Skip to content contactus svtsydney. Facebook Twitter. The Alvar saints are known for their affiliation to the Srivaishnava tradition of Hinduism. Periazhwar originally called Vishnuchittar was an ardent devotee of Perumal and he used to string garland to Perumal every day.
He was childless and he prayed to Perumal to save him from the longing. One day, he found a girl child under a Tulasi plant in a garden inside the temple. The child was goddess Sri Mahalakshmi herself incarnated to test the devotion of Alvars.
Archana Venkatesan points to this apotheosis of Kothai in the taniyans laudatory verses written by later poets praising the Alwar and their composition appended to the Thiruppavai and Nachiyar Thirumoli. While the taniyans to the Thiruppavai , attributed to Uyyakontar 10 th century CE, composed in Tamil and Parasara Bhattar 12 th century, composed in Sanskrit refer to just the legend surrounding Andal, the taniyan to the Nachiyar Thirumoli , written by Tirukannamangai Andan 12 th — 13 th century, composed in Tamil refers to Andal as a manifestation of Bhu Devi.
Amuktamalyada by King Krishnadevaraya edition Wikimedia Commons Ritual practices carry forward the legend of Andal to this day. Daily recitation of the Thiruppavai occupies a central place in Vaishnavite temple services, and during the month of Margali, recital of the Thiruppavai is commonplace in Vaishnavite households.
In fact, the sixth section of the Nachiyar Thirumoli Song of the Wedding Dream , is recited during Vaishnavite Brahmin weddings and the bride in these weddings is dressed like Andal.
Further, the temples central to the legend of Andal continue to be ritually linked. For the Chittirai festival, garlands from the Srivilliputhur temple are sent to the Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam and the Kalazhagar temple in Madurai. Garland from Srivilliputhur brought for Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati. The parrots are symbolic of Andal Wikimedia Commons Thiruppavai and Nachiyar Thirumoli have also earned great appreciation for their literary value.
Multiple artists have taken inspiration from these works: from movie names to song lyrics, lines from the Thiruppavai have been used repeatedly for their aesthetic value. In the 20 th century, the Carnatic virtuoso Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar set the Thiruppavai to tune in Carnatic ragas , leading to their large-scale popularity and adoption in Carnatic music circles.
Recently, the Carnatic fusion band Agam released its version of one of the Paasurams from Thiruppavai, to critical acclaim. Some celebrate Kothai as a feminist icon, others worship her as a god. Yet others are content in enjoying her literary contributions. Still Andal was greatly affected by the non arrival of Lord Sri Krishna. She became weak physically and lost weight.
Her father Periyalwar did not mind much about this state of Andal. But the people of Her town would complain about Her health deterioration to him and his wife. They suggested that She has been inflicted with a mental disease and could be cured only by getting married to someone.
Theories abound — that Andal did not exist and was a pseudonym used by her father, Periyalvar. To form our own opinions, we must go into the backgrounds of the other Alvars. Most of the Alvars were not born into the brahmin community. Thiruppana Alvar was from the Panar community. Kulasekara Alvar was a Kshatriya, a Chera king. Thirumangai Alvar came from the Kallar community and had been a highway robber before turning devotee.
Nammalvar was from a Vellala family. He supposedly did not have speech for the first sixteen years of his life and did not open his eyes either.
Thirumazhisai Alvar, like Andal, was a foster child. Born to a sage as a lifeless lump of flesh with no arms or legs, he is said to have been raised by a tribal couple. He studied Buddhist and Jain scriptures, and became a staunch devotee of Shiva, before his initiation into Vaishnavism.
In one of his verses, Thirumazhisai has said he was Avarna — not of the four varnas — and untouchable. Thondaradipodi Alvar was a Vaishnavite brahmin, who is said to have vehemently opposed the caste system.
The Alvars were chosen to bring people across social divides into the fold. To include marginalised communities. To demonstrate that anyone with devotion would be accepted. And Andal was the lone woman.
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