About Maṇimēkalai
Maṇimēkalai was written by Maturaik Kūlavāṇikaṉ Cīttalaic Cāttaṉār, a Buddihst adherent. Considered a sequel to Cilappatikāram, Maṇimēkalai comprises 30 kātais (episodes), and is composed in akaval metre.
The protagonist of the epic is Maṇimēkalai, the daughter of Mātavi and Kōvalaṉ who are the lead characters of Cilappatikāram. It is the only extant literary composition in an Indian language that embodies and treats of Buddhist doctrine and Buddhist philosophy. Maṇimēkalai is, therefore, not only one of the post-Sangam major epics in the Tamil history but also an authentic literary – religious document on the great Buddhist faith across the nations of the Asian continents. There are no old commentaries of this epic.