Lesson 5

d02135 Kanchi Tinai

    This lesson outlines the characteristic features
of ‘kanchi tinai’ and examines the 21 ‘turais’ that fall
under it. Like ‘vanchi tinai’, ‘kanchi tinai’ also deals
with war. When an enemy attacks, it is the foremost
duty of a king to protect his people. The efforts
of a king to successfully resist the aggression of
the enemy and vanquish the enemy constitute the
‘ozhukkam’ underlying the ‘kanchi tinai’. Kings who
fight to resist enemy invasion usually wear garlands
made of kanchi flowers as opposed to the vanchi
flowers worn by kings who invade another
country. Hence, the name ‘kanchi tinai’.

    There are 21 ‘turais’ in ‘kanchi tinai’ . They are
‘kanchi adirvu’, ‘thazhinji’, ‘ padai vazhakku’,
‘perungkanchi’ ‘vaal selavu’, ‘kudai selavu’, ‘vanchina
kanchi’, ‘ pookol nilai’ , ‘thalaikanchi’, ‘thalaimaarayam’,
‘thalaiyodu mudithal’, ‘marakanchi’, ‘peinilai’, ‘pei
kanchi’, ‘thotta kanchi’, ‘thodaa kanchi’, ‘mannai
kanchi’, ‘katkanchi’, ‘aanji kanchi’, ‘magatpaar kanchi’
and ‘munaikadi munniruppu’.

    • ‘Kanchi adirvu’,‘thazhinji’,‘padai vazhaku ’and
‘perungkanchi’ reflect the behaviour of the ‘kanchi
maravars’ or soldiers in the battlefield. They speak
of the indomitable spirits of the soldiers and the
courage with which they confront the enemy.

    •In response to the‘vanchi’ king’s call for war
the ‘kanchi’king rides towards the battlefield with his
sword and royal parasol to confront the enemy.
This is portrayed in ‘vaal selavu’ and ‘kudai selavu’.

    •Before he sets out to the battlefield, the
enraged ‘kanchi’ king swears that he would vanquish
the enemy. This is depicted in ‘vanchina kanchi’.

    • ‘Pookol nilai’ describes the ritual of the
‘kanchi’ king giving ‘kanchi’ flowers to his soldiers
beforethe battle,thereby urging them to courageously
resist the enemy invasion.

    • ‘Thalaikanchi’ speaks of the tribute paid to
a brave ‘kanchi maravan’ or soldier who is beheaded
in the battle.

    • Thalaimaarayam’ talks about the honour
bestowed by the king on a soldier who carried the
head of a fellow soldier who died bravely in the
battlefield.

• ‘Thalaiodu mudithal’ depicts the intense anguish
of a wife who loses her husband in the
battlefield. Though her husband’s body is battered
beyond     recognition, she identifies him by
his head .Proud that her husband had laid down
his life for the country, she also dies.

• ‘Marakanchi’ speaks of the remarkable valour
displayed by the ‘kanchi soldiers’ in the battlefield.
Through their courage they add glory to their
ancestors renowned for their heroism.

• ‘Peinilai’,     ‘Peikanchi’,     ‘Thottakanchi’     and
‘Thodakanchi’ speak of the spirits that haunt
the battle field which is strewn with dead and
wounded soldiers.

• ‘Mannai Kanchi’ extols the greatness of a ‘kanchi
soldier’who dies in the battle field. It laments his
death and celebrates his virtues.

• ‘Katkanchi’ describes the ritual of the ‘kanchi king’
honouring his soldiers by offering them ‘kal’
ie - toddy.

• ‘Aanji Kanchi’ depicts the plight of awoman
who loses her husband in the battlefield. Unable to
bear the separation from her husband she jumps
into the funeral pyre and gives up her life.

• Sometimes when a ‘kanchi king’ loses the
battle, the triumphant ‘vanchi king’     demands
his daughters hand in marriage. The plight of
a    ‘kanchi king’     who fears that the
‘vanchi king’ may ask for his daughter’s    hand is
described in ‘magatpaal kanchi’.

• ‘Munaikadi Munniruppu’ recounts the ‘kanchi king’
successfully chasing the ‘ vanchi king’ and his allies
from the battlefield.