Vēḷ Pari was a velir ruler who ruled Parambu nadu and surrounding regions in ancient Tamilakam during the Sangam period. He was the patron and friend of poet Kabilar and is extolled for his benevolence, patronage of art and literature. He is remembered as one of the kadai elu vallal (literally meaning, the last seven great patrons) in Tamil literature.Topics in South Indian history: from early times up to 1565 A.D, page 53
Ascension and rule Pāri is described as the master of the hill country of Parambu Nadu and held sway over 300 prosperous villages.Epigraphia Indica, Volume 25, page 91 Parambu Nadu consisted of parts of modern-day Tamil Nadu and Kerala stretching from Piranmalai in Sivaganga district in Tamil Nadu to Nedungadi in Palakkad district in Kerala. Poet Kabilar was his close friend and lifelong companion.The Four Hundred Songs of War and Wisdom: An Anthology of Poems from Classical Tamil, the Purananooru Pari patronized various forms of art, literature and bards in his court.Traditions of Indian classical dance, page 45 Kabilar states in song 107 of Purananooru:
Pari was noted for his generosity and is described as one of the kadai ezhu vallalgal (last seven great patrons). He is described in Sangam literature as "mullaiku ther koduthaan Pari" (one who gave his chariot to a climber plant). He was so generous that he gave away his chariot to a climber plant when he saw that it was struggling to grow without a suitable support.
Siege and death The three crowned kings of Tamilakam– Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas expanded their kingdoms ruthlessly and turned their attention towards independent velir kings, turning them into subordinates or eliminating them and assimilating their kingdoms. They laid siege to the Parambu country. However, Pari was garrisoned atop the hill, and refused to give in. The war dragged for months and his people sustained on various forest produce. Kabilar approached the kings and asked them to turn back describing his patron Pari as an unconquerable warrior (excerpt from Purananooru song 109, 110 and 111):
Pari's enemies plotted against him, and planned to kill him. When Kabilar was out of the country, they took advantage of the situation. Knowing Pari's generosity towards poets, they sent some of the soldiers as poets to Pari. Pari was later killed by them through treachery.Great women of India, page 309 Purananooru, song (112) on the description of his death by his daughters:
Family and succession Pari and his wife Aadhini had two daughters, Angavai and Sangavai. Kabilar become their guardian after Pari's death and the three of them left Parambu country. Kabilar unsuccessfully approached various velir kings to find grooms. Kabilar later killed himself by vadakirrutal, one of the Tamil ways of committing suicide. Later, poetess Avvaiyar took care of them and married them successfully to the descendants of Malaiyamaan Thirumudi Kaari. The princely Pari family of Nungambakkam estate, who belong to the Ay and Velir linage, claim descent from Vel Pari's daughter Sangavai.
Legacy Pariyur ("place of Pāri") or Parapuri near Gobichettipalayam in Tamil Nadu is named after Pāri. After Pāri was defeated, the place was deserted towards the end of thirteenth century A.D. and people migrated to settle down in neighboring areas what became the modern day town of Gobichettipalayam. Pariyur has four temples dedicated to various Gods namely, Pariyur Kondathu Kaliamman Temple, Amarapaneeswarar Temple, Aadhinarayana Perumal Temple and Angaalamman Temple.
In popular culture Veera Yuga Nayagan Velpari by S. Venkatesan is a fictional novel set around the life of Vel Pari.
References
Bibliography Topics in South Indian history: from early times up to 1565 A.D. By A. Krishnaswami
Epigraphia Indica, Volume 25 By Devadatta Ramakrishna Bhandarkar, India. Archaeological Survey, India. Dept. of Archaeology Traditions of Indian classical dance By Mohan Khokar Poets of the Tamil Anthologies: Ancient Poems of Love and War, George L. Hart III, Princeton: Princeton University Press Great women of India edited by Mādhavānanda (Swāmĭ.), Ramesh Chandra Majumdar Poems of love and war: from the eight anthologies and the ten long poems of classical Tamil By A. K. Ramanujan The Four Hundred Songs of War and Wisdom: An Anthology of Poems from Classical Tamil, the Purananooru, Translations from the Asian classics By George L. Hart, Hank Heifetz