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Who among the following is not a woman Nayanar saint?
Explanation
The Nayanars were a group of 63 Shaivite saints in South India who lived between the 6th and 8th centuries AD. Among these 63 saints, only three were women: Karaikkal Ammaiyar, Mangayarkarasiyar, and Isaignaniyar. Karaikkal Ammaiyar is renowned for her ecstatic devotion and renunciation of social norms [1]. Mangayarkarasiyar was a Pandyan queen who promoted Shaivism, and Isaignaniyar was the mother of the famous saint Sundarar. In contrast, Andal was the only female saint among the 12 Alvars, who were Vaishnavite poet-saints dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Andal is famous for her compositions like the Thiruppavai and her intense desire to marry Lord Ranganatha. Therefore, Andal is not a Nayanar saint, as she belongs to the Alvar tradition.
Sources
- [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Bhakti-Sufi Traditions > 2. Poems of Prayer > p. 145