Holy
Pilgrimage – Temples in Kerala State
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple
(Thiruvananthapuram)
Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple
(Malayalam: ശ്രീ പദ്മനാഭസ്വാമി ക്ഷേത്രം, śṟī
padmaṉābhasvāmi
kṣētṟaṁ ) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu
located in Thiruvananthapuram, India.
The shrine is currently run by a trust headed by the royal family of Travancore. The
Maharajahs of Travancore are Cheras
and descendants of the great saint Kulashekhara Alwar. The temple is one of 108 Divya Desams
(Holy Abodes of Vishnu) – principal centres of worship of the deity in Vaishnavism.
Lord Balarama,
according to Srimad Bhagavatam (10.79.18), visited Phalgunam (now known as
Thiruvananthapuram) as part of his teerthyatra, took bath in Panchapsaras
(Padmatirtham) and made a gift of ten thousand cows to holy men. The temple is
glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil
literature canon of the Tamil Alvar
saints (6th–9th centuries CE), with structural additions to it made throughout
the 16th century CE, when its ornate Gopuram
was constructed. The Temple is a
replica of the famous Sri Adikesavaperumal Temple at
Thiruvattar. Sri
Padmanabhaswamy Temple
gave its name to Kerala’s state capital Thiruvananthapuram. ‘Thiru’ ‘Anantha’
‘Puram’ means Sacred Abode of Lord Anantha Padmanabha. The city is also
known as Anandapuram (City of Bliss)
and Syananduram (Where Bliss is not far off). Ananda refers to Sree Padmanabha
Himself. Hindu scriptures refer to the Supreme Being as 'Sachidananda'
(Absolute Truth, Absolute Consciousness and Absolute Bliss).The Principal Deity, Padmanabhaswamy, is enshrined in the "Anantha-sayanam" posture (in the eternal sleep of Yoga-nidra on the serpent Anantha). The Maharajah of Travancore bears the title, "Sree Padmanabhadasa’ (Servant of Lord Padmanabha).
In line with the Temple Entry Proclamation, only those who profess the Hindu faith are permitted entry to the temple. Devotees have to strictly follow the dress code.
Origins of the Temple
Thiruvananthapuram, being a Divya Desam, has always been divinised by the presence of Sri Padmanabha Swami. That was why Lord Balarama visited this holy place long long ago in Dwapara Yuga. But Sri Padmanabha manifested in the form of an idol much much later, during the time of Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar alias Divakara Muni.Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar, residing near Ananthapuram Temple, Kasargod prayed to Lord Vishnu for his darshan. The Lord came in disguise as a small, mischievous boy. The boy defiled the Saligrama which was kept for Puja. The Sage became enraged at this and chased the boy. The boy disappeared. The Sage reached Ananthankadu searching for the boy. There he saw the boy merging into an Iluppa tree (Indian Butter Tree). The tree fell down and became Anantha Sayana Moorti (Vishnu reclining on Anantha). But the Lord was of an extraordinarily large size with head at Thiruvallom, navel at Thiruvanananthapuram and lotus-feet at Thrippadapuram (Thrippappur). The Sage requested the Lord to shrink to a smaller proportion – thrice the length of his staff. Immediately, the Lord shrank. But even then many Iluppa trees obstructed a complete vision of the Lord. The Sage saw the Lord in three parts – thirumukham, thiruvudal and thrippadam. The spot where the Sage had darsan of the Lord belonged to Koopakkara Potti and Karuva Potti. With the assistance of the reigning King and some Brahmin households a Temple was constructed. Koopakkara Potti was made the Tantri of the Temple.
Ananthankadu Nagaraja Temple still exists to the north west of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The Samadhi (final resting place) of the Swamiyar exists to the west of the Sri Padmanabha Temple. A Krishna Temple was built over the Samadhi. This Temple, known as Vilvamangalam Sri Krishna Swami Temple, belongs to Thrissur Naduvil Madhom.
Main shrine
In the sanctum sanctorum, Sri Padmanabha reclines on the serpent Anantha or Adi Sesha. The serpent has five hoods facing inwards, signifying contemplation. The Lord's right hand is placed over a Shiva lingam. Sridevi, the Goddess of Prosperity and Bhudevi the Goddess of Earth, two consorts of Vishnu are by his side. Brahma emerges on a lotus, which emanates from the navel of the Lord. The deity is made from 12,000 saligramams. These saligrams are from the banks of the Gandaki River in Nepal, and to commemorate this certain rituals used to be performed at the Pashupatinath Temple. The deity of Sri Padmanabha is covered with, "Katusarkara yogam", a special ayurvedic mix, which forms a plaster that keeps the deity clean. The daily worship is with flowers and for the abhishekam, special deities are used.The platforms in front of the vimanam and where the deity rests, are both carved out of a single massive stone and hence called "Ottakkal-mandapam." The Ottakkal-mandapam were cut out of a rock at Thirumala, about 4 miles north of the temple, measuring 20 feet square and 2.5 feet thick was brought and placed in front of the deity in the month of Edavom 906 M.E. (1731 CE) In order to perform darshan and puja, one has to ascend the to the mandapam. The Deity is visible through three doors – the visage of the reclining Lord and Siva Linga underneath the hand is seen through the first door; Sridevi and Divakara Muni in Katusarkara, Brahma seated on a lotus emanating from the Lord's navel, hence the name, "Padmanabha", gold abhisheka moorthies of Lord Padmanabha, Sridevi and Bhudevi, and silver utsava moorthi of Padmanabha through the second door; the Lord's feet, and Bhudevi and Kaundinya Muni in Katusarkara through the third door. Only the King of Travancore may perform sashtanga namaskaram, or prostrate on the "Ottakkal Mandapam". It is traditionally held that anybody who prostrates on the mandapam has surrendered all that he possesses to the Deity. Since the ruler has already done that, he is permitted to prostrate on this mandapam.
Among the six kallaras or chambers in the Temple, Bharatakkon Kallara (Chamber B) is very closely associated with Sri Padmanabhaswamy. It is not a part of the Temple Treasury. The holy Chamber houses a Srichakram, an idol of Sri Padmanabha and many valuables meant to enhance the potency of the Principal Deity. It has in it the presence of many gods and sages worshipping the Lord. Kanjirottu Yakshi also resides in the Chamber worshipping Lord Narasimha. The enchanting and ferocious forms of this Yakshi are painted on the south-west part of the main Sanctum.
Other shrines
Inside the Temple, there are two other important shrines, Thekkedom and Thiruvambadi, for the Deities, Sree Yoga Narasimha and Sree Krishna Swami respectively. One of the duties assigned to Lord Narasimha is protection of Chamber B. Thiruvambadi shrine enjoys an independent status and predates the shrine of Sri Padmanabha. Thiruvambadi shrine has its own namaskara mandapam, bali stones and flagmast. The Lord of Thiruvambadi is Parthasarathi, the Divine Charioteer of Arjuna. The granite idol of the Lord of Thiruvambadi was brought from Gujarat by seventy two families of Vrishni Vamsa Kshatriyas. As these Vrishnies belong to the lineage of Lord Krishna, they are known as Krishnan vakakkar. The two-armed granite idol, with one hand holding the whip and the other resting on the left thigh holding the conch close to it, is in standing posture. On Ekadasi days the Lord is dressed and decorated as Mohini. There are also shrines for Sree Rama accompanied by Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, Vishwaksena (the Nirmalyadhari of Vishnu and Remover of Obstacles), Vyasa, Ganapati, Sasta and Kshetrapala (who guards the temple). Grand idols of Garuda and Hanuman stand with folded hands in the Valiya balikkal area.Gopuram
The foundation of the present gopuram was laid in 1566. The temple has a 100-foot, seven-tier gopuram made in the Pandyan style. The temple stands by the side of a tank, named Padma Theertham (meaning the lotus spring). The temple has a corridor with 365 and one-quarter sculptured granite-stone pillars with elaborate carvings which stands out to be an ultimate testimonial for the Vishwakarma sthapathis in sculpting this architectural masterpiece. This corridor extends from the eastern side into the sanctum sanctorum. An eighty-foot flag-staff stands in front of the main entry from the prakaram(closed precincts of a temple). The ground floor under the gopuram (main entrance in the eastern side) is known as the 'Nataka Sala' where the famous temple art Kathakali was staged in the night during the ten-day uthsavam (festival) conducted twice a year, during the Malayalam months of Meenam and ThulamSwamiyar, Tantri and Nambi
Temples where 'Swamiyar Pushpanjali' is conducted are claimants to extra sanctity. Sannyasins from any one of the monasteries founded by the disciples of Adi Sankara in Thrissur do pushpanjali (flower worship) daily to Sri Padmanabha, Narasimha Moorthi and Sri Krishna Swami. Of these monasteries, Naduvil Madhom is the most important as Vilvamangalathu Swamiyar, the founder of this Temple, belonged to this monastery.Initially, Koopakkara Potties were the Tantries of the Temple. Later, Tantram was transferred to Tharananallur Nambuthiripads of Iranjalakkuda. The Nambies, altogether four in number, are the Chief Priests of the Temple. Two Nambies - Periya Nambi and Panchagavyathu Nambi - are allotted to Sri Padmanabha and one Nambi each to Narasimha Moorthi and Sri Krishna Swami. The Nambies hail from either side of the Chandragiri River. They are appointed by the Pushpanjali Swamiyar.
Darshan, sevas and festivals
In line with the Temple Entry Proclamation, only those who profess the Hindu faith are permitted entry to the temple. Devotees have to strictly follow the dress code.There are many festivals related to this temple. The major festivals are bi-annual. The Alpashy festival which is in October/November and the Painkuni festival which is in March/April, lasts for 10 days each. On the ninth day the Maharajah of Travancore escorts the deities to the vettakkalam for Pallivetta. Centuries back, the Pallivetta procession was said to pass through Kaithamukku, Kuthiravattom (Kunnumpuram), Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram and Putharikkandam. The festivals culminate with the Aarat (holy bath) procession to the Shankumugham Beach. The word Aarat refers to the purificatory immersion of the deities of the temple in sea. This event takes place in the evening. The Maharajah of Travancore escorts the Aarat procession on foot. The festival idols "Utsava Vigrahas" of Sri Padmanabhaswamy, Krishna Swami and Narasimha Moorthi are given a ritual bath in the sea, after the prescribed pujas. After this ceremony, the idols are taken back to the temple in a procession that is lit by traditional torches, marking the conclusion of the festival.
A major annual festival related to Padmanabha temple is the Navaratri festival. The idols of Saraswati Amman, Mun Uditha Nangai (Parasakti who appeared before Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati to help them identify their husbands who had been transformed into infants by the power of chastity of Anasuya) and Kumara Swami (Murugan) are brought to the Kuthira malika palace in front of Padmanabha temple as a procession. This festival lasts for 9 days. The famous Swathi music festival is held every year during this festival
The biggest festival in this temple is laksha deepam, which means hundred thousand (or one lakh) lamps. This festival is unique and commences once in 6 years. Prior to this festival, chanting of prayers and recitation of three vedas is done for 56 days. On the last day, hundred thousand oil lamps are lit in and around the temple premises. The next laksha deepam is slated on January 2014
Ettara Yogam
Initially, the Padmanabhaswamy Temple and its property were controlled by Thiruvaanandapuram Sabha and later by Ettara Yogam with the assistance of Ettuveetil Pillamar. The Pushpanjali Swamiyars of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple preside over the meetings of Thiruvaanandapuram Sabha and Ettara Yogam. In the past, the Swamiyars of Naduvil Madhom were appointed as Pushpanjali Swamiyars by the Maharajah of Travancore with the concurrence of Ettara Yogam.Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma curtailed the authority of Ettara Yogam and liquidated the powerful Ettuveetil Pillamar. Ettara Yogam became an advisory and assenting body thereafter. Besides Naduvil Madhom, Munchira Madhom got the right to Pushpanjali during his reign. In the recent past, Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma gave Pushpanjali rights to the Swamiyars of Thrikkaikattu Madhom and Thekke Madhom as well. Though the Maharajah is the appointing authority of the Pushpanjali Swamiyar, the former must do 'vechu namaskaram' when he sees the Swamiyar.
History
See also: Kulashekhara Alwar
The Kerala Mahatmyam (an
Upa Purana deriving its origin from the Bhoogola Purana) is in the form of a discourse
between Yudhishthira
and the Sage Garga. It stated that Parashurama after founding Kerala divided the
land into 64 gramas, crowned Bhanu Vicrama at Sreevardhanapuram
(Padmanabhapuram), and styled him the Kovil Adhikarikal, i.e., the manager of
the pagoda of Sreevalumcode (Thiruvananthapuram).
In the first half of the 18th century, in line with matrilineal customs, King Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, age 23, succeeded his uncle, King Rama Varma. He successfully suppressed the 700-year stranglehold of the Ettuveetil Pillais and his cousins following the discovery of conspiracies which the lords were involved in against the Royal House of Travancore. The last major renovation of the Padmanabhaswamy temple commenced immediately after Anizham Thirunal's accession to the musnud and the idol was reconsecrated in 906 M.E. (1731 C.E.). On 17 January 1750 C.E., Anizham Thirunal surrendered the kingdom of Travancore to Sree Padmanabha Swamy, the deity at the temple, and pledged that he and his descendants would be vassals or agents of the deity who would serve the kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa. Since then, the name of every Travancore king was preceded by the title Padmanabha Dasa; the female members of the royal family were called Padmanabha Sevinis. The donation of the kingdom to Sree Padmanabhaswamy was known as Thrippadi-danam. The final wishes of Anizham Thirunal on his passing at the age of 53 clearly delineated the historical relationship between the Maharajah and the temple: "That no deviation whatsoever should be made in regard to the dedication of the kingdom to Sree Padmanabhaswamy and that all future territorial acquisitions should be made over to the Devaswom."
References to the temple
The Divya Prabandha canon of Tamil literature by the Alvars glorifies this shrine as one of 13 Divya Desams in Malanadu. The 8th century Alvar Nammalvar sang the glories of Sri Padmanabha. But, the shrine is many centuries older as there are references to this temple in seven puranas namely Bhagavata, Brahma, Brahmanda, Skanda, Varaha, Padma and Matsya. Syanandura Purana Samuchaya in Sanskrit and Ananta Pura Varnanam in Malayalam are two works that give detailed information of the temple city.Temple assets
The biggest festival in this temple is laksha deepam, which means hundred thousand (or one lakh) lamps. This festival is unique and commences once in 6 years. Prior to this festival, chanting of prayers and recitation of three vedas is done for 56 days. On the last day, hundred thousand oil lamps are lit in and around the temple premises. The next laksha deepam is slated on January 2014Ettara Yogam
Initially, the Padmanabhaswamy Temple and its property were controlled by Thiruvaanandapuram Sabha and later by Ettara Yogam with the assistance of Ettuveetil Pillamar. The Pushpanjali Swamiyars of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple preside over the meetings of Thiruvaanandapuram Sabha and Ettara Yogam. In the past, the Swamiyars of Naduvil Madhom were appointed as Pushpanjali Swamiyars by the Maharajah of Travancore with the concurrence of Ettara Yogam.Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma curtailed the authority of Ettara Yogam and liquidated the powerful Ettuveetil Pillamar. Ettara Yogam became an advisory and assenting body thereafter. Besides Naduvil Madhom, Munchira Madhom got the right to Pushpanjali during his reign. In the recent past, Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma gave Pushpanjali rights to the Swamiyars of Thrikkaikattu Madhom and Thekke Madhom as well. Though the Maharajah is the appointing authority of the Pushpanjali Swamiyar, the former must do 'vechu namaskaram' when he sees the Swamiyar.
History
See also: Kulashekhara Alwar
The Kerala Mahatmyam (an
Upa Purana deriving its origin from the Bhoogola Purana) is in the form of a
discourse between Yudhishthira and the Sage Garga. It stated that Parashurama
after founding Kerala
divided the land into 64 gramas, crowned Bhanu Vicrama at Sreevardhanapuram
(Padmanabhapuram), and styled him the Kovil Adhikarikal, i.e., the manager of
the pagoda of Sreevalumcode (Thiruvananthapuram).
In the first half of the 18th century, in line with matrilineal customs, King Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, age 23, succeeded his uncle, King Rama Varma. He successfully suppressed the 700-year stranglehold of the Ettuveetil Pillais and his cousins following the discovery of conspiracies which the lords were involved in against the Royal House of Travancore. The last major renovation of the Padmanabhaswamy temple commenced immediately after Anizham Thirunal's accession to the musnud and the idol was reconsecrated in 906 M.E. (1731 C.E.). On 17 January 1750 C.E., Anizham Thirunal surrendered the kingdom of Travancore to Sree Padmanabha Swamy, the deity at the temple, and pledged that he and his descendants would be vassals or agents of the deity who would serve the kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa. Since then, the name of every Travancore king was preceded by the title Padmanabha Dasa; the female members of the royal family were called Padmanabha Sevinis. The donation of the kingdom to Sree Padmanabhaswamy was known as Thrippadi-danam. The final wishes of Anizham Thirunal on his passing at the age of 53 clearly delineated the historical relationship between the Maharajah and the temple: "That no deviation whatsoever should be made in regard to the dedication of the kingdom to Sree Padmanabhaswamy and that all future territorial acquisitions should be made over to the Devaswom."
References to the temple
The Divya Prabandha canon of Tamil literature by the Alvars glorifies this shrine as one of 13 Divya Desams in Malanadu. The 8th century Alvar Nammalvar sang the glories of Sri Padmanabha. But, the shrine is many centuries older as there are references to this temple in seven puranas namely Bhagavata, Brahma, Brahmanda, Skanda, Varaha, Padma and Matsya. Syanandura Purana Samuchaya in Sanskrit and Ananta Pura Varnanam in Malayalam are two works that give detailed information of the temple city.Temple assets
The temple and its assets belong to Lord Padmanabhaswamy, and are controlled by a trust run by the Royal family. T P Sundara Rajan's litigations changed the way the world looked at the Temple. The Kerala High Court ordered the temple and its assets be managed by the State on 31 January 2011. As trustees of the temple, the Travancore Royal family have challenged the Kerala High Court's decision in the Supreme Court of India.
In June 2011, the Supreme Court directed the authorities from the archaeology department and fire services to open the secret chambers of the temple for inspection of the items kept inside.The temple has 6 vaults (Kallaras), labeled as A to F for book keeping purpose by the Court. While vaults A and B have been unopened over the past many years, vaults C to F have been opened from time to time. The two priests of the temple, the 'Periya Nambi' and the 'Thekkedathu Nambi', are the custodians of the four vaults, C to F, which are opened periodically. The Supreme Court had directed that "the existing practices, procedures and rituals" of the temple be followed while opening vaults C to F and using the articles inside. Vaults A and B shall be opened only for the purpose of making an inventory of the articles and then closed.
The review of the temple's underground vaults was undertaken by a seven-member panel appointed by the Supreme Court of India to generate an inventory, leading to the enumeration of a vast collection of articles that are traditionally kept under lock and key. A detailed inventory of the temple assets, consisting of gold, jewels, and other valuables was made. Several 18th century Napoleonic era coins were found,[3] as well as a three-and-a-half feet tall gold idol of Mahavishnu studded with rubies and emeralds, and ceremonial attire for adorning the deity in the form of 16-part gold anki weighing almost 30 kilograms (66 lb) together with gold coconut shells, one studded with rubies and emeralds.
This revelation has solidified the status of the Padmanabhaswamy temple as one of the wealthiest temples in India and with the final estimate of the wealth, it might overtake the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple—hitherto thought to be the wealthiest temple—having some
32,000 crore or 320 billion (US$5.82 billion) in gold, coins and other assets.
It is estimated that the value of
the monumental items is close to 1.2 lakh crore or 1.2 trillion (US$21.84 billion), making it the richest temple
in the world. If the antique value is taken into account, these assets could be
worth ten times the current market price.
The valuables are thought to have been in the temple for hundreds of years, having been put there by the Maharajahs of Travancore. While some historians have suggested that a major chunk of the stored riches reached the kings in the form of tax, gifts, as well as conquered wealth of states and offerings stocked in the temple for safekeeping.[27] But it has to be remembered that in Travancore a distinction was always made among Government Treasury (Karuvelam), Temple Treasury (Thiruvara Bhandaram or Sri Bhandaram) and the Royal Treasury (Chellam). During the reign of Maharani Gowri Lakshmi Bayi, hundreds of temples that were mismanaged were brought under the Government. The excess ornaments in these temples were transferred to the Vaults of Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Instead the funds of Sri Padmanabha Temple were utilised for the daily upkeep of these temples.
On 4 July 2011 the seven-member expert team tasked with taking stock of the temple assets decided to postpone opening of the chamber marked 'B'. This chamber is sealed with an iron door with the image of a cobra on it and it has not been opened, due to the belief opening it would result in much misfortune. The royal family said that many legends were attached to the temple and that chamber B has a model of a snake on the main door and opening it could be a bad omen. Seven-member team will consult with some more experts on 8 July 2011 and then they may take the final decision on opening of chamber ‘B’. An Ashtamangala Devaprasnam conducted in the Temple to discern the will of the Lord revealed that any attempts to open the Chamber B would cause Divine displeasure and that the holy articles in the other chambers were defiled in the inventorying process
Padmanabha temple's Vault A has riches worth Rs 10 lakh cr?
5th July, 2012
The famous
Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple and its massive treasure trove are back in the
news. Following a meeting of the Supreme Court appointed an expert committee on
the temple treasure, it was decided that the evaluation of the riches of Vault
A will be started today (Jul 5). The evaluation is, however, expected to take
more than 6 months. But local channels are quoting sources as saying that the
value of the treasure in Vault A alone is expected to be close to more than a Rs
lakh crore.
The sealed
A vault is expected to be opened by the evaluating committee at 9 am on
Thursday. They will have to open 2 sealed wooden doors as well as a metal door
to get into the underground vaults. Provision for the supply of air to the air
tight vaults has also been made during the evaluation process. According to an
official associated with taking stock of the treasure trove, "This vault
contains artifacts such as 'sarappoli mala', coins, crowns and other jewellery.
It cannot be inventoried at the same speed that the others were." He has
also been quoted as saying earlier, "We have to take the articles out of
the underground chamber and take them to the workstations. The security
measures for this process will be devised over the next couple of days."
The evaluation of Vault C and D has almost been completed and it in this
scenario that they have decided to open Vault A. A brief evaluation earlier had
found that precious gold coins, gem-studded jewellery, diamonds and ornaments
for the deity was also stored in iron trunks and sacks. [Read: Top 5 Richest
Temples In India] The valuation is being carried out under extreme security
with all the proceedings being videographed and later saved in an ISRO server.
To aid the valuation effort, specially ordered equipment from Germany has been
brought to assess the diamonds, gems and other precious items. Following the
valuation, the items will be saved in large iron trunks. The Chief Engineer
will also look into ways to strengthen the vaults. It was in Jun last year that
Vault A was opened after news spread of the massive riches in underground
vaults of the famed Padmanabhaswamy temple in the capital city of
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Stunned by the riches, they had found a gold uruli
(a large vessel) weighing 27.5 kg; around 360 pots made of gold used for temple
rituals; an 18-ft Sarappoli golden chain, with 12 layers weighing 10.5 kg,
studded with rare rubies and emeralds
Alvars
The alwar or azhwars (Tamil: ஆழ்வார்கள், āzvārhaḷ ‘those immersed in god’) were Tamil poet saints of south India who lived between the sixth and ninth centuries A.D. and espoused ‘emotional devotion’ or bhakti to Visnu-Krishna in their songs of longing, ecstasy and service. Sri Vaishnava orthodoxy posits the number of alvars as ten, though there are other references that include Andal and madhurakavi, making the number twelve. The devotional outpourings of Alvars, composed during the early medieval period of Tamil history, helped revive the bhakti movement, through their hymns of worship to Vishnu and his Avatars. They praised 108 of this deity's holy abodes in their hymns, known as the Divya Desams. Together with the contemporary sixty three Saiva Nayanars, they are accounted as South India's 75 Apostles of Bhakti because of their importance in the rise of the Hindu Bhakti movement. The collection of their hymns is known as Divya Prabandha.The Bhakti literature that sprang from Alvars has contributed to the establishment and sustenance of a culture that broke away from the ritual-oriented Vedic religion and rooted itself in devotion as the only path for salvation. In addition they helped to make the Tamil religious life independent of a knowledge of Sanskrit. As part of the legacy of the Alvars, five Vaishnava philosophical traditions (sampradayas) have developed at the later stages.
Etymology
Alvars or 'Azhwars' literally means 'people who are immersed'. They are so called because they were immersed in their devotion and love to their Lord, Vishnu. . However recently S.Palaniappan has argued that what was originally Āļvār got changed through hyper correction and folk etymology to Āzhvār. Palaniappan cites inscriptional evidence for a gradual sound change from āļvār to āzhvār over a period of two centuries from the 9th century to the 11th century involving references to religious leaders in Vaishnavism, Shaivism and even Jainism and to political personalities. He states: "āzhvār is but a corrupt form of āļvār which has been used interchangeably with nāyanār in secular and religious contexts in the Tamil land" and "... Notwithstanding the Vaishnava claim of unbroken teacher-student tradition, the fact that Nathamuni has used the form āļvār but Piļļān [A disciple and younger cousin of Rāmānuja] ended up using the form āzhvār suggests that there has been an error in transmission somewhere along the teacher-student chain between the two teachers. This error was obviously due to the influence of the sound variation that has occurred in the Srirangam area and elsewhere"Legacy
The twelve Alvars were all inspired and ardent devotees who transmitted their divine infatuation to millions. They have left behind an imperishable legacy of devotional Tamil poetry - naalaayira Divya Prabhandham (considered to be the essence of the Vedas, in Tamil, and all in praise of Lord Vishnu). These have been rarely equalled either in quantity or in quality ever after.The one held in greatest esteem among the Alvars is Nammalvar. He lived during the ninth century CE. His contribution to the four thousand prabandhams is as many as 1352. His hymns are considered by the Vaishnavites to contain the essence of the Vedas. His works - Thiruvasiriyam, Thiruviruttam, Periya Thiruvandhadhi correspond to the Yajur, Rig and Atharva Vedas respectively. His other work Thiruvaaimozhi (Divine words) is one of the key works of Vaishnavism.
Periyalvar delighted in worshipping Vishnu as mother, and composed 440 verses treating himself as Yashoda and Narayana as Krishna. He also talks about the beauty of the Lord Krishna right from his birth. Apart from these compositions, Sri Periyazhwar has also composed hymns on various divya desams. Andal, daughter of Periyalvar, has attributed the Tiruppaavai, a most beautiful collection of 30 verses giving expression to the purest love of God. It is considered to be equivalent to Vedas.
Thirumangai Alvar has done mangala-sasanam (sung in praise) of maximum number of Divya Desams.
The last acharya of the Thenkalai Guruparampara, Sri Manavalamuni has composed "Upadesa Rathnamalai" a hymn of 72 verses where talks and praises the Azhwars about their birthstars, place of birth and also about their compositions.
For a detailed list of number of paasurams of all Alvars on each Divyadesam: Mangalasasanam by Divyadesam
Caste
The revered alvars came from all castes, a symbolic notion in Vaishnavism to show that devotion to God transcends above caste. Nammalvar, or Satakopan, belonged to the Vellala caste. Thirumangai Alvar belonged to the Kallara tribe. Thirumalisai Alvar was originally born to a Brahmin community but was raised by Peerambu vetiyan (one who makes use of bamboo for living) caste. Thiruppaan Alvar belonged to Panar caste, Kulashekhara was a King from Kerala. Vishnu Chittar, or Periyalvar, was a Brahmin.Alvars; their place, month and star of birth
The following tables shows the place, century and star of birth of each Alvar. The Traditional Datings of Alwars have been contested by the historians as in case of many Indian Works and the British trained historians place the dates as follows.Traditional datings take them to the age of Sukhaacharya(srimad Bhagvatam)who while delivering the work to parrekshit spake of Alvars as vaishnavaite saints and many are from dwapura yuga,while swami nammalwar belongs to the commencement of Kali yuga. Kalou Kalu Bhavishyanti narayana parayana. Kvachit Kvachin Mahabhago dramideshucha pureesha tamrabharani nadhi yatra kruta malaa payasvini kaavericha mahaabhago pradeeseecha mahaanadhi.(srimadh bhagvath purana).|
Sl no
|
Alwar Saint
|
Period and Place
|
Composition
|
Avatar of
|
||
|
1
|
7th C.
AD, Kanchipuram
|
Mudhal
Thiruvandhadhi, 100 verses.
|
Aiypassee
|
Thiruvonam
(Sravana)
|
||
|
2
|
7th C.
AD, Thirukadalmallai (Mahabhalipuram)
|
Irandam
Thiruvandhadhi, 100 verses.
|
Aiypassee
|
Avittam
(Dhanishta)
|
||
|
3
|
7th C.
AD, Mylapore
|
Moondram
Thiruvandhadhi, 100 verses.
|
Aiypassee
|
Sadayam
(Satabhishak)
|
Nandaka
(Lord Vishnu's Sword)
|
|
|
4
|
7th C.
AD, Thirumazhisai
|
Nanmugan
Thiruvandhadhi, 96 verses; ThiruChanda Virutham, 120 verses.
|
Thai
|
Magam
(Makha)
|
Sudarshanam
(Name of Lord Vishnu's weapon discus)
|
|
|
5
|
9th C.
AD, Azhwar Thirunagari (Kurugur)
|
Thiruvaymozhi,
1102 verses; Thiruvasiriyam, 7 verses; Thiru Virutham, 100 verses; Periya
Thiruvandhadhi, 87 verses.
|
Vaigaasi
|
Vishaakam
(Vishaaka)
|
Vishvaksena
(Lord Vishnu's Commander)
|
|
|
6
|
9th C.
AD, Thirukollur
|
Kanninun
Siruthambu, 11 verses.
|
Chitthirai
|
Chitthirai
(Chithra)
|
Vainatheya
(Lord Vishnu's eagle, Garuda)
|
|
|
7
|
9th
century AD, Thiruvanchikkulam, Later Chera kingdom
|
Perumal
Thirumozhi, 105 verses.
|
Maasee
|
Punar
Poosam (Punarvasu)
|
Kaustubha
(Lord Vishnu's necklace)
|
|
|
8
|
9th C.
AD, Sri Villiputhur
|
Periyazhwar
Thirumozhi, 473 verses.
|
Aani
|
Swathi
(Swaathee)
|
Garuda
(Lord Vishnu's eagle)
|
|
|
9
|
9th C.
AD, Sri Villiputhur
|
Nachiyar
Thirumozhi, 143 verses; Thiruppavai, 30 verses.
|
Aadi
|
Pooram
(Poorva Phalguni)
|
||
|
10
|
8th C.
AD, Thirumandangudi
|
Thirumaalai,
45 verses; Thirupalliezhuchi, 10 verses.
|
Maargazhi
|
Kettai
(Jyeshta)
|
Vanamaalai
(Lord Vishnu's garland)
|
|
|
11
|
8th C.
AD, Uraiyur
|
Amalan
Adi Piraan, 10 verses.
|
Kaarthigai
|
Rogini
(Rohinee)
|
Srivatsa
(An auspicious
mark on Lord Vishnu's chest)
|
|
|
12
|
8th C.
AD, thirukurayalur
|
Periya
Thirumozhi, 1084 verses; Thiru Vezhukootru irukkai, 1 verse; Thiru Kurun
Thandagam, 20 verses; Thiru Nedun Thandagam, 30 verses.
|
Kaarthigai
|
KrithikaI
(Kritthikaa)
|
Saranga
(Lord Rama's
bow)
|
Divya Prabandha
The Nalayira Divya Prabandham (Tamil: நாலாயிர திவ்ய பிரபந்தம்) is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses (Naalayira in Tamil means 'four thousand') composed before 8th century AD,[1] by the 12 Alvars, and was compiled in its present form by Nathamuni during the 9th – 10th centuries. The work is the beginning of the canonization of the 12 Vaishnava poet saints, and these hymns are still sung extensively even today. The works were lost before they were collected and organized in the form of an anthology by Nathamuni.The Prabandha sings the praise of Narayana (or Vishnu) and his many forms. The Alvars sung these songs at various sacred shrines. These shrines are known as the Divya Desams.
The Tamil Vaishnavites are also known as Ubhaya Vedanti(those that follow both vedas). In many temples, Srirangam, for example, the chanting of the Divya Prabhandham forms a major part of the daily service. Prominent among the 4,000 verses are the 1,100+ verses known as the Thiru Vaaymozhi, composed by Nammalvar (Kaari Maaran, Sadagopan of Thiruk Kurugoor).
The Tiruvaymoli ("words of the sacred mouth") is one of the Divya Prabandha, an important liturgical compilation of the Tamil Alvar Bhaktas, collected in the 9th century by Nammalvar. The author self-identifies as a lovelorn Gopi pining for Krishna
Compilation
These once thought of being lost were collected and organized in the form of an anthology by Nathamuni.Nathamuni was born in Veera Naarayanapuram(Veeranam) or present day Kaattu Mannaar Koil. There is a lot of gap in time between Thirumangai Alvar(the last alvar) and Nathamuni. In this dark period, nobody knew what happened to the 4000 verses.
Legend has it that once Nathamuni heard some people reciting the decad of Aaraavamude of Nammaazhvaar at Kumbakonam. Captivated by these paasurams (hymns), he wanted to know more about them. One of the verses also mentioned Aayiraththul Ippaththu (Tamil: these 10 out of the 1000). When Nathamuni enquired about the remaining 990, the people who sang the 10 did not know anything about the other verses. But as the song mentioned the name and place of the azhwar (Kurugoor Satakopan), Nathamuni proceeded to Thirukurugoor and asked the people there about Swami Nammazhwar's 1000 verses.[2]
The people did not know the 1000 that Nathamuni wanted, but they told him about 11 pasurams(hymns) of Madhurakavi Alvar, who was the disciple of Nammazhwar Kanninun Siruthaambu. They asked him to go to Thiruppuliaazhwar, the place were Nammazhwar lived, and recite these 11 pasurams (hymns) for 12000 times. Nathamuni did as advised, and pleased with his penance, Nammazhwar granted him not only his 1000 pasurams (hymns), but the entire 4000 pasurams (hymns) of all the alvars.
Details of Pasurams
The following table shows the details of the 4000 pasurams(hymns).[4]
|
Sl no
|
Name of the prabandham
|
Starting from
|
Ending with
|
Number of pasurams
|
Sung by
|
|
1
|
Periazhvar
Thirumozhi
|
1
|
473
|
473
|
|
|
2
|
474
|
503
|
30
|
||
|
3
|
Nachiar
Tirumozhi
|
504
|
646
|
143
|
|
|
4
|
Perumal
Thirumozhi
|
647
|
751
|
105
|
|
|
5
|
Thiruchchanda
Viruththam
|
752
|
871
|
120
|
|
|
6
|
Thirumalai
|
872
|
916
|
45
|
|
|
7
|
Thiruppalliyezhuchchi
|
917
|
926
|
10
|
|
|
8
|
Amalanadhi
piran
|
927
|
936
|
10
|
|
|
9
|
Kanni Nun
Siruththambu
|
937
|
947
|
11
|
|
|
10
|
Peria
Thirumozhi
|
948
|
2031
|
1084
|
|
|
11
|
Kurun
Thandagam
|
2032
|
2051
|
20
|
|
|
12
|
Nedum
Thandagam
|
2052
|
2081
|
30
|
|
|
13
|
Mudhal
Thiruvandhadhi
|
2082
|
2181
|
100
|
|
|
14
|
Irandam
Thiruvandhadhi
|
2182
|
2281
|
100
|
|
|
15
|
Moonram
Thiruvandhadhi
|
2282
|
2381
|
100
|
|
|
16
|
Naanmugan
Thiruvandhadhi
|
2382
|
2477
|
96
|
|
|
17
|
Thiruviruththam
|
2478
|
2577
|
100
|
|
|
18
|
Thiruvasiriyam
|
2578
|
2584
|
7
|
|
|
19
|
Peria
Thiruvandhadhi
|
2585
|
2671
|
87
|
|
|
20
|
Thiruvezhukkurrirukkai
|
2672
|
2672
|
1
|
|
|
21
|
Siriya
Thirumadal
|
2673
|
2673
|
1
|
|
|
22
|
Peria
Thirumadal
|
2674
|
2674
|
1
|
|
|
23
|
Thiruvay
Mozhi
|
2674
|
3776
|
1102
|
|
|
|
Total
number of pasurams
|
|
|
3776
|
|
Divya Desams
Divya Desams refer to the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the works of the Tamil Azhvars (saints). Divya in the Tamil language indicates "premium" and Desam indicates "place" (temple). Of the 108 temples, 105 are located in India, one in Nepal and two outside of the Earthly realms. Most of the Divya Desams in Tamil Nadu follow the Thenkalai tradition. This includes the important temples of Srirangam and Triplicane.The Divya Desams are revered by the 12 Azhvars in the Divya Prabandha, a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses. Lord Shiva, the other major deity in Hinduism, is similarly associated with the Paadal Petra Sthalams, 275 Shiva temples which are praised in the Tevaram canon by the 63 Nayanars.
List of Divya Desams
The list of 108 Divya Desams is given in this table:[5]Transport
Road
The NH-47, which runs from Salem to Kanyakumari, passes through the city. It connects important southern cities such as Coimbatore and Salem in north direction and Nagercoil in south direction. The Main Central Road (MC Road) which is an arterial State Highway in Kerala and designated as SH 1 starts from NH-47 at Kesavadasapuram in the city.The Thiruvananthpuram Road Development Company Limited is an SPV to develop the road network in Thiruvananthapuram city. It is the first intra-city project in the country.
The intra-city public transport in the city is dominated by the state-owned KSRTC, though there are significant numbers of private buses plying within the city limits.
Within the city, city buses, taxis and autorickshaws provide means of transportation. Scooters, motorcycles and regular bicycles are the favored means of personal transportation. The intra-city public transport is dominated by the state-owned KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation). There are also bus service operated by private operators and provides access within city limits and beyond. The city services of KSRTC operate from six depots namely, the City depot, Vikas Bhavan, Peroorkada, Pappanamcode, Kaniyapuram and Vellanad. These services were revamped in 2005 with the introduction of modern buses and electronic ticketing mechanisms. The Central bus station is located Thampanoor, opposite Thiruvananthapuram Central Station. It connects Thiruvananthapuram with other parts of Kerala as well as other states. The central city bus terminal is located 1 km away at East Fort (Kizhakke kotta), near the Padmanabha Swamy temple.
Rail
Thiruvananthapuram comes under the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. There are five railway stations within the city limits including the Thiruvananthapuram central station. Thiruvananthapuram Pettah, Kochuveli and Veli stations are located towards north direction and Thiruvananthapuram Nemom is located in south direction from the central station The Central railway station is located at Thampanoor in the heart of the city, and is about 5 km from the new international air terminal and nearly 8 km from the domestic air terminal. It is the largest and busiest railway station in the state. Kochuveli railway station is developed to ease congestion on central station and it act as satellite station to Thiruvananthapuram Central. Some of the long distance trains from the city operates from this station. The Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani Express connects the city to New Delhi, the capital of India. The city is well connected by rail to almost all major cities in India such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Thiruvananthapuram is also the first major South Indian city on the longest train route in India, Kanyakumari to Jammu.Monorail
Main
article: Thiruvananthapuram Monorail
Thiruvananthapuram Monorail
is a proposed monorail
system for the city.
The monorail is from Pallippuram to Neyyattinkara
and will have a length of 41.8 kilometres (26.0 mi). 35 stops have been
proposed with multi-storeyed parking lots in the stations.
Air
Thiruvananthapuram is served by the Trivandrum International Airport (IATA: TRV, ICAO: VOTV),which is the first international airport in India outside the four metropolitan cities then. It has direct connectivity to the Middle East, Singapore, Maldives and Sri Lanka and is a gateway to the tourism-rich state of Kerala. The airport is qualified for all-weather and night operations. One of the major advantage of the airport is the prevailing weather at the location that does not go to extremes, allowing flight operations without disruption year around. The International terminal of the airport is approximately 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) due west and the domestic terminal is approximately 8.0 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the central business district. The importance of the airport is also due to the fact that it is the southernmost airport in India and also the closest option for neighboring countries like Maldives and Sri Lanka, and the only option to Maldives from India. Also, apart from the regular scheduled flights, charter flights, primarily carrying tourists, also serve the airport.Sea
The work on infrastructure development for the Deep Water Container Trans-shipment Port at Vizhinjam has begun, which is expected to be completed within one year and the work on the terminal is to begin within a year. It is to be built in three phases, and expected to be a key competitor in the ports business (especially for container transshipment), with the international shipping lanes between Europe and the Far East lying very close to the port, and also with major ports like Colombo, Kochi and Tuticorin in close proximity.The exponential growth of the services and IT-based sectors coupled with its prominence as the state capital and tourist center has caused considerable strain on the transport infrastructure of the city. To ease the strain, several construction projects are underway and completed including the construction of flyovers and under passes. In the first phase, 42 km of six-lane and four-lane dual carriage ways are being built.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to the great devotees
, wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the
collection )
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