The Story of Kannagi and the Chera King — From Vengeance to Divinity
After the burning of Madurai, Kannagi left the destroyed city and journeyed west into the Chera kingdom (modern-day Kerala). The Chera king Senguttuvan, learning of her story, recognized her as a divine incarnation of chastity. He built a temple for her and established the cult of Pattini (the chastity goddess). Kannagi is worshipped as a goddess in Kerala (as Kodungallur Bhagavati) and among Tamils in Sri Lanka. This portion of the Silappadikaram records a historic expedition by Senguttuvan to the Himalayas to bring a sacred stone for Kannagi's idol, making her one of the few mortals in India