Lately, Tamil social media seems to have shifted from talking about Tamil Nadu politics to its second favourite subject — cinema. The latest meme trend is, “First in my bloodline to witness such a handsome kula deivam/kaval deivam,” following the release of Suriya-starrer Karuppu. The supernatural fantasy, directed by RJ Balaji, follows the story of 18-aam Padi Karuppasamy, who plays a lawyer and battles injustice affecting marginalised communities, evoking both faith and emotions.
The film has triggered conversations around Karuppasamy and Ayyanar, who have long been the most recognisable faces of Tamil Nadu’s guardian deity traditions. But what about their female counterparts?
Padmapriya Baskaran, heritage researcher, says, “For most people, the two concepts, kula deivam and kaval deivam, are deeply interconnected. Most kula deivams are kaval deivams.” Further explaining the interconnectedness, she adds that since both are expected to play a protective role, they are closely linked.
Weighing in on the aspect of female kaval deivams, Padmapriya says, “Most kaval deivams are women because women are traditionally associated with protecting their children. This protective quality has always been linked to motherhood. Whatever the threat may be, there is usually a kaval deivam associated with protecting people from it.” The widespread existence of the tradition of Thaai Deiva Vazhipadu (mother-goddess worship) even before idol worship in Tamil Nadu, according to her, is key evidence. “For example, Visiri Paarai Amman was worshipped as a protective deity during a period when people primarily worshipped the five elements. These forms of worship have existed from time immemorial,” she says.
Meanwhile, historian Chithra Madhavan notes that the idea of female guardians exists beyond the goddess herself. “When the presiding deity is a goddess, you find Dwarapalikas — female guardians positioned on either side of the entrance shrines, often armed. In a sense, they function as kaval deivams for the goddess they protect,” she explains.
In the scriptures
According to these experts, though there is no cohesive written evidence of these female kaval deivams, various epics record their presence. “Goddess Durga has long been known to be the protector of forts, and that is mentioned in the Mahabharata itself. In many forts across India, you may find an image of goddess Durga at the entrance,” says Chithra.
One of the other females from the epics who is regarded as a kaval deivam is Draupadi Amman, who is worshipped as a kula deivam as well as a guardian deity. Padmapriya explains, “Draupadi did not wait to be rescued. When her husbands proved incompetent, she called upon Krishna and took an oath that she would not tie up her hair until justice was done. Women in villages have long drawn inspiration from her because they faced domestic violence, discrimination, exploitation, and other hardships. Even today, fire-walking rituals during Draupadi Amman festivals symbolise courage, endurance, and resilience.”
Long before they became village deities, many of these protective goddesses were tied to the ancient Tamil understanding of nature itself. Mohiniyattam artiste and indologist Deepa Chakravarthy points to Sangam literature’s view of the world, where nature was seen as both nurturing and unpredictable. “Nature could be benevolent, but it could also be ambivalent. When nature became unpredictable or dangerous, people sought symbols of protection and balance,” she says.
Deepa also notes that the Sangam literature considers the human body as a mere vessel through which divine power acts, the divine may be acts (aatam/koothu) of bravery, compassion, and love, ultimately focusing on the restoration of balance. In the same Sangam literature, where ainthinai (five landscapes) take centre stage, Kotravai of paalai thinai (arid wasteland) stands as the only female goddess primarily associated with any of the thinais.
“Kotravai is regarded as the protective deity for warfare. Warriors worshipped her before going into battle, seeking protection from death and defeat. In many Kotravai sculptures, warriors are depicted sacrificing animals or, at times, themselves (Arikandam: offering of human head; Navakandam: offering of flesh from nine parts of the body). These acts symbolised their devotion and their plea for victory and protection,” explains Padmapriya.
Protector of boundaries
Most kaval deivams are often associated with the major task of protecting a geographical boundary, called on for ellai kaaval. In Tamil Nadu, Chithra says, “Kali is often referred to as ellai kaaval deivam, meaning the guardian of the boundary. In ancient times, villages and towns typically had a Kali temple located at their borders because her role was to protect the outer limits. When armies went to war, they would often worship Mahakali before departing, seeking her protection and blessings for victory.”
Padmapriya concurs, “Traditionally, they (Ellai Amman/Pidari Amman temples) are located on the northern side of the settlement because graveyards were usually situated there. Even in Mylapore, which is now part of Chennai, Kolavizhi Amman continues to guard the village’s northern frontier.” While Ellai Pidari protects the northern Tamil Nadu region, she adds, the southern region is guarded by Vadaku Vasal Selvi.
Explaining the concept of kaval deivams through an anthropological lens, Deepa says that in Sangam culture, the idea of protection was reflected in hero stones, long before anthropomorphic images became common. “When an individual sacrificed their life defending their community, and if someone restored balance and order by confronting violence or injustice, they became a protector. That protector could be a man or a woman. What mattered was the sentiment of heroism.”
Talking about the Devadasi in this context, Deepa says, “As the entire matriarchal community of Devadasi sacrificed their social living, dedicating their life to a form, through their art, they functioned as a counterbalance to the dark, ambivalent forces of nature so that the consecrated deity remained sacred.” Their sacrifice earned them the title of ‘Nitya Sumangali’. In this way, she adds how the sacred and social evolved historically, keeping the uncertainty and imbalance using ritualistic forms and traditions.
Although the Devadasis are known to be connected to temple deities, according to the classical literature, there are documents that some of their dedication were to the entire natural ecosystem, such as mountains and forests. Through daily rituals such as aarati, “Symbolically, they removed negativity and restored balance. The logic was simple: if negativity is removed, positivity remains. Their role was to help communities manage uncertainty, ambivalence, and unseen forces,” says Deepa.
In mainstream media
Cinema has long drawn from the imagery of guardian deities, but recent films have brought these traditions back into mainstream conversations, mainly Kantara and Karuppu. While they sparked nationwide interest in local deity worship and spirit traditions, Deepa adds that Tamil films such as Karnan and Thangalaan have explored similar themes of protection and justice through sacred forces.
“In Karnan, Mari Selvaraj uses the young girl’s untimely death as an event to build the narrative on an entire community undergoing social injustice. On the contrary, in Thangalaan, Pa Ranjith explores socio-ecological injustice as a result of man’s greed. The appearance of mystical character Aarathi was in relation to a seek that required a retribution of the protagonist’s past,” Deepa articulates.
Though there have been challenges in the proper documentation of these traditions, Padmapriya believes the curiosity among the audience can become an opportunity for cultural preservation. “The medium is modern, but the information is ancient. Young people genuinely want to know about these traditions. There is curiosity, interest, purchasing power, and a desire to travel and explore,” she concludes.