Andal -- The Girl who would marrry no one but God. She lived a life of innocence, purity and toatl dedication to her God and was finally united with Him.

Sri Andal, one of the twelve Alwars and the only female saintess, lived in the first half of 8th century A.D.

Andal is one of the most extraordinary personalities in religious history. She is known in her native tongue of Tamil as an Alvar, one who is "immersed" in the depths of enjoyment of God, the omnipresent mysterious One. Tradition reckons 12 Alvars, of which Andal is the only female. Between the fifth and ninth centuries, in the Tamil-speaking region of South India, these saints revitalized the Indian religious milieu, sparking a renewal of devotional worship throughout the subcontinent. Traveling from place to place, from temple to temple, from holy site to holy site, they composed exceedingly beautiful poetry to their Divine Beloved, Vishnu, as an expression of their love for Him. Anyone can see why their poetry was so attractive; at once both impassioned and philosophical, their words cut across all barriers of caste and class, attracting all to their faith. In doing so, they sculpted a new religious heritage of intensely emotional bhakti, or love of the Divine, whose impact is still ...more

Source: http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/andal

An interesting BA

Andal is one of the most extraordinary personalities in religious history.