From 16th-Century Kerala, comes the folktale, some say legend, called Parayi petta panthirukulam that informs us about a Dalit woman who bears a Brahmin man twelve illustrious children.

Vararuchi, a learned Brahmin courtier, could understand the language of birds. They told him that he was fated to marry a “low” caste girl. He traced the girl, and made a mark on her forehead so that he could always identify her to avoid this fate. However, years later, he was so pleased by the food cooked by the daughter of an “upper” caste family that he married her without looking at her face. She turned out to be their foster daughter, the very same girl with his mark on her forehead. Vararuchi realised fate is a force greater than free will.