About Aathirai Educational and Charitable Trust in No:11, 36th Street korattur, Chennai

Aathirai was named behalf of the epic character in Manimegalai during 3rd century of Tamil Cheran dynasty

Aathirai is a mythical woman who was so pure in her character and love that when she walked in fire, fire itself could not bare her heat of purity and stopped itself

————————— Here is the extract of story of her life —————————

One of the 5 greatest epics Manimegalai describes of a character Manimegalai, who on her second part of life meets with aaputhiran and gets amudhsurabhi(cornucopia bowl) a bowl from which food would never disappear. But for the first time someone very pure in character had to put rice into it. She hears of Aathirai (Aathirai’s story will follow below) from whom she gets the first rice and after which the amudasurabhi never was empty; she could serve all the poor.

Her Story:

In ancient days South Indian merchants had learnt great technology of using boats and travelled to almost all parts of world to trade. Coins and pottery of Rome were found in Poombuhar, Musuri, Thondi (old ports or Tamilnadu) . Aathirai was wife of a merchant. She was born in good family and she was brought up to love everyone , to be kind and be truthful. She could not even think of any ill-things to anyone.

Her husband travelled south east when his ship was caught in a Storm and crashed. Almost everyone on the boat died. He alone escaped clinging to a with a plank of wood and reached an island

Since the culture of the Tamzhians were far greater than most of the world, he thought language, religion way of life, agriculture and whatever possible to the people there. They were surprised and made him there king.

During this time Aathirai was still waiting for her husband to come back. After a long time people in her city started believing that everyone died on the ship died in the calamity. Hearing this rumor, she decided that she had no more life to live and decided to fall into fire and kill herself (This was a practice on olden days when woman who lost their husbands – due to love of the husband killed themselves)

When she walked into fire, fire (considered as the purest of all by Dravidian's) could not bare her heat of purity and extinguished itself. The Angel of fire appeared before her and told her that her husband was still alive. It then reminded the husband of her sorrow. He then returned back with riches and they lived happily for a long time

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