Azad Gaya Ratna that describes the procession of Azhagar Vagai and Back

Devotees watching Kallajagar, who entered the Vaigai River as part of the Chithirai Festival in Madurai. Photo Credit: G. statue

This is the time of the year again, despite the heat of the month of Chithirai, Madurai is a witness to the wedding of Meenakshi and Sundaraswar in thousands of flocks as well as a twin incident in the procession of Azhagar from Amahagarkoil/Tirumalirumasoli which reaches the Viagai River.

Last year, in this supplement we saw a book published in 1932, including the compositions of Senakamallalli, wife of Srinivasa Iyngar, who was a Tamil professor at Findle College, Mannarguri. He has given 54 songs that capture every small aspect of Azhagar’s nine -day outing. In addition to the songs of Senakamallalli, there are some other compositions, but they do not imagine the incident they have done. In fact, the formal details of the procession are mentioned only after the 17th century. This is not to say that this incident itself is behind time, its address can be seen further.

Can be found in the description of Madurai and the temple PasuramS five Azvars composed by S, ShilappadikaramVedanta Desika Humsa sandesam And Tirupugaz of Arunagirinathhar. The last one in which Pajmuthirsoli is mentioned, which is located in the hills similar to the Tirumalirumasoli, highlights the natural beauty of the place and the presence of the Nupura Ganga/Silumbaru. The 17th composition by King Shahaji in Raga Kannada and Ata Taal is an Ode for the deity ‘Current’.

After the rituals of Kallajagar Manduka Maharishi on Garuda Vahanam, leaving the immediate mandapam by Vaigai in Madurai. Photo Credit: G. statue

Muthuswamy Dikshati mentioned the festival in her ‘Sri Sundararajam’ (Kasiramakya/etc.). The song states that the festival is associated with the arrival of Manduka. Even today, one of the main attraction of the procession is the seventh day, when Azhagar, back on its way, stops to offer salvation to sage Sutapa due to a curse, turning into a frog (manduka). That night, at the request of the sage, Azgar Ramrairi appears in all ten incarnations in Mandapam. But only seven are displayed. Varaha and Narasimha avatars are abandoned as they need to change the face of Azhagar. The tenth avatara is not of Kalki but of Mohini.

19th century Ajanagar Kuravanji However, by Kavi Kunjara Bharati established in Shivganga, it imagines that the city is part of the procession and it has songs describing it. One of them depicts the first eight incarnations and the latter song is dedicated to Azhagar as Krishna. A conversation among women, mesmerized by the beauty of Ajanagar, is a structured as a conversation. The legend is that a princess is smoked by the beauty of Azhagar and a fortune-teller (Kurthi), assuring him with the Lord.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple. During the month of Temple city Chitirai, Meenakshi and Sundaraswar’s wedding is witness to photo credit: G. statue

In the 1950s, when Ambujam Krishna began the composition, he dedicated several songs to Azhagarkoil. One of them ‘Azhagan Bawni’ (Tuned by Crick Kedarnathhan in Kamboji/Roopakam), which has four charanams, each is beautifully described in the procession in the procession. It begins with the musician, who invites the secular to pay the honor of Ajhagar as he comes out of the temple with a smile in a palanquin. His hair is tied in a knot, he erases a shepherd’s crook and is prepared in sparkling gems. The next verse describes Ajanagar in a Golden Chariot, which as the lines indicate, run in a slow, swagging manner. On reaching Madurai, when it is a full moon night, the dragon goes to a horse and prepares to cross the Vagai, this is the high point of the festival. The first part of the return in the third verse is described when the Lord is seated on the grace and then on Garuda, and the sage provides salvation to Manduka Enterute. Details of 10 incarnations come forward. In the last verse, Azhagar is shown in a floral palanquin, surrounded by its devotees, who have reached their residence in the hills.

It is a festival of people and folk songs on it are no less interesting. In his thesis on the temple, titled Azhagar coil (Madurai Kamaraj University, 1989), Thor Parmesivan includes some. The most absorbed section includes songs related to the ‘Vernipu’ style that describes an event, in this case the entire procession, and episodes from it. The author has listed 11 songs, five of which were passed through oral tradition. He noted that there was an association in this temple known as Bhaktar Vernippler Mahasabai, which included these lyricists. Established in 1966, its purpose was to preserve and promote the style. In various interviews, Parmesivan has indicated that Vernipu follows the Ammanai format. This format detects its origin Mahabharata AmmanaiIn 1817, Shankaramorty was sung by Konar, who also composed Warnipus.

Warnipus, essentially long-term format, was devoid of applause of multi-partial pieces, sung in Ramrare Mandapam through the night when Ajanagar replaced its garbage nine times. He played an important role in keeping the audience excited and awake. Mahasabai crowded these demonstrations. Parmesivan has published a Vernipu which was only present in the oral tradition. Including 189 rows, it describes the journey from the temple to Madurai to Ajanagar. The songs make up for an interesting reading because they are also sprayed with a couple of Telugu, English and Urdu words.