Andal, also known as Kothai, Nachiyar, and Godadevi, was the only female Alvar among the twelve Hindu poet-saints of South India. She is considered as an avatar of goddess Bhudevi, a consort of Lord Vishnu. She was raised by Periyalvar in Srivilliputhur, where she grew up as an ardent devotee of Krishna. As with the Alvar saints, she was affiliated with the Sri Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. Scholars believe her to have been active in the 8th-century CE, with some suggesting 7th century CE.

The Alvars were the Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused bhakti (devotion) to the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, in their songs of longing, ecstasy, and service. They are venerated in Vaishnavism, which regards Vishnu as the Ultimate Reality.