In Recognition of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar's Contribution to Thiru Kudanthai
The Final Day of the Pagal Pathu Utsavam saw the enactment of Thirumangai Azhvaar falling at the feet of Lord Sarangapani in Total Surrender
In the early days, Vedic Recital was a prominent feature in the month of Margazhi. It was Thirumangai Azhvaar who wanted the Utsavam to be a Tamil Divya Prabhandham festival as against just the Vedic recital that existed before his time. The 10-day ‘Era Pathu' Festival called ‘Thiruvoimozhi Thirunaal' was specially created for the Lord to listen to the beautiful compositions of Nam Azhvaar and thus began the 10 day Divya Prabhandham Adyayana Utsavam. The first ten days of the Adyayana Utsavam -Pagal Pathu - was added later when Nathamuni wanted to create a festival for Thiru Mangai Azhvaar to recognise his contribution to the Divya Prabhandham.
Thirumangai Azhvaar had a special liking for Thiru Kudanthai and he went on to present a separate Prabhandham on this location. In Thiru- Ezhu- Kootriru-Kai, he created a 7 tiered structure in the form of a chariot where one could arrange the contents of the composition in line with this structure. In this composition, he praises the many great qualities of the Lord from his various Avataras. Thiru Mangai Azhvaar provides a beautiful description of the Lord mounted on the Garuda to save the elephant. He praises the Lord as being so powerful that when he rode on the ‘Five Feathered’ Garuda to save the ‘Four Legged- Three Ichored-Two Eared’ unique elephant Gajendra.
நால் திசை நடுங்க அம் சிறைப் பறவை ஏறி
நால் வாய் மும் மதத்து இரு செவி
ஒரு தனி வேழத்து அரந்தையை
ஒரு நாள் இரு நீர்மடுவுள் தீர்த்தனை
In the last ten lines of this pictorial composition, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar specifically showers praise on Lord Aravamudhan of Thiru Kudanthai. He gives us a glimpse of what Kudanthai looked like during his time. Referring to the reclining posture of the Lord, he says that the temple was surrounded by huge flower groves that seemed to give out nectar. There were betel creepers that seemed to produce a special fragrance through the year, thanks largely to being watered by the sacred Cauvery. Also the lands in Thiru Kudanthai were fertile with greenery all around. He praises Thiru Kudanthai as a place that had high mansions and it looked as though they were touching the moon.The entire place was filled with Vedic Seers and recital of Vedas was a regular feature here. It seemed to have a reverberating positive effect on the people.
குன்றா மது மலர்ச் சோலை வண்கொடிப் படப்பை
வரு புனல் பொன்னி மா மணி அலைக்கும்
செந்நெல் ஒண் கழனித் திகழ் வனம் உடுத்த
கற்போர் புரிசைக் கனக மாளிகை
நிமிர் கொடி விசும்பில் இளம் பிறை துவக்கும்
செல்வம் மல்கு தென் திருக்குடந்தை
அந்தணர் மந்திர மொழியுடன் வணங்க
Recognising Thirumangai Azhvaar's Contribution
In recognition of Thirumangai Azhvaar’s contribution to this Divya Desam, a special one of its kind event takes place on the tenth and final day of the Pagal Pathu utsavam at the Sarangapani Koil in Thiru Kudanthai. The Utsavam that begins every year on the first day of Margazhi runs for 22 days with the flag hoisting for the Thai utsavam on the last day (Jan7, 2022). On Saturday (Dec 25), the Utsava Deity, Sarangapani, decked in a beautiful light blue vastram was at the 100 pillared Mandapam by 1pm along with all the Azhvaars and Acharyas. The entire Mandapam had been beautifully decorated. There were a few local residents who sat by to the listen to the final cantos of Thirumozhi.
By 1.30pm, the Prabhandham members were ready to begin the 9th Canto of Periya Thirumozhi verse on Thiru Kannangudi. With the Vedantha Desikar temple in Mylapore (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/01/vedantha-desikar-srinivasa-perumal.html) seeing a ‘silent’ period this month and with this special event falling on a Saturday this year, many members of the Prabhandham team from Mylapore made their way to the Sarangapani temple for the Pagal Pathu Satru Murai and the presentation of Thirumangai Azhvaar's verses. There were also many service personnel who had turned up on this day to help out with the grand celebration that was to take place over the next 9hours.
Unlike most other Divya Desams, a feature at the Sarangapani Koil has been the very slow presentation of the Divya Prabhandham during the Adyayana Utsavam. On each of the days of Thirumangai Azhvaar’s Periya Thirumozhi (day 6 to 10 of the Pagal Pathu utsavam) presentation, the Prabhandham members led by Patrachar recited each Canto over a 90 minute period and the final day was no different.
Thirumangai Azhvaar Thiruvadi Thozhuthal
Having started at 1.30pm on this Saturday afternoon with the presentation of the 9th, 10th and 11th Cantos of Thirumozhi, the clock had ticked almost to 6pm when the Prabhandham members began the Satru Murai verses of Periya Thirumozhi. The crowd had swelled to over a hundred to witness this grand celebration of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar falling at the feet of Sarangapani.
In conclusion in his 47 line Prabhandham on Thiru Kudanthai, Thirumangai Azhvaar invokes the blessings of Lord Aravamuthan to get rid of his past karmas and to bring an end to his worldly life and praises the Lord as the only one who can do this. He asks for permission to perform daily service to the Lord here at Thiru Kudanthai.
நின் ஆதி இணை பணிவன்
வரும் இடர் அகல மாற்றோ வினையே
Even as the members began the slow rendition of the final decade of Thirumozhi verses, Thirumangai Azhvaar made a slow walk towards Lord Sarangapani at the 100 Pillared Mandapam and much like popular Nam Azhvaar Moksham in Srirangam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2007/12/nammazhvaar-moksham-in-srirangam.html) that was witnessed a day earlier, Thirumangai Azhvaar, in a devotional moment, fell at the feet of Sarangapani in absolute surrender to the Lord. Chakravarthy Bhattar presented the Thiru Aradhanam and a Parivattam to Thiru Mangai Azhvaar.
The Pagal Pathu Utsavam came to an end with the presentation of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s Thiru Kurungthandagam and Thiru Nedunthandagam. As is now the trend in most temples, the devotee crowd more than doubled by 830pm when it was time for the presentation of Thaligai.
Sarangapani heads back at 10pm after a long day
It had been a day of great celebration of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar on this 10th and final day of the Pagal Pathu Utsavam at the Sarangapani Koil. While most of the Mylapore Prabhandham members had left for the day, Prasanna (popularly referred to as ‘Dollar’), for whom this is a favourite temple, stayed back for the return trip at 10pm of Sarangapani (after all the Azhvaars and Acharyas had made their way to their respective Sannidhhis) to the Moolasthanam donning the role this time of the drum beater watched by a few local devotees late on Saturday evening.
It had been a long Saturday for the priests at the temple with the day having started for them with Margazhi morning sevai at 5am. Soundararajan Bhattar (Thiru Kudanthai) was the lone man at the Komalavalli Thayar Sannidhi waiting for Lord Sarangapani to return to his abode with Naana Bhattar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/02/sarangapani-koil-naana-bhattar.html) leading the way from the 100 Pillared Mandapam.
The Era Pathu Utsavam commences on Sunday evening at 7.30pm with Nam Azhvaar Thiruvadi Thozhuthal event enacted on the fifth day of the utsavam (Dec 30).