Koodal Azhagar Madurai Pallandu Utsavam 2024

The Legendary Episode of Periyazhvaar on a Royal Elephant presenting the Pallandu verses after darshan of Lord Narayana atop the Garuda Vahana was played out on Monday on the eve of the commencement of the Pagal Pathu Utsavam at Koodal Azhagar Divya Desam in Madurai

It is just past 7.30pm on Monday and Koodal Azhagar in a shining pink silk vastram and decked with glittering jewellery atop the Garuda Vahana is all ready to listen to the first verses of the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham.

All those centuries ago, after his Victory in the debate, Periyazhvaar went atop the Royal Elephant of Vallabha Deva Pandya around the streets of Madurai in a Grand Celebratory Event. On Monday evening, in memory of that legendary event, Periyazhvaar led the procession on a golden Elephant vahana. A few years ago, this procession had taken place with Periyazhvaar atop a broken elephant vahana but this evening, the elephant captured everyone's attention with its golden shine.

Saathaatha Vaishnava at Koodal Azhagar

83 year old Saathatha Vaishnava Srinivasan has been performing service at this Divya Desam for five decades and he goes ahead of Koodal Azhagar clearing the way for the procession. The octogenarian’s devotional way of life has not waned one bit after all these decades of service and he carried the Velli Thadi leading the procession ahead of Koodal Azhagar. He was devotionally energetic throughout the procession and was the one who donned the role of silencing devotees while the recital was on (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/11/koodal-azhagar-saathatha-vaishnavas.html).

As has been the trend in most divya desams in Tamil Nadu, the days of sripatham carrying the Lord on their shoulders has become a thing in the past and Koodal Azhagar as well as Periyazhvaar are mounted onto wheeled vehicles for the procession. Devotees in good numbers rush out of the Vedantha Desikar Sannidhi to have darshan of Koodal Azhagar and Periyazhvaar in front of the Eastern Raja Gopuram.

A procession wading through heavy traffic

Slowly, they make their way on to the busy West Maasi Street. They have to wade through a string of vehicles as the year end festive offer saw people flocking the mega shops for their new year purchases. Interestingly, with the fast paced growth of mega marts in Madurai, this event is now referred to as being organised near Thanga Mayil!!! The entire showroom staff are at the entrance to welcome Koodal Azhagar and the Azhvaar from Srivilliputhur.

By 8.30pm, a sizeable crowd has gathered at 'Mei Kattu Pottal’, the location of the historical court of Vallabha Deva Pandya, the King of Koodal Nagar. The legendary episode relating to the creation of the first decad of verses in the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham was played out with historical flavour at this place, a km west of Koodal Azhagar temple. 

From Thiru Mogur to present the Pallandu Puranam

57 year old Srinivasa Raghavan is a Sthaneegam at the Kaalamegha Perumal Divya Desam in Thiru Mogur (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2017/07/thiru-mogur-kalamegha-perumal.html). His appa, Venkathadri Bhattar, presented the Pallandu Episode on this historic day on the eve of the Pagal Pathu utsavam for five decades and following in his footsteps, he has now been carrying forward that legacy for well over a decade.

The Bhattar presented Koodal Azhagar’s flower garland and the sacred book containing the legendary episode to Srinivasa Raghavan. Donning the cone shaped colourful blue hat, symbolic of the Araiyars of Srivilliputhur, Srinivasa Raghavan began his presentation of the story that culminated in Periyazhvaar presenting the Pallandu verses praying for the protection of the Lord from evil eyes!!!

The Legendary episode at the Pandya King's Court

For over 20 minutes all eyes and ears focused on Srinivasa Raghavan as he narrated the tale of King Vallabha Deva seeking the inner meaning of Paratathuvam. Describing that legendary tale, Srinivasa Raghavan said that when Pandya King Vallabha Deva went, incognito, on his usual late night rounds through the streets of Madurai to understand the sentiments of his people, he met with Soma Sarma, a traditional Brahmin who introduced himself as one on a long pilgrimage from Avanti Kingdom. He surprised the King with his philosophical view on life, one that gave him sleepless nights ‘What we want for a rainy day is saved during good times. What we need for the night is to be earned during the day. Similarly what one wants after death should be accumulated now, in this very life.’ 

Unable to fathom the inner meaning of this, Vallabha Deva summoned his acharya and head priest Selva Nambi seeking an understanding of this statement. A big prize was announced to the one who provided insights into this. Many renowned scholars of the time tried their best but the king was not convinced and the bag of gold coins hung in the balance. It was then that Selva Nambi went to Srivilliputhur seeking the services of Vishnu Chittar to provide the insights at the court of the Pandya King. 

His description of Lord Narayana as the Supreme Being and his narration of references from the Vedic Scriptures and the suggestion that worshipping him in one’s life time with devotion was the highest form of worship and was likely to lead one  in the direction of what he or she sought after death thrilled Vallabha Deva Pandya. Even as he was finishing his speech, the golden coins were showered on him, for Vallabha Deva instinctively realised that he had found the ultimate solution.

It was then that Vishnu Chittar was conferred the title of ‘Bhattar Piran’ by Raja Simhan I (Vallabha Deva). The king ordered a royal procession for Vishnu Chittar on an elephant top around the streets of Madurai and the entire city resonated with the melodies of musical instruments. As he moved along in the procession in a grand celebratory event witnessed by a huge crowd, Bhattar Piran heard dissenting voices from his detractors who raised eyebrows on his devotional power. They asked him if the Lord that he referred to was so powerful, would it be in his powers to show them the Lord.

When Bhattar Piran invoked the blessings of Koodal Azhagar, much to the delight of everyone there, the Lord of Madurai, appeared on his Garuda Vahana from above the Ashtanga Vimana along with Goddess Lakshmi against the back drop of the clear blue sky. 

Worried that evil eyes should not fall on this beautiful Lord, seen in this immaculate posture with his beloved Goddess Lakshmi, Vishnu Chittar falling into a trance, showered verses of praise expressing concern for the Lord’s safety using the bell tied to the elephant as his Thaalam. 

 பேர் அணிந்த வில்லிபுத்தூர் ஆணி தன்னில்

 பெருந் ஜோதி தனில் தோன்றும் பெருமானே

முன் சீர் அணிந்த பாண்டியன் தன் நெஞ்சு தன்னில்

துயக்கற மால் பருத்து வத்தை திருமாசெப்பி

வானர மேல் மதுரை வளம் வரவே

வானில் கருட வாகனமாய்த் தோன்ற

வாழ்த்தும் ஈரணி  பல்லாண்டு முதல் பாட்டு

நானூற்று எழுவத்து ஒன்று இரண்டும் எனக்கு உதவு நீயே – Vedanta Desikar's praise of Periyazhvaar's Royal Procession

Srinivasa Raghavan who too was presented a symbolic bag like the one presented by King Vallabha Deva to Vishnu Chittar began the Pallandu verses using the cymbal just like the Araiyar of Srivilliputhur. The Prabhandham Ghoshti members carried forward the rest of the Pallandu verses signifying the commencement of the Pagal Pathu utsavam.

This episode of ‘Pallandu Thodakkam’ at the Koodal Azhagar Divya Desam on the eve of Pagal Pathu is the only one of its kind in a Divya Desam. On sighting the Lord in the high air, verses poured out instantly from Periyazhvaar and he sung for the Lord’s long life. It is the only set of verses among the 4000 verses where an Azhvaar has sung benedictory hymns of the Lord.

Periyazhvaar suggests to the devotees who live with the only desire of serving the Lord to carry immediately talc paste and those with fragrances. He asks them to resist worldly pleasures and to come together as true devotees letting go vain glory and to sing the sacred mantra. He says that it is important for us to give up our old bad habits and to connect with the Lord. 

எந்த தந்தை தந்தை தந்தை தம் மூத்தப்பன்

ஏழ் படி கால் தொடங்கி 

வந்து வழி வழி ஆட் செய்கின்றோம் 

He cautions that no one whose thoughts are just on food shall be allowed here. He wants all of us to continuously utter the 1000 names of the Lord and sing benedictory praise wishing for his long life. It was seen as so sacred that Thiru Pallandu became the first decad of the Naalayira Divya Prabhandham.

Following Theertham and Shatari, Koodal Azhagar and Periyazhvaar in line with the past practices of providing darshan to  donors made their way through the small stretch on Valaiyal street with the Lord's crown just about  managing to escape from the numerous wires above before he made his way back to the temple at 10pm bringing to end the Pallandu utsavam.