Periyazhvaar provides Mangalasasanam to five Perumals on Monday morning on the occasion of the fourth day of the Aadi Pooram Utsavam
Periyazhvaar
It is one of the special days in the year at the Andal Nachiyar temple in Srivilliputhur. Monday (August 10) morning marked the fourth day of the Aadi Pooram utsavam when Periyazhvaar presents Mangalasasanam to five Perumals in front of the Andal temple.
Devotees were arriving in good numbers from early morning ahead of the Mangalasasanam. Unfortunately in remotes temples as these, there is a severe shortage of kainkaryaparas.
Four decades ago, there were very few devotees in temples especially in remote towns and the archakas would sit outside the Sannidhi waiting for the next devotee, a wait that often proved elusive. However things have turned around so dramatically that any number of kainkaryaparas are now finding it difficult to manage the Sannidhi and the utsavams that run alongside the daily poojas, given the ever increasing devotees thronging Divya Desam temples.
On such big utsavam days, the shortage is felt acutely and the impact of this is on the devotees.
பருப்பதற்கு கயல் பொறித்த
பாண்டியன் குல பத்தி போல்
திருபொலிந்த சேவடி
என் சென்னியின் மேல் பொறித்தாய்
மருப்பொசித்தாய் மல் அடர்த்தாய்
என்றென்று உன் வாசகமே
உருபொலிந்த நாவினேனை
உனக்கு உரித்து ஆக்கினையே
Delayed Alankaram of Periya Perumal
Veda Piran Bhattar who also now doubles up as the maniyakaarar at the temple had told this writer last week that the Mangalasasanam would start at 9am and run up to 1pm. On this Monday morning, he was seen scrambling around between Vadapadrasayee Sannidhi where the alankaram for Periya Perumal was taking place and Andal Sannidhi. The Perumal Sannidhi was shut off after 8am with the bhattars getting into the alankaram of Periya Perumal. The devotees who arrived there after darshan of Andal were left wondering as to when the Sannidhi would open.
Curt reply
When a devotee asked a Kainkaryapara who came from inside the alankara mandapam, she received a curt reply that angered her and the devotees who were present there “Only the Bhattar knows when the alankaram would be complete. Just sit here and wait for the door to open” he told her rudely while going down the steps. These are the kind of remarks from traditional Vaishnavites that has been putting off devotees these days in temples. And so it turned out that the devotees stayed there till 10am waiting every minute for the door to open. With the sacred curtains around the utsavar, devotees should have been able to go and have darshan of the moolavar but it was not to be!!!
From the Bhattar waiting for the next devotee to arrive way back in the 1970s and 80s, the scenario has turned so dramatically that the door is now shut on the huge number of devotees visiting historic temples as these. The alankaram has become grander, the flower garlands are the huge and Perumal is now back to adorning glittering jewellery at utsavam processions. And the archakas, especially the next gen, are particularly interested in decorating Perumal.
Periya Perumal
Glittering Periya Perumal but delayed Alankaram
When the door did open, the devotees were treated to a double bonanza being able to have darshan of the handsome Periya Perumal ready to head for the mangalasasanam and the varna kala moolavar Vadabadra Sayee. While the devotees had been waiting for over an hour to have darshan of the moolavar and hence a long line had emerged, there were the privileged ones who came in groups to have darshan through the wrong side, brought in by the kainkaryaparas angering the devotees who came in the queue. The new HRCE minister has repeatedly spoken over the last month about stopping of special treatment but the impact of that is not yet visible inside temples as these on such heavily crowded days.
Saathaatha Vaishnavas at Srivilliputhur
It is 10.15am and Periya Perumal makes his way down the steep steps from the Vadabadra Sayee Sannidhi. Periyazhvaar had by now arrived in front of the Andal Sannidhi and was waiting for Periya Perumal to arrive. Periya Perumal made his way through the towering Raja Gopuram, that now presents a faded look, to the Andal temple.
The Vaishnava Saathaatha Dasa Nambis are the ones assigned the task of accompanying Perumal/Andal Nachiyar on the procession. Vaishnava Saathaatha Santhanam is carrying the golden sacred stick and leads each of the procession this morning ensuring the Lord and the Kainkaryaparas have a safe path forward by rendering Eth Sarigai thus informing them that they can proceed.
Sathatha Vaishnava Daasa Nambi Santhanam
At Srivilliputhur, parrot holds a special significance. Andal Nachiyar used the parrot to send message to her beloved Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam to come fast and marry her. The Saathaatha Vaishnavas have the privilege of making and presenting the special parrot every evening to Andal Nachiyar for the Thiru Aradhana pooja at this Divya Desam. They are also bestowed with rights and responsibilities of taking care of the security of the room that houses Lord’s jewels – Karuvullam. Historically, they lived in the same street right next to the archakas, an indication of the high status given to them by Ramanuja.
Playing the Tamaanam with great devotion
Nambi is past 50 and he has been playing the Tamaanam for years. Through this morning, at the arrival of every Perumal, he displayed high devotion in beating the drum much to the delight of the standing who lined up either side of Perumal and Periyazhvaar. It is one of the instruments that is seeing a revival in temple utsavams. It is a highly devotional mood with nagaswaram artistes and the drums players playing non stop music in front of several hundreds of devotees.
The big moment of the morning had arrived as Periya Perumal took position opposite Periyazhvaar with devotees lining up both sides. For the next hour, the mangalasasanam event was played out with Periya Perumal presenting his Shatari, flower garland and parivattam to Periyazhvaar with the Bhattar making his way in a slow step by step movement to the beating of the drums. Watched from a distance by his appa Bala Mukundan Araiyar, Natha Muni Araiyar, who has just celebrated the birth of his third daughter, presented his Sevai with the cymbals in his hands even as the Bhattar presented shatari and tied the parivattam around Periyazhvaar’s forehead.
Playing the Kombuthaarai from his teens
A lot younger at 21, Nagulan (in the photo below) is just in the process of completing his collegiate education. Right from his schooling days, he has been interested in street processions of Perumal and Nachiyar and has been playing the Kombuthaarai from his mid teens. Through this entire session lasting well over 5 hours, he played the Kombuthaarai when Perumal made his way from the Andal temple for Mangalasaasanam and on his return trip to the alankara mandapam. He told this writer that he may go for a corporate job after his completes the Bio Tech degree he is pursuing but his heart will always be with Andal Nachiyar and Periya Perumal for he has thoroughly enjoyed playing this unique long instrument over the last many years.
Periyazhvaar went around his favourite Periya Perumal in a pradakshinam following which the Lord made his way to the Alankaram mandapam at the Andal temple through the Vanamamalai Mutt, Vedantha Desikar Sannidhi and Manavala Mamuni Sannidhis.
It was past 11am and the heat was being felt by everyone present but the Sripatham personnel did an excellent job in carrying perumal and periyazhvaar through this morning session with Sundararaja Perumal of Srivilliputhur and Srinivasa Perumal of Thiruvannamalai following Periya Perumal for the mangalasasanam event.
The commentator whose presentation came out loud and clear on the huge speaker system introduced Sundararaja Perumal as Periyazhvaar’s Kula Deivam with the Azhvaar praising the greatness of Thiru Maliruncholai in three decads.
எத்தனை காலமும் எத்தனை ஊழியும்
இன்றொடு நாளை என்றே
இத்தனை காலமும் போய்க் கிறிப்பட்டேன்
இனி உன்னை போகலொட்டேன்
மைத்துனன்மார்களை வாழ்வித்து மாற்றலர்
நூற்றுவரைக் கெடுத்தாய்
சித்தம் நின்பாலது அறிதி அன்றே
திரு மாலிருஞ் சோலை என்றாய்
After Sundararaja Perumal went back to the alankaram mandapam inside the Andal temple, Srinivasa Perumal of Thiruvannamalai, six kms north of Srivilliputhur Divya Desam, made his way and positioned himself opposite Periyazhvaar. Interestingly both with Sundararaja Perumal and Srinivasa Perumal, it was heartening to see that the next gen bhattars have taken over and are devotionally inclined to carry the Kainkaryam into the future.
Periyazhvaar going around Srinivasa Perumal
சென்னி ஓங்கு தன் திருவேங்கடம் உடையாய்
உலகு தன்னை வாழ நின்ற நம்பீ
தாமோதரா சதிரா
என்னையும் என் உடைமையையும்
உன் சக்கரப் பொறி ஒற்றிக்கொண்டு
நின் அருளே புரிந்திருந்தேன்
இனி என் திருகுறிப்பே
The clock had ticked well past noon and in the sweltering heat, the priest from the Namazhvaar Sannidhi in Srirangam arrives at the temple with his wife to experience the Mangalasasanam. It was now time for another Divya Desam Perumal to make his way to the Andal temple and the commentator alerts the devotees that it will take a while for the Lord to arrive for he has been stationed outside near the sacred tanks.
Thiruthangal Appan
Ninra Narayana Perumal of Thiru Thangal Divya Desam had started out on Sunday from his abode and reached Srivilliputhur in the evening after several mandagapadis on the way. He had been at the mandapam north of the sacred tank and he began his procession to the Andal temple just after 12.30pm. The residents of the tank street came out of their homes to present thattu experiencing this once in a year presence of the Divya Desam Lord from Thiruthangal at their door step.
பேராணை குறுங்குடி எம்பெருமானை
திருத்தண்கால் ஊரானை கரம்பனூர் உத்தமனை
முத்து இலங்கு காரார் திண் கடல் ஏழும்
மலை ஏழ் இவ்வுலகு ஏழ் உண்டு
ஆராது என்று இருந்தானைக் கண்டது தென் அரங்கத்தே
At the Sannidhi Street, the ladies presented Kolattam while the residents there too presented Thattu with the Nagaswaram and drum artistes continuing to play their music led by the temple event.
It was past 1pm when Ninra Narayana Perumal finally made his way to the east side of the Andal temple to position himself opposite Periyazhvaar. For an hour, the shatari, parivattam process was played out following which Periyazhvaar went around the Divya Desam perumal from Thiruthangal.
Andal Nachiyar- Rangamannar
The devotees who had gathered at this location stayed put for four hours watching Perumal one after another arrive in front of Periyazhvaar for Mangalasasanam. And for the locals as well as the ardent devotees of Andal Nachiyar, she arrived alongside Rangamannar for the final Mangalasasanam of the day. By this time, Suresh Bhattar arrived from Koodal Azhagar Divya Desam in Madurai which is where Periyazhvaar rendered the first verses of the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham praying for the well being of the Lord after having darshan of him in the sky atop the Garuda Vahana. It had been a very enjoyable morning for the devotees who had gathered from far and wide to watch this once in a gathering of five perumals.
Suresh Bhattar from Koodal Azhagar
Aadi utsavam is always quite a tedious period for the Kainkaryaparas at the Andal temple in Srivilliputhur for it is physically tiring with procession going late into the late and different kinds of alankarams on different days. After a long first session, it was time for them to take a bit of a rest before they embark on to the Garuda Sevai alankaram in the evening with the five Perumals going around the streets of Srivilliputhur late into the night on Monday.
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