friends, iam talking about recent controversy about sri andal in the thirunelveli MKU university syllabus. it appears the story depicts sri andal as an illegitimate child of periazhvar. it is mentioned that garlanding (and marrying to) god's image was not uncommon in that time. there were such communities in tamilnadu till 100 years ago. many such women born through such affairs between eminent men and mistress were known. some of them have gone to the level of "baratha rathna". so nothing sinister in that story about andal. gandhi