Nachiyar Koil Thirumangai Azhvaar Avathara Utsavam

The Lord of Thiru Naraiyur initiated the Pancha Samaskaaram on Thiru Mangai Azhvaar, the only Divya Desam Lord to have performed this on an Azhvaar. And thus Thiru Mangai Azhvaar refers to him in his verses of praise in the Periya Thirumozhi as ‘Thiru Naraiyur Nambi’.  Delighted with his experience here, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar praised the Lord with a century of verses. The only other Lord that Thiru Mangai Azhvaar has praised with a 100 Paasurams is Thiru Kannapuram Sowri Rajan Perumal, where the Lord explained the Thiru Mandhiram to Thirumangai Azhvaar.

On October 27, a grand consecration took place after the biggest renovation exercise seen at the temple in several decades. The entire flooring around the moolavar sannidhi has been re-laid. The azhvaar acharya sannidhis at the eastern entrance has been restored to its historical glory. Right in front of the historical Thirumangai azhvaar sannidh had been the temple HRCE office for decades. It had become difficult for devotees to have darshan at this sannidhi because of the presence of the temple office. As part of the current restoration the office was shifted to the opposite side and a big facelift was given to this sannidhi.

Exactly a month later, on Monday (Nov 27), on the occasion of his birthday, the utsavar deity of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar made his way from the Azhvaar Acharya Sannidhi to his Sannidhi on the north side of the eastern entrance. Gopinathan Bhattar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2023/08/nachiyar-koil-gopi-bhattar.html), who anchored the big renovation single handedly, performed a Thirumanjanam for both the moolavar and utsavar.

Lord was of the view that in Kali Yugam men would have to listen to women (husband to listen to wife’s words). Hence, he decided that to first serve as an example and listen to the Goddess here. On all occasions, the first rights are reserved for the Nachiyar. Even the sacred food is first served to the Nachiyar and only then to the Naraiyur Nambi. Being a temple where Goddess has prominence, one can see the Lord slightly by the side and the Goddess is the one who has the prominent position inside the sanctum. Even from the entrance of the temple, one gets a glimpse of Vanjulavalli Nachiyar.

Immediately after the Thirumanjanam, the grandly decorated Srinivasa Perumal and Vanjulavalli Thayar made their way from atop the Moolavar Sannidhi (this is a Mada Koil) on a procession to Thiru Mangai Azhvaar’s Sannidhi. A couple of ghosti members from Sarangapani Koil including the erstwhile Maniyam turned up for the Prabhandham Ghosti and for about an hour, the birthday boy Thiru Mangai Azhvaar listened to the sacred verses rendered by him over a 1000 years ago with the Divine Couple enjoyin the swing.

For the first time in several decades, the avathara utsavam of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar has been celebrated thus - with the sannidhi visible without the distraction of the office.

As seen in an earlier story on Srirangam, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar had built the wall at Srirangam Ranganatha temple (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2007/09/108-divya-desams-srirangam-lord.html). So pleased was Lord Ranganatha with Thiru Mangai Azhvaar that he wanted him to praise with Madal - Love Letters to the Lord. However, Thiru Mangai Azhvaar told Ranganatha that the Madal was dedicated solely to the Naraiyur Lord: “Mathil Inghe, Madal Anghe” meaning ‘Wall in Srirangam” and “Letters in Thiru Naraiyur”. He composed two Madals - Periya Thiru Madal and Siriya Thiru Madal, both of which were presented this morning by the prabhandam ghosti members as part of the Avathara Utsavam celebrations (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2012/10/thirumangai-azhvaars-madal.html).

As the concluding part of the utsavam, Perumal’s garland was presented to Thiru Mangai Azhvaar in happiness of him having sung a 100 verses of praise. Kathambha Rice, Puliyodharai and Dhadhyonam was presented as part of the celebratory event. Following the divine couple made their way back to their sannidhi climbing the big steps built by Ko Chenganan Chozhan who did not want elephant to enter the temple complex and hence constructed this as Mada Koil, praised so in a decad of verses by Thiru Mangai Azhvaar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2014/12/ko-chenganan-and-nachiyar-koil-divya.html).

On the previous evening, on the occasion of Vaikanasa Deepam, over a 1000 lamps were lit on these Mada Koil steps and the newly renovated temple that is shining bright during the day, had an even more glowing look late on Sunday evening.

Gopinathan Bhattar sported a happy smile at the end of Thiru Mangai Azhvaar's utsavam on Monday. It was his effort that led to the relocation of the temple office to the other side which paved the way for the Avathara Utsavam celebration a month after the consecration. His is an example of working with single minded devotion towards restoring the temple and to reviving the utsavam to its historical grandeur.