Under the pretence of decorating her hair with flowers, he brutally murdered her for her jewels.
Brimming with betrayal and a cruel and unjust death, the spirit could not rest. Alli rose, not as a woman, but as a vengeful, bloodthirsty Yakshi. She took the name Neeli and made the forest her domain.
She gave up her name that implied “bright flower” and chose Neeli - “bluish darkness”.
Kalliyankadu became a place of dread, and the ground she haunted came to be known as “Yakshi Parambu” (Yakshi’s grounds). Travellers who dared to pass through were charmed by her bewitching form, only to be found the next morning as a pile of bones at the foot of a tall palm tree.
During this time, lived a scholarly Namboothiri at Kaladi Mana. He was once returning from a pilgrimage with his dearest friend, a learned Bhattathiri. The Kaladi Namboothiri was a man of great righteousness, but his family did not yet hold great manthrika (tantric) powers. His devotion was to the goddess (Devi), and his lips always chanted her sacred hymns.
Dusk fell just as their path neared the dreaded Yakshi Parambu. The Bhattathiri grew anxious. They had not walked much farther when a woman of enchanting beauty appeared on the path. She spoke with sweet words, offering hospitality for the night.
The Bhattathiri was easily persuaded. The Namboothiri, though hesitant, could not refuse such a seemingly kind offer. The woman led them to a brightly lit and opulent mansion. They were given food and separate rooms to rest.
As the Kaladi Namboothiri prepared for his night rituals, the women entered his room. With a bewitching smile, she came closer, addressing him, “Thirumeni” (man of honor). Her voice allured: "Thirumeni, you must be tired. Please put your Grandham (holy book) away and rest."
Now the Namboothiri never parted from his book of Devi hymns. A deep suspicion gripped him. Her honorific greeting sounded horrific to him. The thought of someone asking to put his holy book away for no good reason was offensive.
The grandham was a Yantra, a divine tool.
He clutched the holy book tighter. "Pardon, m’lady, I cannot," he replied, firm. "This is my life's companion. Until my last rest, I will rest with it."
She insisted, “How will I be more of your lady, if you are not free?”
Devi’s chants bussed Kaladi Namboothiri’s lips again. Hearing the buzz, the specter left with a hiss she could not conceal. Namboothiri quickly bolted the door.
Devi Mahatmyam filled the room while the other room echoed with screams. The Bhattathiri friend had fallen for the other lady’s trap, and the Yakshi now enjoyed blood, flesh, and marrow. She laughed in contentment.
He spent the entire night in terror, clutching the Grandham, his voice never wavering from devotion.
At dawn, the sun’s rays tore the mansion’s illusion apart. The Namboothiri found himself not in a comfortable bed, but below a Karinpana (black palmyra). This was typical of Yakshi magic. On the ground below, scattered were white bones and black hair - the only remnants of his beloved friend.
The Namboothiri grieved. His dead friend had done nothing gravely wrong.
His heart hardened into a rightful, but cold fury. He looked up at the rising sun, the remover of all darkness - the power that swept the Yakshi’s dark illusion.
He made a vow. "O, Surya Deva! I will not rest until I have defeated this entire race of darkness that plagues the human world. To avenge my friend; To protect the innocent!"
After settling the necessary norms, he began penance (tapas) to appease Lord Surya, the sun. He meditated upon the power, dedicated to his vow.
Kaladi’s blazing ways, the god bestowed upon him powerful incantations and the mastery to burn away malevolent spirits. The Kaladi Mana (house), in honour of the source of its newfound power, became forever known as Suryakaladi Mana.
He returned to the grounds where he took his vow, turning all dark beings to ashes on his way, thus getting more powerful. At Yakshi Parambu, he challenged Neeli’s ego. She had to appear. This time, she stood no chance in the presence of a human fortified with stellar force. Neeli incinerated.
And from that day forth, the descendants of Suryakaladi took up the ways of this diviner. The best of them became the most revered and feared exorcists in all the land, the vanquishers of sinister Yakshis.
The indomitable and iconic Kalliyankattu Neeli - an unearthly feminine force and dark energy so intimidating that there are two popular versions of her defeat. In both versions, one priest’s strength alone couldn’t defeat her. So they had to find an alloyed path.
1. Kadamattathu Kathanar: trained Christian priest who took up Tantra
2. Kaladi Mana Namboothiris: trained Brahmin priests who sought the help of the supreme Sun deity.
This could mean that either of them once defeated her, but failed to contain or destroy her. So the other encountered her again. Implies her power.
This could also mean that she could unleash again!
The unending list of movies on Kalliyankattu Neeli and Kadamattathu Kathanar tells us of how popular they are. The movies, including Lokah: Chapter 1 Chandra, and the upcoming one starring Anushka Shetty, feature her against Kathanar.
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