Goddess Pattini, from Vattapalai Kannaki Amman Kovil

The Life of Kannaki:
The Royal Goldsmith's Treachery

A week later there was news in the country that someone had stolen the gold anklet of the Queen, and the Pandyan King Nedunjeliyan expressed his wish to reward anyone who would find the anklet or give information of its whereabouts. The goldsmith having heard of the news, rushed to the palace, showed the anklet he had purchased from Kovalan and told the King how he came to possess it.

As the anklet resembled to the one lost, the king immediately summoned Kovalan to the palace.

In no mood to hold a formal enquiry, the King ordered the execution of Kovalan. Not satisfied with his explanation, directed the royal executioner to butcher him.

The news of Kovalan's execution reached the ears of Kannaki. Raving mad, she rushed to see her husband lying dead in a pool of blood. Her rage fell in all its fury on the King. The righteous accusation weighed so much on the King that, denounced as a murderer, he died on the spot.