Abhirami Pattar
Abhirami Pattar, born Subramaniya Iyer, was a Hindu saint from Tamil Nadu. He is famous for writing Abhirami Anthadhi, a key work in modern Tamil literature. Abhirami refers to the goddess Abhirami in Thirukadaiyur, and Pattar means priest, so he is known as Abhirami Bhattar, the priest of Abhirami.
Subramaniya Iyer was born in Thirukadaiyur to Amirthalinga Iyer. The village is home to the Amritaghateswarar-Abirami Temple, and nearby Brahmin quarters were established in the early 18th century by the Maratha ruler Serfoji I, who loved Brahmin poets.
From childhood, Subramaniya Iyer loved the temple and the goddess. When Serfoji visited, some priests thought he was mad, but others said he was a devoted follower of Abhirami. To test him, the king asked what day it was. Subramaniya Iyer answered that it was a full-moon day, but it was actually a new-moon day. The king warned he would be burned unless the moon appeared by six.
That night he prayed to Abhirami and sang Tamil hymns that became the Abhirami Andaadi. After the 79th hymn, the goddess appeared and brightened the sky with her earring, lighting the horizon. The area around the temple glowed, and the saint was filled with joy. He then added 21 more verses praising the goddess. The king regretted his mistake, canceled the punishment, and gave him the title Abhirami Bhattar.
He spent his life in devotion, meditating in the temple and singing her praises. Over time, he became so immersed in devotion that he began to see the goddess in the people around him and would sometimes shower flowers on the women he encountered.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 20:03 (CET).