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Veerapandiya Kattabomman
Artist's rendering
Reign	2 February 1790 – 16 October 1799
Full name	Veemaraja Jagaveera Pandiya Kattabomman
வீரபாண்டிய கட்டபொம்மன்
Born	3 January 1760
Birthplace	Panchalankurichi,Tamil Nadu
Died	16 October 1799
Place of death	Kayathar,Tamil Nadu
Successor	British Rule
Father	Jagaveera Kattabomman
Mother	Arumugathammal

Veerapandiya Kattabomman (Tamil: வீரபாண்டிய கட்டபொம்மன்); also known as Kattabomman was an 18th century Palayakarrar ('Polygar') chieftain from Panchalankurichi of Tamil Nadu, India. His ancestors migrated to Tamil Nadu from areas in present day Andhra Pradesh during the Vijayanagar period. Also known as Kattabomma Naicker he was among the earliest to oppose British rule in these regions. He waged a war with the British six decades before the Indian War of Independence occurred in the Northern parts of India. He was captured and hanged in 1799 CE. His fort was destroyed and his wealth was looted by the British army. Today his native village Panchalankurichi in present day Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu and some polygars families migrated to vedal village in Kanchipuram District, India is a historically important site.^[1]

Legend and folklore[link]

In subsequent years, a good deal of legend and folklore developed around Kattabomman and the Marudu Brothers. Kayatharu, where Kattabomman was executed has remained a place of political pilgrimage.

In his Tinnevelly Gazetteer of 1917, H. R. Pate notes the presence, in Kayatharu, of "a great pile of stones of all sizes, which represents the accumulated offerings by wayfarers of the past hundred years. Folk songs recalling the heroism of the Poligar leaders remain alive in Tamil Nadu to this day..."

The popular Tamil slang for a traitor or committing treason is Ettapa or Ettapan, courtesy the Ettayapuram Polygar whom the British later conferred the title of Raja. But it is disputed whether Ettapan ever committed a treason at all because Kattabomman was arrested by the King of Pudukottai. The Campa Cola ground in Chennai belongs/belonged to Ettappan family. Lately, there is an outcry over unfair portrayal of Ettappan in the film Kattabomman in which actor Sivaji Ganesan gave a great performance. It seems that Ma.Po.Si(Ma.Po.Sivanyanam) who wrote the dialogues for the film had some misunderstanding with the Ettappan family.

Honor and Monuments[link]

Kattabomman memorial at Kayathar

Kattabomman's story is celebrated in many legends and epic poetry in Tamil. Kattabomman is today recognised by the government as one of the earliest independence fighters opposing the British.

• In 1974, the Government of Tamil Nadu constructed a new Memorial fort. The Memorial Hall has beautiful paintings on the walls depicting the heroic deeds of the saga which gives a good idea about the history of the period. A cemetery of British soldiers are also seen near the fort.
• The remnants of the old fort are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.
• At Kayathar, near Tirunelveli on the present day NH7, the place where he was hanged, there is another memorial for Kattabomman.^[2]
• To commemorate the bicentenary on 16 October 1799 of Kattabomman’s hanging, the Government of India brought out a postal stamp in his honour.^[3]
• India's premier communication nerve centre of the Indian Navy, at Vijayanarayanam, about 40 km from here, is named as INS Kattabomman.^[4]
• Till 1997, the state transport buses of Tirunelveli District was named Kattabomman Transport Corporation.
• Veerapandia Kattabomman Panpattu Kazhagam (Veerapandia Kattabomman Cultural association) is an organisation named in his honour.
• The district administration celebrates `Veerapandia Kattabomman festival' at Panchalankurichi on his anniversaries.^[5]

Movie[link]

Much of the modern currency of the legend comes from the 1959 motion picture starring Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan in lead role portraying the life of Veerapandiya Kattabomman. The Movie was directed by B.R. Panthulu and Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan got a wide international recognition and earned many international awards for his epic performance and this particular film is one of the most remembered in his 45 years of filmdom. The film received ubiquitously positive reviews and adjudged the best film at the Cairo International Film Festival and Sivaji received the prize for best actor from Col. Nasser, the then president of Egypt

See also[link]

• Puli Thevar
• Dheeran Chinnamalai
• Maveeran Periya Maruthu
• Maveeran Chinna Maruthu
• Polygar War
• Thalapathy Veeran Sundaralingam
• Oomaithurai
• Rani Velu Nachiar

References[link]

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