Devotees witnessing Kallazhagar entering the Vaigai River, as part of the Chithirai Festival in Madurai
| Photo Credit: G. MOORTHY

 It’s that time of the year again, when notwithstanding the heat of the Chithirai month, thousands flock to Madurai to witness the wedding of Meenakshi and Sundareswara and also the twin event of Azhagar’s procession from Azhagarkoil/Tirumalirumsolai arriving at the Vaigai river.  

Last year in this supplement we looked at a book published in 1932 that contains compositions by Senkamalavalli, wife of AK Srinivasa Iyengar, who was a Tamil professor at the Findlay College, Mannargudi. She has penned 54 songs that capture every little aspect of Azhagar’s nine-day outing. Apart from Senkamalavalli’s songs, there are a few other compositions, but they do not visualise the event the way she has done. In fact, formal description of the procession find mention only 17th century onwards. This is not to say that the event itself dates back to the time, it can be traced further beyond. 

Description of Madurai and the temple can be found in the pasurams composed by five azhwars, Silappathikaram, Vedanta Desika’s Hamsa Sandesam and Arunagirinathar’s Tiruppugazh. The last one that has a mention of Pazhamuthirsolai, situated in the same range of hills as Tirumalirumsolai, highlights the natural beauty of the place and the presence of the Nupura Ganga/Silambaru. The 17th composition ‘Chalu Chalu’ by Raja Shahaji in raga Kanada and Ata tala is an ode to the deity.

Madurai. TAMIL NADU; 06/05/2023. Lord Kallazhagar on Garuda vahanam leaving Thenur mandapam by the Vaigai in Madurai after the ritualistic redemption of Manduka Maharishi
| Photo Credit:
G. MOORTHY

Muthuswami Dikshitar makes passing mention of the festival in his ‘Sri Sundararajam’ (Kasiramakriya/Adi). The song states the festival is associated with the arrival of Manduka. Even today, one of the highlights of the procession is the seventh day, when Azhagar, on his way back, stops at Thenoor to offer salvation to rishi Sutapas who owing to a curse, has transformed into a frog (Manduka). That night, at the rishi’s request, Azhagar appears in all ten incarnations at the Ramarayar Mandapam. But only seven are displayed. Varaha and Narasimha avataras are omitted since they would require Azhagar’s face to be changed. The tenth avatara is not of Kalki but Mohini. 

The 19th century Azhagar Kuravanji by Kavi Kunjara Bharati though set in Sivaganga, imagines that the town is part of the procession and has songs describing it. One of them depicts the first eight avataras and the subsequent song is dedicated to Azhagar as Krishna. There is a one structured as a conversation among women mesmerised by the beauty of Azhagar. Legend has it that a princess is smitten by Azhagar’s beauty and a fortune-teller (kurathi) assures her of union with the Lord.  

The Madurai Meenakshi temple. The temple town witnesses the wedding of Meenakshi and Sundareswara during the month of Chithirai
| Photo Credit:
G. Moorthy

In the 1950s, when Ambujam Krishna began composing, she dedicated several songs to Azhagarkoil. One of them being ‘Azhagan bavani’ (tuned by KR Kedaranathan in Kamboji/Rupakam), which has four charanams, each beautifully describes important events in the procession. It begins with the composer inviting devouts to pay their respects to Azhagar as he sets out with a smile in a palanquin from the temple. His hair is tied in a knot, he wields a shepherd’s crook and is dressed in sparkling gems. The next stanza describes Azhagar in a golden chariot, which as the lines indicate, moves in a slow, swaggering manner. On reaching Madurai, by when it is a full moon night, Azhagar gets onto a horse and prepares to cross the Vaigai, this being the highpoint of the festival. The third stanza describes the first part of the return, when the Lord is seated on Adi Sesha and then Garuda, and grants salvation to sage Manduka enroute. The description of the 10 avataras comes next. The final stanza depicts Azhagar in a floral palanquin, surrounded by his devotees, reaching his abode in the hills.  

This is a festival of the people and the folk songs on it are no less interesting. In his thesis on the temple, titled Azhagar Koil (Madurai Kamaraj University, 1989), Tho Paramasivan includes a few. The most absorbing section comprises songs belonging to the ‘varnippu’ genre that describes an event, in this case the entire procession, and episodes from it. The author lists 11 songs, of which five were passed down through oral tradition. He notes that this temple had an association known as the Bhaktar Varnippalar Mahasabai, which comprised these songsters. Founded in 1966, it aimed to preserve and propagate the genre. In various interviews, Paramasivan has indicated that varnippu follows the ammanai format. This format traces its origins to the Mahabharata Ammanai, sung by Sankaramoorti Konar in 1817, who also composed varnippus. 

The varnippus, essentially long-format, multi-line pieces devoid of cadences, were sung at the Ramarayar Mandapam through the night when Azhagar changed his garb nine times. They played an important role in keeping audiences enthused and awake. The Mahasabai crowdfunded these performances. Paramasivan has published one varnippu which had existed till then only in oral tradition. Comprising 189 lines, it describes Azhagar’s journey from the temple to Madurai. The lyrics make for an interesting reading as they are sprinkled with Telugu, English and a couple of Urdu words as well.