Thiru Mangai Azhvaar Utsavam Dasavatharam temple Srirangam

A Day to Celebrate Thiru Mangai Azhvaar's contribution to Srirangam

In a once in a year procession, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar presents darshan around the four Chitra Streets of Srirangam and at the Ahobila Mutt and Poundarikapuram Ashram on Thursday morning on the occasion of his annual birthday

Priest Sudarshan of Dasavatharam Sannidhi in Srirangam woke up early on Thursday (Dec 4) morning and much to his delight, the sky had cleared after heavy rains the previous day. He had been apprehensive the previous night on whether the rains would continue and disrupt this annual procession of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar on this Karthigai day in Karthigai.

Thirumangai Azhvaar’s Dasavathara praise
Located on the banks of Coloroon half a kilometer North West of Lord Ranganatha temple is the historical Dasavatharam Sannidhi in Srirangam. Thirumangai Azhvaar has made a specific mention of the Dasavatharam Lords in the sixth decad of the fifth canto of Periya Thirumozhi. Pleased with Thirumangai Azhvaar’s efforts in constructing the huge walls, Ranganathaswamy is said to have granted his wish of displaying the 10 Avataarams all at one place. Accordingly, the Lord displayed all his 10 prominent Avatars including the Kalki Avataar.

ஏனாகி உலகிடந்து அன்று இருநிலனும் பெரு விசும்பும்
தானாய பெருமானை தன்னடியார் மனத்தென்றும்
தேனாகி அமுதாகித் திகழ்ந்தானை
மகிழ்ந்தொருகால்
ஆனாயன் ஆனானை கண்டது தென் அரங்கத்தே- 5.6.3

Thirumangai Azhvaar had two other wishes - for Namperumal to provide darshan to all those who helped him build the huge walls of Srirangam and for Him to come on special street processions via the Southern banks of Coloroon.

Shortly after 6am, he had moved into the final decoration process of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar. By 7am, the Prabhandham and Vedic members had arrived at the temple as had the Sripatham personnel.After Mangalasasanam at the Perumal Sannidhi, Desikar and Thiru Mangai Azhvaar Sannidhi, the procession began around the Chitra streets. Residents of Dasavatharam Sannidhi street lined up in front of their homes to present coconut, fruits and flowers to Kaliyan on his birthday.

                                  

At the North Chitra Street, with Thiru Mangai Azhvaar facing the North Tower, the Prabhandham members presented the sacred verse from Sri Stuti. Veenai Srinivasan, who will be seen in action at the Veenai Ekantham later this month as part of the Era Pathu Utsavam at the Ranganathaswamy temple, had darshan of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in front of his home on East Chitra street.

It was 8am when Thiru Mangai Azhvaar who presented 50 verses of praise on the Lord of Srirangam, entered the Ahobila Mutt on East Uthira Street for Mangalasasanam at the Lakshmi Narasimha Sannidhi. The service personnel were presented with Thaligai following which Thiru Mangai Azhvaar made his way through the Chitra Streets listening to the Prabhandham and Vedic recital.

வளர்ந்தவனைத் தடங்கடலுள் வலியுருவில் திருசகடம்

தளர்ந்துதிர உதைத்தவனை தரியாது அன்று இரணியனை பிளந்தவனை
பெருநிலம் ஈரடிநீட்டி பண்டொருநாள் அளந்தவனை
யான் கண்டது அணிநீர்த் தென்னரங்கத்தே - 5.6.4 - Periya Thirumozhi

At the South Chitra Street, with Thiru Mangai Azhvaar facing Periya Perumal, the Prabhandham members presented the sacred verse of Vedantha Desikar on the Lord of Srirangam.

ஆறாத அருள் அமுதம் பொதிந்த கோயில்

அம்புயத்தோன் அயோத்தி மன்னற்கு அளித்த கோயில்

தொலாத தனிவீரன் தொழுத கோயில் 

துணையான வீடணற்கு துணையாம் கோயில்

சேராத பயன் எல்லாம் சேர்க்கும் கோயில்

செழுமறையின் முதல் எழுத்து சேர்ந்த கோயில்

தீராத வினை அனைத்தும் தீர்க்கும் கோயில்

திருவரங்கம் எனும் கோயில் தானே- Athikara Sangraham

                                      

Through the Desikar Street, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar made his way to the Poundarikapuram Ashram where the Pontiff welcomed him. After presenting parivattam and flower garland, the head of the Ashram directed the Prabhandham members to present the verse on Therazhundur on the occasion of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s birthday. As Kaliyan made his way back from the Ashram, the acharya turned a Sripatham and carried the birthday boy on his shoulder.

87 year old Mukkoor Srinivasan, who had performed archaka kainkaryam at the Dasavatharam Sannidhi in the years gone by,  was delighted to welcome Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in front of his house and then joined the Satru Murai verses in front of the Easter Tower of the temple.

It was almost 10am when Thiru Mangai Azhvaar made his way back to the Dasavatharam temple, where renovation works have been going on for the last year. The young Sripatham personnel were energetic during the two hour procession and felt blessed to carry Thiru Mangai Azhvaar on this once in a year procession on the occasion of his annual birthday.