Q. Consider the following statements:

1. Andal was a woman Alvar whose compositions were widely sung.
2. Karaikkal Ammaiyar was a devotee of Shiva who adopted the path of extreme asceticism in order to attain her goal

Which of the above statements is / are correct?
Answer: Both 1 & 2
Notes: Andal was the daughter of Alvar saint Periyalvar. She was only female Alvar saint among 12 alvar saints of the south. Like other Alvar saints, she was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Andal’s Tamil work Thiruppavi and Nachiar are still recited by devotees during the winter festival season of Margazhi. Karaikal Ammaiyar is another woman saint amongst the 63 Nayanmars. She is one of the greatest figures of early Tamil literature. She was born at Karaikal, South India, and probably lived during the 6th century AD. She was a devotee of Shiva.