Seven Aravalli sisters lived during the Mahabharata period
in present day Tamil Nadu and ruled the region known as Aravalli Pattinam. They
were famous for witchcraft and they used sorcery and witchcraft to terrorize
people. The story of Pandavas and seven Aravalli Sisters is a local legend
narrated to explain the glory of Goddess Vana Bhadrakali Amman.
Aravalli, Sooravalli, Veeravalli and 4 other sisters ruled
the region by terrorizing the inhabitants. They remained unconquered and their arrogance
and atrocities reached the ears of Bhagwan Sri Krishna. He requested the
Pandavas to defeat the sisters.
Bhima, the second of the Pandavas, agreed to take up the
mission and moved towards the kingdom
of Aravalli
Meanwhile, Bhima was passing through a thick forest. The
sisters used their witchcraft and created numerous carnivorous animals like
tiger, lion, bear and crocodile. All the animals were killed by Bhima using his
mace.
But in the direct fight between the sisters, Bhima was
defeated. The sisters used sorcery and bound him and imprisoned him.
But Bhima escaped from the prison and returned to the
Pandavas.
They realized that the sisters could be defeated only by a
young unmarried man. The Pandavas then deputed Allimuthu, son of Sanghavi, a
sister of Pandavas as per Tamil local legend.
Allimuthu was an ardent devotee of Vanabhadrakali Amman –
Goddess Kali. She blessed him and gave him a sword and holy water. Goddess
asked him to drink only this water till he returned back.
In the war, Allimuthu defeated the seven sisters. Before
they were overpowered completely, the sisters changed tactic and decided to
surrender. They agreed to stop all the misdeeds and promised to give
Palvarisai, daughter of one of the sisters, in marriage to Allimuthu.
Allimuthu agreed to the peace proposal but he said the
marriage will only take place with the blessing of Pandavas. So he returned
along with Palavarisai.
While returning he felt thirsty and soon realized that the
holy water given by Goddess Vana Bhadrakali Amman was missing. It was actually stolen
by the seven sisters. He was so thirsty that he asked Palavarisai to get some
water. The innocent Palavarisai had a lemon gifted to her by her mother. She
prepared lime juice and gave it to Allimuthu. The moment he drank the lime
juice he fell down and died due to the witchcraft of the seven sisters.
When Pandavas came to know about the death of Allimuthu,
they marched towards the kingdom of the seven sisters.
Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, could not
tolerate the death of Allimuthu. He went to the world of Yama and got back the
soul of Allimuthu. He carried it in a small locket and merged it with the body
of Allimuthu. The prince thus got back his life.
Pandavas soon reached the spot and heard what had happened
from Allimuthu.
They then went to the temple of Vana Bhadrakali
Amman
The marriage of Allimuthu and Palavarisai was held with the
blessing of Goddess Vanabadrakaliamman. He then ruled the kingdom of the
seven sisters.