the words "kumari kandam" first appear in "kanda puranam", a 15th-century tamil version of the skanda purana, written by kachiappa sivacharyara (1350-1420). although the tamil revivalists insist that it is a pure tamil name, it is actually a derivative of the sanskrit word "kumārika khaṇḍa". the "andakosappadalam" section of "kanda puranam" describes the following cosmological model of the universe: there are many worlds, each having several continents, which in turn, have several kingdoms. paratan, the ruler of one such kingdom, had eight sons and one daughter. he further divided his kingdom into nine parts, and the part ruled by his daughter kumari came to be known as kumari kandam after her. kumari kandam is described as "the" kingdom of the earth. although the kumari kandam theory became popular among anti-brahmin anti-sanskrit tamil nationalists, the "kanda puranam" actually describes kumari kandam as the land where the brahmins reside, where shiva is worshipped and where the vedas are recited. the rest of the kingdoms are described as the territory of the mlecchas.