Mylai Peyalwar - Thiruvallikkeni Mangalasasanam 2012

12^th Sept 2012 was Ekadasi day.  On all Ekadasis, there will be periya maada veethi purappadu of Sri Parthasarathi Swami at Thiruvallikkeni Divyadesam.

Yesterday was more special.  Over a decade now, annually Sri Peyalwar from Sri Adhi Kesava Perumal Devasthanam has been visiting Thiruvallikkeni for mangalasasanam of the Divyadesa perumal.

Sri Adhi Kesava Perumal Devasthanam better known as ‘Kesava Perumal Kovil’ is near Mylai Kapaleeswarar Temple and the Chithirai kulam belongs to this Temple.  As we all know, among the 12 Azhwaars of Srivaishanva Tradition, Poigai Azhwar, Boothath Azhwar and Peyazhwar – were the ones to have decended on this Earth earlier.  They were contemporaries and are praised as “Muthal Azhwars (the first among the Azhwars).  They were born in the month of “Aippasi: in the thirunakshathirams of ‘Thiruvonam, Avittam, Sathayam’ respectively.

Sri Peyalwar was born in a tank in Mylapore (thence known as Mylai Thiruvallikkeni).  His birthplace is in the present day Arundel Street in Mylapore closer to Mylai Madhaava Perumal Kovil.  At Thiruvallikkeni, the road adjacent to Sri Parthasarathi Kovil houses a separate sannathi (temple by itself) for Sri Peyalwar and the street is named after the Azhwar and is known as ‘Peyazhwar kovil Street’.

Now the Peyalwar who graces the Mylai  Kesava Perumal temple – annually visits Thiruvallikkeni in a grand procession.  Sri Peyalwar is taken in a palanquin and nearer Triplicane [at the TP koil Street – Besant Road Junction] – the pallakku is opened to let all devotees have his darshan fully.  From there, Peyalwar is taken on a grand procession in Chinna mada veethi with ‘Moondram Thiruvanthathi’ goshti – from the Vahana mandapam, Azhwar enters Thirukovil in kaipalagai.

 open pallakku - photos from my archives of 2004 & 2006

Sri Peyawlar has sung about Thiruvallikkeni temple in his ‘Moondram Thiruvanthati’ – he describes that at Thiruvallikkeni waves are white as milk and there are red pavazham and white pearls at the time of twilight and at that sandhya time he has the darshan of the Lord at Thiruvalllikeni

வந்துதைத்த வெண்டிரைகள் செம்பவள வெண்முத்தம்*

அந்தி விளக்கும் அணிவிளக் காம், - எந்தை*

ஒருவல்லித் தாமரையாள் ஒன்றியசீர் மார்வன்,*

திருவல்லிக் கேணியான் சென்று.

Sri Peyawlar inside the Temple goes to the sannadhies of Lord Venkada Krishnan, Vedavalli Thayar, Varada Rajar, Azhagiya Singar and Andal and does mangalasasanam – i.e., ‘praying and praising the divine Gods and begetting happiness in doing so’.

Late in the evening at around 0700pm, there was the grand purappadu of Sri Peyalwar with Lord Sri Parthasarathi.  These photos will be posted in my next post.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar