(Thirumangai) Azhwar Malai @ Thiruneermalai 2017

சென்னையை நன்கு அறிவீரோ ?  திவ்யதேசங்கள் சென்று எம்பெருமானை வழிபட்டு வருமவரோ ?  ~  ஆழ்வார் மலை அறிவீரா ?  இங்கு ஏகி, திருமங்கை மன்னன் காத்து இருந்த இடத்தின் நின்று, குறளாகி நிமிர்ந்தவனுக்கு இடமாய  'திருநீர்மலையை' கைதொழ விருப்பமும் உளதோ ??

For a Srivaishnavaite, service (kainkaryam) to Sriman Narayana and His devotees is the purpose of life.  We take immense pleasure in  visiting Divyadesams and worshipping Sriman Narayana in pristine glory in such places.  In the Thondaimandalam (very much inside the city of Chennai) lies the divyadesam – Thiruneermalai.   In and around this place, there occurred open blast mining and quarrying that destroyed most of hills as people continued illegal quarrying of blue granite.  This post is all about a wonderful hillock saved by a small group who fought and prayed for preserving this hill as a relic remembrance of Kaliyan.

Thiruneermalai  has a beautiful pushkarini and is in two parts – one at the ground level and the other atop a small hill.   The sannathi of Neervannar is at the base along with his consort Animamalar Thayar and sannathies of Kalyana Ramar and Andal. As one  ascends 300 odd steps, one can have great darshan of Lord Ranganathar (in reclining posture);  Thiruvikramar; Lord Narasimha (in sitting posture)  - “நின்றானிருந்தான் கிடந்தான் நடந்தாற்கிடம் மாமலையாவது நீர்மலையே” – in the words of Thirumangai Azhwar. 

The Lord in Krishna Avathar married Nappinnai coming from the cowherd clan and the lotus dame Mahalakshmi;  He remained ever merciless against the Asuras ~ that great Lord who is worshipped standing  at  divyadesam surrounded by groves of the well watered Thirunaraiyur, in a sitting posture at Thiruvali, reclining at Thirukudanthai and measuring the earth at Thirukkovalur – is to be seen and worshipped at the great hill abode at Thiruneermalai. 

அன்றாயர் குலக்கொடியோடு * அணிமாமலர்  மங்கையொடு  அன்பளவி* அவுணர்க்கு

என்தானும்   இரக்கமிலாதவனுக்கு உறையுமிடமாவது  *இரும்பொழில்சூழ்

நன்றாய புனல்  நறையூர் திருவாலிகுடந்தை  தடந்திகழ் கோவல்நகர்,*

நின்றான் இருந்தான் கிடந்தான் நடந்தாற்கு  இடம் * மாமலையாவது  நீர்மலையே.

எம்பெருமான் ஸ்ரீமன் நாராயணன் கிருஷ்ணனாய் திருவவதாரம் செய்த அவ்வமயத்தில்,  ஆயர் குலத்து சிறப்பு மிக்க  நப்பின்னை பிராட்டியோடும் மிகச் சிறந்த தாமரை மலரிற் பிறந்த பெரியபிராட்டியோடும், அன்புடன் கலந்தவனும்,   எக்காலத்திலும்  அசுரர்கள் விஷயத்திலே இரக்கமில்லாதவனுமான எம்பெருமானுக்கு  இருக்கும் சிறப்பு கொண்ட இடம் எதுவென வினவின்,  அது, பரந்த சோலைகளாலே சூழப்பட்டு நல்ல தீர்த்தங்களையுடைய திருநறையூரிலே நின்றவனும், திருவாலியிலே வீற்றிருந்தவனும், திருக்குடந்தையிலே சயனித்தவனும்,  தடாகங்களாலே விளங்குகின்ற திருக்கோவலூரிலே உலகளந்த திருக்கோலமாக எழுந்தருளியிருந்தவனுமான எம்பெருமானுக்கு இடமான மாமலை, சிறந்த  மலையான திருநீர்மலையாம்; என்கிறார்  திருமங்கை மன்னன்.

Sure, you would have had darshan at Thiruneermalai divyadesam and heard that at the time of Azhwar mangalasasanam, this place was surrounded by water and hence ‘Thiruneermalai”.  For those who visited this place in the aftermath of  Chennai floods of 2015,  it would seem a reality that this place would have remained cut off and inaccessible for Kaliyan and hence Kaliyan had to wait for 6 months to have darshan of this Lord.

Kaliyan as we all know, walked out of a particular divyadesam, not prepared to wait – and in those places where he had great darshan of Emperuman, he sang in praise of the immortal.  From Thiru evvul (Thiruvallur) to Thiruvallikkeni, he reached Neermalai and at the time, it was water everywhere.  He waited and waited for months together for the water to recede then went near the Lord and sang of this Perumal in Thirumozhi ~ 2^nd canto 4^th decad  (பெரிய திருமொழி 2ம்  பத்து 4ஆம் திருமொழி) decad.

Alwar waited for the glimpse of Emperuman in another hill almost a km away, diagonally infront of the present Hill Temple.  The place of temporary residence of Kaliyan is now known as ‘Thirumangai Azhwarpuram’.   This hill which was almost consumed with consummate ease by illegal quarrying was saved and now with the efforts of some paramabagavathas of Sriman Narayana – now has a sannathi of Thirumangaimannan atop the hill.  It is preserved so well that the way to top (that would take around 15 – 2o mins) has steps constructed at most places.  At first level, there is a small sannathi of Sri Thirumangaimannan with his consort Kumudavalli.  From here one can worship the hill temple of Thiruneermalai.  As one reaches higher, there is a big idol of Thirumangai Azhwar with his trademark spear, that was given to him by Saivaite Nayanmar Sambandar, who appreciatedly gave his  spear (Vel) as a gift.

It was our great fortune to be here at ‘Azhwaar malai’ ~ the hill that bore the feet of our Kaliyan and be part of the goshti – whence thirumanjanam was performed and Upadesa Rathinamalai of Sri Manavala Mamunigal was rendered. For those intend coming here, this hill lies opposite the Temple.  One has to take a left turn after passing below the Maduravoyal by-pass flyover and take left near Panchayat Office.

Azhwaar Emperumanaar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam

adiyen Srinivasa dhasan.

திருமொழி உரை : ஸ்ரீ காஞ்சி அண்ணங்கராச்சார்யர் ஸ்வாமிகள் (திராவிடவேதா.ஆர்க் )

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Tailpiece :  it is a place where quarrying by blasting hills has thrived for long.  To protect this hill, construct at the very same place, where our Alwar once patiently waited;  making it a religious place, making it accessible by pavements ~ understand all these to be the efforts of a great soul – ‘Nathikudi Santhanam Swami....’ – quite sad to know, that he is no more and passed away in a strange accident involving gas oven.

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