Thirunangoor: Manjal Kuliyal

[Guest guest]

Attached is an article about Thiru Nangoor by Ms. M.S.

Ramesh that appeared in today's Hindu (Friday, January

19, 1996) . This was faxed to me overnight from India.

It is very likely that when you read this article the

devotees assembled in Thiru Nangoor will be getting

ready for two days of pious festivities. I hope you enjoy

this article as much as I did.

 

 

-- Parthasarati Dileepan

 

 

 

=======Start of The Hindu article===============

 

Centuries-old festivals in Thirunangoor

The Hindu, Friday January 19, 1996

 

This Amavasya is the day when two festivals, -

one a century old and another twelve centuries old - are

celebrated with piety, pomp, and pageantry in

Thirunangoor, an ancient town in Thanjavur district near

Poompuhar. Nangoor is the temple town of Cholas as

Kanchipuram is the temple town of Pallavas. There is an

old Tamil proverb which refers to "Nangoor

Naalaayiravar", i.e. "The 4000 people of Nangoor"

which means that once upon a time there were 4,000

famous scholars living in what is now a very sleepy,

silent town, a home of eleven Vaishnavite divyadesas. It

is believed this town bounded by Maniyar on the north,

Kaveri on the south, Poompuhar sea on the east, and

Tharangambadi on the west, was not submerged by the

Pralaya waters during the Great Deluge.

 

The two festivals to be celebrated this weekend in

this town are referred to as Manjal Kuliyal Festival (Holy

Turmeric Bath Festival) and Padhinoru Garuda Sevai

(Eleven Garuda Sevai Festival). In both, the Lords in the

Eleven divyadesas participate with Thirumangai Alvar as

the Soothradhari. This Alvar honoured by Lord

Ranganatha of Srirangam with Manjal Neerattam as a

reward for rendering Thirunedun Thandagam before the

Lord. This festival used to be celebrated on the banks of

Kollidom on Thai Amavasya day. Later on with the

passing away of the Alvar, his brother-in-law had an idol

of Thirumangai Alvar installed in Thirukkuraiyalur, his

birth place and decided to replicate the Manjal Kuliyal at

Nangoor. Thus, this festival to be celebrated this

Saturday has its origin in early 8th century A.D. and is

therefore a 12 centuries old hoary tradition replayed

every year with piety and eclat.

 

Briefly the festival is as follows. On the Thai

Amavasya day early in the morning even by 3 a.m. the

idol of Thirumangai Alvar is taken in procession from

Thiruvali Thirunagari en route visiting the five

divyadesas, namely, Thirukkaraiyalur, Thirumangai

Madam, Thirukavalambadi, Thirumanikkoodam, and

Thiruparthanpalli. In each place, the procession stops

and the Alvar visits the Perumal Sannidhi in each temple

and does Mangalasasanam to the Perumal of that temple

by reciting the pasuram composed by him on that Lord.

By mid-day the procession reaches the banks of

Manikarnikai channel. Then the idol is taken for a dip in

the waist deep water in the channel along with the

thronging devotees who followed the procession. The

atmosphere is electrified with a rare religious fervour

which has to be seen to be believed. During the dip the

devotees recite the pasurams composed by the ALvar on

his Guru, namely, Thirunaraiyur Nambi (Periya

Thirumozhi 6-6-8) and another pasuram composed in

praise of the Lord of Srirangam (Periya Thirumozhi 5-8-

9). After that Mangalasasana the Alvar is honoured by

the two Lord, namely, Thirunaraiyur Nambi and Lord

Ranganatha, who give gifts to the Alvar. The

Peethaambara which earlier adorned the Lord in those

places along with garlands worn by those Lords are

brought specially to this place and given as gifts to the

Alvar. After receiving the gifts the Alvar is brought to

the banks of the river and placed in an old Mandapam

which is known as manjal mandapa. A small silver plate

(Sahasradhara plate) is placed above the head of the

Alvar and on that plate is seated the idol worshipped by

the Alvar himself and lovingly referred to by him as

"Sinthanaikku Iniyan", i.e. one who is sweet on

reflection. Then the holy turmeric water is poured on the

head of the idol worshipped by the Alvar and the water

flows down on the head of the Alvar himself through the

Sahasradhara plate. The Thirumanjanam performed to

the Iniyan covers the Alvar as well. As soon as the holy

bath is over, a sumptuous feast is held where all the

devotees and others who have assembled for that

function participate. In the evening the Alvar again starts

on his return journey, visiting the Thirumanimada Kovil,

Thiruban Purushothaman Kovil, Thiru Vaikunta

Vinnagaram Kovil, Thiru Sempon Sei Kovil, Thiru

Thetri Ambalan Kovil, Thiru Arimeya Vinnagaram

Kovil. Thus, five Vaishnavite divya desas are covered in

the morning and six other Vaishnavite divya desas in the

afternoon. In all these temples, select pasurams

composed by Thirumangai Alvar in respect of the

Perumal of each divya desas is rendered.

 

The other ancient festival started about 125 years

ago, is celebrated the next day. In those days a devout

Vaishnavite by name Sri Thirumlai Vinjanoor

Srinivasachar, an inspector of schools at Chidambaram,

was transferred to Thirunelveli. When he visited Alvar

Thirunadari he witnessed the Nava Tirupathi Garudaseva

celebration in the month of Vaikhasi when the Perumals

from Nava Tirupathi divya desas seated on Garuda come

and visit Nammalvar. It occurred to this staunch

Vaishnavite that a similar Garudaseva for the Perumals of

the eleven divya desas in Thirunagoor could be arranged

on the same lines as nava Tirupathi Garudaseva at

Alvarthirunagari, so that the uthsavam celebrated in

Pandiya nadu for Parangusan is replicated to Parakalan in

Chola nadu and that it could be synchronized with the

annual Manjal Kulliyal Neerattam festival already in

vogue in the temple town. It is this devout wish of that

Inspector of Schools which is re-enacted for the last one

century and more.

 

A day after the Manjal Kuliyal festival the eleven

Perumals from 11 temples (in and around Nangoor)

would start from the respective places, seated in the

Gruda Vahana and assemble at Manimada Kovil. All the

Utsava Vigrahas of the eleven Perumal temples thus

assemble under one roof in front of Manimada Kovil.

Then one by one all the Lords seated on the

GarudaVahana are brought before the idol of

Thirumangai Alvar. All the pasurams composed by the

Alvar in honour of the respective Perumals are then

recited. Finally the idol of Shri Manavala Maamuni is

brought in a procession and the song composed by him

on the Alvar is rendered. The whole event is soul

stirring. Finally that night a procession headed by Sri

Manavala Maamuni followed by Thirumangai Alvar

seated along with Kumudhavalli Thayar on a Hamsa

Vahana, followed by the eleven Perumals each seated on

a Garuda, one behind the other, form a long train. This

huge procession goes around the four streets of the

temple town of Thirunangoor.

 

The next morning the Alvar starts on homeward

journey, visiting Thiruvellakulam (Annan Koil), Thiru

Devanar Thogai, and Thiruvali and reaches Thirunagari.

When finally Alvar's idol reaches Thirunagari Vayali

Manaval Perumal of Thirunagari seated on the Garuda

Vahana waits at the entrance of the Rajagopuram of the

temple to receive as it were the Alvar after his holy yatra.

When the Alvar's idol reaches the entrance of the temple

the pasuram in Thirumozhi (8-9-8) sung in praise of

Thirunagari Perumal is recited. After it is completed, the

Perumal along with the Alvar get into the temple,

signalling the conclusion of the Thiru Nangoor eleven

Garuda Seva.

 

Thus the 12 centuries old Manjal Kulliyal festival

and the 125 year old Eleven Garuda Seva Festival

celebrated on Thai Amavasya Day and the day

succeeding it convert this sleepy slumbering town into a

hub of holy activity for those two days. It is said that

Thirumangai Alvar in his previous birth was king by

name Upariaravasu and performed quite a number of

Brahmotsavams for the Gods and so in his later avatar as

Alvar also he continues to worship the Eleven Gods on

one single day in the year at Nangoor.

 

There is a belief that if one visits the eleven divya

desas in Thirunangoor it is equivalent to having visited

the temples at Badri, Govardhan, Srirangam, Ayodhya,

Thirunarayanapuram, Kanchipuram, Dwaraka,

Kurukshetra, Thiruvidandhai, Thirupati and last, but not

the least, the Paramapadam itself. This equivalence is

established with reference to the names of respective

deities referred to by Thirumangai Alvar himself in the

pasurmas composed by him on the eleven divya desas at

Nangoor. To illustrate, Pasuram 1312 sung in praise of

the Lord at Thiruvellakulam (Annan Kovil) the Alvar

uses the words "Thiruvenkata Vilakkae" and this the

commentators say establishes the equivalence of Annan

Koil Perumal to Lord Srinivasa of Tirupati. For want of

space the connecting pasurams with reference to the ten

Gods cannot be mentioned in this brief article. But

suffice it to say a visit to one town near Sirhazhi, it is

claimed will give one satisfaction of having visited not

only the eleven divya desas in that temple town, but also

another eleven on the list of 108 Vaishnavite divya desas

held in high esteem by all devout Vaishnavites. All those

who participate in these two historic religious festivals

falling on Thai Amavasya and the next day can have the

satisfaction of having participated in centuries old

tradition.

 

Ms. M.S. Ramesh

=============End of The Hindu article=======