The Tale of an Anklet: An Epic of South India (Translations from the Asian Classics) - Softcover

The Cilappatikaram is to Tamil what the Iliad and Odyssey are to Greek -its importance would be difficult to overstate. . . . This is an extraordinary accomplishment.

Originating in Tamil mythology, "Cilappatikaram" is the love story of Kannaki and Kovalan. Kannaki wears a circular anklet representing the power, strength and dignity of the goddess Pattini. Goddess status is bestowed upon Kannaki as her life undergoes the same fate as the anklet that is stolen and used as a weapon. The story of Kannaki follows the conventions of classical Tamil poetry and is told in three phases: the erotic, the mythic, and the heroic. This epic ranks with the "Ramayana" and the "Mahabharata" as one of the great classics of Indian literature.