AzhwArthirunagari chithrai thiruvAdhirai anubhavam

AzhwArthirunagari is a dhivyadhESam with three-folded glory. That is,

• AzhwAr performed mangaLASAsanam to make this kshEthran a dhivyadhESam,
• it is the avathAra sthalam (birth-place) of AzhwAr (nammAzhwAr) and
• it is the avathAra sthalam of Acharyas (kurugaik kAvalappan, emperumAnAr (bhavishyadhAchAryan) and maNAvALa mAmunigaL)

Our pUrvAchAryas have glorified AzhwArthirunagari greatly in the commentaries. thAmirabharaNi river which runs along this dhivyadhESam is considered as a holy river. To know more about this dhivyadhESam, please visit  https://azhwarthirunagari.koyil.org .

nammAzhwAr who is praised as prapannna jana kUtasthar (leader of the clan of surrendered SrIvaishNavas), resides along with AdhinAthan emperumAn here and is showering his unlimited mercy upon all of us. Here perumAL enjoys two brahmOthsavams, one during chithrai month and another during panguni month. AzhwAr enjoys two major uthsavams, his thiruvavathAra uthsavam during vaikAsi  month and divine vigraha prathishtOthsavam during mAsi month, both with hamsa flag hoisting. Further, many uthsavams such as pavithrOthsavam, vasanthOthsavam etc are also celebrated here. adhyayana uthsavam is also celebrated with great enthusiasm.

The divine deities of nammAzhwAr and emperumAnAr manifested due to nammAzhwAr’s mercy when madhurakavi AzhwAr boiled the thAmirabharaNi river. Here, bhavishyadhAchAryan sannidhi is located in the western part of the town. Just as existing for AzhwAr, bhavasihyadhAchAryan too have four streets around the temple and a sannidhi street, all of which were estabblished by thiruvAmozhip piLLai after the muslim invation (about 650 years ago)

In this bhavishyadhAchAryan sannidhi, there is also an AchArya pItam (mutt) which is coming along in succession. Under the eminent leadership of the jIyar swAmy, the kainkaryams of this sannidhi is happening very well. To know more about this sannidhi, please visit https://bhavishyadhacharyan.koyil.org .

Here, every year, emperumAnAr’s thirunakshathra mahOthavam is celebrated in a grand manner for eleven days. 4000 dhivya prabandhams are recited in morning and evening sessions during the ten days for the joyful pleasure of emperumAnAr who is seated in an Unjal (swing). On the eleventh day, emperumAnAr enjoys gandhappodi uthsavam and mercifully concludes the uthsavam.

The main topic of this article is the chithrai thiruvAdhirai day, which is the sARRumuRai day of this uthsavam. Let us enjoy it a little bit.

Morning

• On the day of thiruvAdhirai, in the morning, after viSvarUpam, emperumAnAr is seated on the Unjal
• In AzhwAr sannidhi, after AzhwAr’s daily thirumanjanam, he sends his garland to emperumAnAr and emperumAnAr is decorated with the same
• kaNNinuN chiRuth thAmbu, thiruppAvai sEvAkAlam and sARRumuRai
• parivattam (special cloth which is worn as a honour) and garland for jIyar swamy
• thIrtham, mudhaiyANdAn and sweet rice prasAdham for all
• Usually, perumAL’s chithrai uthsavam will also occur during this time. Mostly, it will be fourth day. Sometimes it would also be fifth day. During perumAL puRappAdu in the morning, he stops at the end of emperumAnAr’s sannidhi street, and sARRumuRai will be performed. emperumAnAr will be seated in a pallakku (palanquin) and will join the gOshti.
• Once puRappAdu completes, emperumAnAr will arrive at the vAhana maNdapam along with perumAL. thiruvandhik kAppu (final Arathi) will be performed and bhOgam (food offerings) will be offered.
• Subsequently, perumAL will return to his sannidhi and emperumAnAr will arrive at AzhwAr sannidhi
• emperumAnAr will be seated in the same maNdapam where AzhwAr will be seated daily after enjoying thirumanjanam (Note: Only emperumAnAr and mAmunigaL are seated in the same maNdapam – all other AzhwArs/AchAryas will be seated outside the maNdapam only). AzhwAr will be seated facing east and emperumAnAr will be seated facing north.
• rAmAnusa nURRandhAdhi sEvAkAlam

Afternoon

• emperumAnAr is seated facing AzhwAr
• araiyar will recite kaNNinuN chiRuth thAmbu along with thALam (cymbals). archakar will offer thiruththuzhAy to AzhwAr from emperumAnAr’s divine hands. Subsequently araiyar recites the glories of AzhwAr. At that time, archakar will present AzhwAr’s garland, SrI rAmAnujam (pAdhukA) to emperumAnAr.
• rAmAnusa nURRandhAdhi sARRumuRai, emperumAnAr’s appearance day related pAsurams from mAmunigaL’s upadhESa raththina mAlai and vAzhi thirunAmams
• thIrtham, SrI rAmAnujam and prasAdham distribution
• AzhwAr returns to his sannidhi in kaiththala sEvai  (archakars carrying him in their hands) along with chathram (umbrella), chAmara (wysk) and cloth on the ground (this happens everyday).
• AzhwAr presents his garland and SrI rAmAnujam to emperumAnAr
• AzhwAr unwillingly bids farewell to emperumAnAr
• emperumAnAr arrives at maNavALa mAmunigaL sannidhi
• mAmunigaL is seated in the same pallakku and is carried along with emperumAnAr
• Both of them arrive at kUraththAzhwAn sannidhi and accept bhOgam there

• Subsequently they arrive at emperumAnAr sannidhi
• emperumAnAr and mAmunigaL accepts full bhOgam
• thadhIyArAdhanam at emperumAnAr sannidhi to all

Evening

• gadhya thrayam sEvAkAlam and sARRumuRai at emperumAnAr sannidhi
• perumAL puRappAdu in SEsha vAhanam
• perumAL arrives at the end of emperumAnAr sannidhi street and stands facing emperumAnAr
• emperumAnAr jIyar offers beetle leaves/nuts to perumAL
• Big Arathi for perumAL which will be offered to emperumAnAr and mAmunigaL subsequently
• thiruvArAdhanam for emperumAnAr and mAmunigaL

Night

• After perumAL puRAppAdu completion, his garland is sent to emperumAnAr
• emperumAnAr is decorated with perumAL’s garland
• dhivya prabandha sEvAkAlam – thiruppallANdu, periya thirumozhi 11th centum, thirukkuRundhANdagam, thirunedundhANdagam, periya thirumadal, kaNNinuN chiRuth thAmbu, thiruvAimozhi 10th centum
• sARRumuRai, emperumAnAr’s appearance day related pAsurams from mAmunigaL’s upadhESa raththina mAlai and vAzhi thirunAmams
• emperumAnAr offers parivattam, garland, mudhaliyANdAn and prasAdham to mAmunigaL
• parivattam, garland for jIyar swamy
• thIrtham, mudhaiyANdAn, suNdal and puLiyOdharai prasAdham distribution for all
• thiruvisAgam (sayanam, placing him in sleep) for emperumAnAr
• emperumAnAr presents garland, mudhaliyANdAn and thiruvisAga prasAdham to mAmunigaL
• emperumAnAr unwillingly bids farewell to mAmunigaL and returns to his sannidhi with yathirAja vimSathi recital
• thiruvisAgam for mAmunigaL
• prasAdham distirbution for all

Next day evening (gandhappodi (fragrance powder) uthsavam)

• emperunAnAr puRappAdu in thOLukkiniyAn (type of pallakku)
• Outside the jIyar mutt, parivattam, garland, mudhaliyANdAn and gandhappodi presented to jIyar swamy
• thIrtham, gandhappodi distribution for all
• emperumAnAr enjoys puRappAdu around the temple (chathur vEdhi mangalam)
• He passes through North car street and arrives at the entrance of mAmunigaL sannidhi and stands there facing mAmunigaL
• emperumAnAr’s garland, mudhaliyANdAn presented to mAmunigaL
• emperumAnAr returns to his sannidhi
• rAmAnusa nURRandAdhi sARRumuRai
• thiruvandhik kAppu
• bhOgam offered to emperumAnAr
• prasAdham distribution to all
• emperumAnAr returns to his inner sanctum

We can be certain that we won’t have this experience of performing mangaLASAsanam to perumAL, AzhwAr, emperumAnAr and jIyar – all together at one location, anywhere else. Those who missed experiencing it this year, can plan to be present in AzhwArthirunagari next year and enjoy this great day there.

Source – https://granthams.koyil.org/2018/04/22/azhwarthirunagari-chithrai-thiruvadhirai-tamil/

AzhwAr emperumAnAr jIyar jIyar thiruvadigaLE SaraNam