Kalliyankattu Neeli

Yakshi Kalliyankattu Neeli is a malevolent spirit who appears in Kerala folk songs, Villaticchan songs and folk tales of Travancore.[1][2] Neely also appears in Marthandavarma, CV Raman Pillai's historical novel. Even though she is a Yakshi (Ghost), Neeli is worshiped in a motherly form in a temple in Panchavankadu, after she is impaled by the great priest Kadamattathu Kathanar.[1][3]

For the 1979 Malayalam film, see Kalliyankattu Neeli (film).

Folklore

Neeli used to roam around and terrorise Panchavankadu in Thiruvananthapuram district. She is said to be a bloodthirsty ghost with divine beauty.[1] Before being a malevolent spirit, Neeli was born as Alli, the daughter of Karveni, a Devadasi, who lived in the land of Pakhakannur in the 1930s with a fierce appearance. Her hair reached her knees, complementing her wide eyes and mesmerizing beauty.[1] She was described as beautiful and fell in love with and married the priest of the Shiva temple there. Nambi, a male prostitute, married for the money. Disgusted with his son-in-law's promiscuity, Karveni kicked Nambi out of the house. Alli left the house with him.[1] On the way, Nambi killed Alli to steal her jewels. Anujan Ambi, who rushed to Alli, hit his head and died.[4][5]

Both were reincarnated as the Chola king's children - Nilan and Neeli, and Evil spread across the country.[1] Mainly cattle were lost during the night. The Chola king abandoned the children at Panchavankath near Nagercoil, the southern border of the Chola kingdom. Pazhayannur village later became a children's retreat. Seventy local Uranmas gathered Nambi, a sorcerer at Nagercoil, and conjured Nilan. But he could not stop Neely.[1] Nambi was killed by Neely in Nagercoil. Meanwhile, Kaveripoompattinam native Anandan, the reincarnation of Pujari Nambi, was about to go to Muziris via Panchavankadu for business.[1] Neely could not touch Anandan who had a magic wand. He ran and reached Pazhayannur village.[1] Meanwhile, the fairy Maya Katti took the form of a woman with a child and made the villagers believe that her husband was running away after quarreling with her. Ayal cried and said that it was the Yakshi, but no one believed him, and swore that if the yakshi did anything to him, seventy of the Uranmas would die with him.[1][4] Neeli killed Anandan in a cunning way at night. The next morning, seeing Anandan dead, the people of Uranma entered the fire to fulfill their promise.[1] Having killed Ananda and the seventy Uranmas who had caused the death of her and her brother, Neeli resided under a Kalipala tree and gradually became the mother goddess. According to this, the belief that the Yakshi was not contained and that Neeli was impaled later by at Kadamattathu Kathanar.[1][4][6]

References
  1. Malhotra, Meenakshi; Menon, Krishna; Johri, Rachana. "The Gendered Body in South Asia: Negotiation, Resistance, Struggle". Taylor & Francis – via Google Books.
  2. Dhusiya, Mithuraaj (13 September 2017). "Indian Horror Cinema: (En)gendering the Monstrous". Taylor & Francis – via Google Books.
  3. Ettumanur, Josma (12 July 2022). "Love Jihad- The Fading Daughter". Notion Press – via Google Books.
  4. "അടങ്ങാത്ത പകയോടെ നീലി പുരുഷന്മാരെ തേടിയതെന്തിന്?; ഒരു യാത്ര". ManoramaOnline.
  5. "Across the river and into the trees". The New Indian Express.
  6. Cellappannāyar, En Pi (5 September 1968). "Muḷppaṭarppuṃ pūkkulayuṃ". Sāhityapr̲avarttaka Sahakaraṇasaṅkham – via Google Books.
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