Parichakar Nagarajan’s alankaram, Othuvar Ramani Srinivasan rendering the sacred verses on Thiru Aanaikka and Elephant Akila’s dance at the sight of Ambal make it a great evening for the devotees on this 8th day of the Navarathri Utsavam at Thiruvanaikaval
It is a special evening at the Jambukeswarar Akilandeswari temple in Thiruvanaikaval on Monday (Sept 29) for the 8th day of the Navarathri Utsavam in Puratasi is one when Akilandeswari is seen in the most beautiful of alankarams.
Passionate about decorating Ambal
Paricharakar Nagarajan has been decorating Akilandeswari for 25 years now and he has been all excited the whole of last week at the opportunity to be blessed with draping the Ambal in a different alankaram each day. It reached a peak this evening as he knew there would be a sizeable devotee crowd to have darshan of Ambal for it was the evening of the Saraswathi Alankaram.
Early into the evening, Nagarajan began his work of meticulously placing each ornament at the right place and even as the devotees began streaming in via the North Gopuram just past 6pm, he had one final look at Ambal after completing a two hour alankaram. It is 6.30pm and as Akilandeswari makes her way from the alankara mandapam, devotees are thrilled at seeing her in a beautiful white and pink saree holding her favourite veena.
She made her way first around the inner prakara and then around the outer prakara before moving on to in front of the Golu Mandapam. Devotees lined up both sides to take a close look at each of the ornaments of Ambal and the beautiful alankaram.
Paricharakar Nagarajan is congratulated by a few for the attention to detail and for the happiness he brought on the faces of the devotees with his decoration. With a gleaming face, he told this writer even as Akilandeswari made her way to the mirror that he finds great peace in this kainkaryam of decorating Ambal “Devotees look forward to each alankaram and this one on the 8th evening is particularly special for Akilandeswari provides darshan as Saraswathi”.
Othuvar's message to devotees
Othuvar Ramani Srinivasan ( has been the sole othuvar at this temple for 25 years. He is as devotional as it gets when he begins presentation of the Thevaram verses.
வானைக்காவில் வெண்மதி மல்குபுல்கு வார்சடைத்
தேனைக்காவில் இன்மொழித் தேவிபாக மாயினான்
ஆனைக்காவில் அண்ணலை அபயமாக வாழ்பவர்
ஏனைக்காவல் வேண்டுவார்க் கேதும்ஏதம் இல்லையே
Presenting the sacred verses of Thiru Gnana Sambandar on Akilandeswari (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/06/thiru-gnana-sambandar-mukthi-utsavam.html), Othuvar Ramani Srinivasan told this writer on Monday evening that the Ambal is as beautiful as the clear sky and her words for the devotees are sweeter than even nectar and honey and blesses the devotees who come to offer their sincere prayers.
He points to another great verse of praise of Thiru Gnana Sambandar and says that the Ambal who came here from Kailasam where he was with Lord Shiva is beautiful and lures the devotees to her side.
Appar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/12/thiru-vathigai-veerateswarar.html) in his praise of Thiruvanaikaval says those who do not come here to invoke the blessings have lost a great opportunity to secure Mukthi. “When we have the Lord of Thiruvanaikaval in our hearts, we become cool and attain a peace of mind. He is sweet as honey. If we do not reach out to him in this life, then what use it is to be born in this world and our body is equal to meat. This life is meant to sing praise of him. If we do so, he will go all out to protect us” Othuvar Ramani told this writer presenting this great verse.
விண்ணின் மாமதி சூடி
விலையிலி கலன்அணி விமலன்
பண்ணின் நேர்மொழி மங்கை
பங்கினன் பசுவுகந் தேறி
அண்ண லாகிய ஆனைக்
காவுடை ஆதியை நாளும்
எண்ணு மாறுவல் லார்கள்
எம்மையும் ஆளுடை யாரே
Appar in his praise refers to Akilandeswari as Vadiveyum Mangai, the one who is most beautiful. Befitting that praise, Parichakarar Nagarajan presented Ambal in a most alankaram that was pleasing to the eye and the devotees were fully engrossed through the three rounds in front of the Golu Mandapam.
Even Akila the elephant was so excited at the Saraswathi Alankaram that for the first time in 8 days of this utsavam, she danced in front of Ambal much to the delight of the devotees. It was quite an unexpected show of happiness from the elephant but the alankaram was so beautiful that she could not control her emotions and exhibited her delight.
While Thiru Gnana Sambandar praised Akilandeswari’s beauty as being sweeter than honey, Sundara Moorthy Nayanar(https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/01/thiru-vennai-nallur-kripapureeswarar.html) compared Ambal’s beauty to the most beautiful music “Like how it is difficult to get one’s ears away from sweet music, one cannot take the eyes away from the Ambal of Thiru Aanaikka for she is so beautiful.”
வலங்கொள் வாரவர் தங்கள்
வல்வினை தீர்க்கும் மருந்து
கலங்கக் காலனைக் காலாற்
காமனைக் கண்சிவப் பானை
அலங்கல் நீர்பொரும் ஆனைக்
காவுடை ஆதியை நாளும்
இலங்கு சேவடி சேர்வார்
எம்மையும் ஆளுடை யாரே
Sundarar says a devotee’s presence at Thiruaanaikka will serve as a medicine to all issues in life.
Othuvar Ramani Srinivasan’s devotion peaks during these utsavams and as his eye sets on Akilanda Nayaki at the Golu Mandapam, he rolls out verses in praise of her as described by three of the Saivite Saint Poets.
Well past 7.30pm, devotees continue to stroll in for a darshan of Akilandeswari presenting herself as Saraswathi on this 8th day of the Navarthri Utsavam.
Parichakar Nagarajan’s alankaram, Othuvar Ramani Srinivasan rendering the sacred verses on Thiru Aanaikka, Elephant Akila’s dance at the sight of Ambal make it a great evening for the devotees and they head back home after the Deeparathanai chatting with their friends and relatives looking back at the hour gone by at the Akilandeswari Sannidhi.
A story on Othuvar Ramani Srinivasan: https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2018/11/thiruvanaikaval-othuvar-srinivasan.html
No comments:
Post a Comment