THIRUMANGAI ALVAR
Thirumangai Alvar was born in the Kingdom of Thiru AAlinadu in a place called ThiruKkuraiyaloor. His compositions are 6 in number : (1 ) PERIA THIRUMOZHI ( 1,084 Pasurams ) ( 2 ) THIRUKKURUNTHAANDAKAM ( 20 Pasurams ) ( 3 ) THIRUNEDUNTHANDAKAM (30 Pasurams ) ( 4 ) THIRUVEZHUKOOTRIRUKKAI ( 1 Pasuram ) ( 5 ) SHIRIYATHIRUMADAL (40 Pasurams ) and ( 6 ) PERIYATHIRUMADAL ( 78 Pasurams ) totaling 1253 Pasurams. There are many incidents related to his life. We shall see them as told from elders. Alvar is also known by names AALINAADAN, KALIYAN, PARAKAALAN, MANGAIYARKONE, THIRUMANGAI MANNAN .
Alvaar fell in love with a beautiful maiden by name KUMUDAVALLI and wanted to marry her. For agreeing to marry him, she put a condition to Alvar . The condition was to feed 1000 devotees of Lord Sriman Narayana ( BHAGAVATHAS ) So agreeing to fulfill the task, he married her. Alvar was very pious, simple man. He cooked his own food by receiving alms by begging at his disciple’s house. He had four disciples devoted to him. He wanted to build a temple for Lord Ranganatha at Srirangam, which was very dilapidated at the time, home to bats. So alvar approached the rich people to help him in Building the Temple. No one was willing to part with the riches they had. Saddened, Alvar conferred with his disciples and took to looting the travelers. He started to waylay rich people traveling in the forest areas and loot their belongings. Thus, we can see the idols of the Alvar sporting a sword in his hand. Lord Sriman Narayana wanted to take him in His fold and emancipate him. So He took the form of a Newly – Wed Human being, traveling from bride’s place to his own place soon after the wedding, both bridal couple heavily bedecked with ornaments in Gold and Diamonds and precious gems. Getting the information of such a traveling group Alvar reached the place quickly and he showed the sword to the bridegroom, he ordered that the man remove all the ornaments and hand over to him. Alvar collected all the ornaments from both The Groom and Bride. However he could not remove a ring in the toe of the Lord. He ordered the Lord to give it to him. Groom that was the Lord said that He cannot remove as it is tight and asked alvar to help removing it. Alvar tried his best but could not remove. Frustrated, he put his teeth in the Feet of the Lord to wrench the ring out of its place in the toe. Then dawned the wisdom on alvar revealing who the Groom was and Bride was ! He stood in awe, praising the Lord Lord taught him the meaning of sacred mantra and made him His dear devotee. Even to this day, this scene is enacted called VEDUPARI UTSAVAM in many temples with idols of Divine couple and Alvar. He built the Srirangam Temple out of the money earned by him by way laying. The rich people who saw the earnestness of the Alvar and that he did not use anything out of the funds for himself, but continued to live on alms, came forward to donate willingly for the cause. While building the fortress-like compound for the shrine of Sri Ranganatha, Alvar happened to find that the Flower Garden of Thondaradi Podi Alvar came in the way. Respecting the Thondaradi podi Alvar’s devotion and service to the Lord, Alvar planned the compound to save the the Alvar’s residence and Flower garden, circumventing it.Alvar wanted to decorate the temple spire with Gold. He heard of image of Buddha in Gold Worshipped in Nagapattinam and so he came and took away the idol to use it. Travelling during night, stealthily, Alvar took rest on the way under a tamarind tree burying the Idol in a field. Before resting for the night, Alvar bade the tamarind tree to keep watch over him. When the peasant came to the field early in morning, tree shed its leaves on Alvar, wakening him up. Alvar got into argument with the peasant saying that he should keep off as land was his ( Alvar’s ). They got into argument and the case was not at all settled ! During construction of Srirangam Temple, Alvar was threatened by a gang of robbers thousand strong. They wanted a share in whatever Alvar got by way – laying. Alvar had a disciple who had magical power of treading on water. Alvar gave a secret message to him. Accordingly, the disciple convinced the robbers that the Alvar had secretly kept the riches across the river Cauvery on the other bank. So he took them by a boat in the river. The river was flowing full turbulent and eddying as it was monsoon season. The disciple drowned the boat in centre of the river, himself walking back to the shore and Alvar. Alvar was relieved and said Lord Ranganatha has taken them under His care. From thence, the place was called KOLLIDAM ( place of killing ). In English called Coleroon.
Thirumangai Alvar arranged annual utsavam of Thiruvoimozhi every Margazhi month with Swami Nammalva’s idol being brought to Srirangam, all the way from Alvarthirunagari.
ALVAR EMPERUMAANAAR DESHIKAR THIRUVADIGALE SHARANAM
SRIMATHE LAKSHMINRISIMHA DIVYA PAADUKAA SEVAKA SRIVANN SHATAKOPA SRI NAARAYANA YATHINDRA MAHAADESHIKAAYA NAMAHA.
