Alli Raani

Alli Rani , also known as Alli arasi, is a legendary Tamil queen of the Sangam period, who is thought to have ruled the whole western and northern coast of Sri Lanka from her capital Kudiramalai. According to folklore, her fort, Allirani fort, is located in Mannar, Sri Lanka. She is sometimes seen as an incarnation or multiform of Meenakshi and Kannagi. Legends attribute her as an "Amazon" ruler, who had an administrative and an army of only women, with male being their subordinates and servants.

There are references to her in several texts such as Alli katai, Alli Arasani Maalai, Pavazhakodi Maalai and Pulavendran Kalava Maalai. She is also depicted in a popular dramatic compilation in Tamil language, entitled as Alli Arasani Nadakam.

Legend The only daughter of a Pandyan king, she was considered an immaculate conception as she was found on an alli (Tamil word for lily) after the end of a Putrakameshti ritual. She was at young age sent to gurukula and perfected riding and martial arts. She defeated and killed in a battle an usurper to the Pandyan throne named Neenmugan, "The blue faced one", who came at her with an army. After the victory was she crowned to the throne of Madurai. According to local traditions did the gulf of Arasadi have no opening towards the north, but communicated with the sea by a channel running in the line of the present Chilaw canal. Alli Raani used to proceed from Kudiramalai to Akkaraipattu by land. A great flood submerged greater parts of land, subsequently leaving Arasadi on a narrow split of land, forming the present Puttalam Lagoon and destroying her palace.