Vaḷḷi Nāyakī — Pazhaṇī

Vaḷḷi Nāyakī — Pazhaṇī

Tradition

Hindu / Shaiva / Murugan

Location

• Pazhani, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu (10.4517°N, 77.5192°E)

Sacred Narrative

Vaḷḷi — the huntress-princess of the Veda hill tribe, adopted daughter of a Kuruva chieftain — was wooed by Murugan through trickery (he came as an old man, then as a young warrior, then was saved by his elder-brother Ganesha taking form of an elephant). She is worshipped as the independent chandra-vadivu of the fierce-mountain-Murugan tradition.