Madurai Veeran
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Madurai Veeran (Tamil: மதுரை வீரன், lit.:Warrior of Madurai) is a regional Tamil folk male deity popular in some areas of Tamil Nadu, India. His name suggests an association with the city of Madurai and a warrior past. The deity is also popular amongst certain segments of the Tamil diaspora in Reunion and the French overseas territories in the Caribbean sea. He is known as the son of 'Ammen'amongst the South African Tamils.
[edit] Legends
In ancient Tamilakam people venerated Veerakal or stones erected in memory of warriors. One can find such stones that have fully morphed into cultic shrines across South India and specifically Tamil Nadu. Madurai Veeran is believed to be one such great warrior who lived during the period when Nayaks ruled certain parts of Tamil Nadu. There are no official records of his existence.
Over the centuries, many stories of his life have been transmitted by oral tradition, creating the myth. People of rural Tamil Nadu admired him worshiped him as a deity. According to these legends, Madurai Veeran was son of a North Indian King, left in the wood as he was thought to bring bad luck and misfortune to the country. A cobbler who found the baby in the wood by chance raised him. Veeran's bravery and talent earned him a chance to enter the army as a Commander. But his misfortune made him to fall by his own law which he enforced to eradicate the robbers from the country. His enemies by their cunning plot made the king to believe that he was also one of the robbers and must be punished. The king who was already jealous of Madurai Veeran sentenced him to mutilation, having a hand and a leg removed. Madurai Veeran died as the result of this punishment. Later the King realized that Madurai Veeran was innocent and regretted his act.
It is common belief in some parts of Tamil nadu that, when you pray to Madurai Veeran for justice, when falsely accused of a crime, the actual perpetrator(s) of the crime, will die in a fatal accident or their house will be burnt in a fire accident.
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