CHENNAI: Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu, who is caught in a row over his alleged remarks on Andal, today said he considered the Goddess as his mother.
"Andal is also my mother. She is a Tamilian," he said in a nearly ten minute video released in social media.
It was through her that he learnt Tamil, he said, adding, he held both his "own mother and mother Andal" on the same high-footing.
The lyricist said he is being hounded for a "mistake I did not do." Vairamuthu said he held the goddess in high esteem as was the case with the original authors whom he had referred in an article.
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.
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At a literary event at Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu on January 7, Vairamuthu reportedly spoke about Andal and it was also published subsequently in a Tamil daily.
His alleged remarks led to outrage among devotees, who charged that the lyricist had offended them and Andal by making "inappropriate and objectionable" references to her.
According to spiritual texts, Andal lived in the eighth century AD.
Thiruppavai is a celebrated work in spiritual Tamil literature and is also part of the Vaishnavite 'Divya Prabhantham' (a collection of verses respected as sacred and in praise of Lord Narayana).
Following the row, Vairamuthu has said "Thamizhai Aandaal" (Andal ruled over Tamil) was my tribute to Poet Aandal, celebrating her contribution to Tamil." However, protests broke out in several parts of the state seeking his unconditional apology and cases were registered against him based on complaints.
Yesterday, the Madras High Court granted an interim direction staying all further proceedings against the lyricist and posted the matter to January 25.
Without naming anyone, Variamuthu said his words were wantonly misinterpreted by some for "politics mixed up with religion or religion mixed up politics." He recalled that he and the Tamil daily which published his address have both expressed regret if they had hurt anybody.
He reiterated that Andal was referred in high esteem in his address and the article.