BY SIMHESWARA DASA
SRIRANGAM - I had the good fortune to witness the stealing of Sri Ranganatha's ornaments by Thirumangai Alvar when I made visit to Srirangam recently enroute to Kumbakonam to order three kalasams for our BCC temple project. The amazing story of Thriumangai Alvar can be found from Wikipedia. The gist has been extracted here for easy reading.
Thirumangai Alvar, is the last of the 12 Alvar saints of south India, who are known for their affiliation to Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He is considered one of the most learned Alvar and the most superior Alvar in the context of composition of verses.
Though he is respected as a Vaishnava saint-poet, he, initially, worked as a military commander, a chieftain and then a robber. After his conversion to Vaishnavism, he confronted practitioners of rival Hindu sect of Shaivism as well as Buddhism and Jainism.
According to the traditional account, he was originally known as Kaliyan and he married Kumudavalli, and became a Vaishnava, devotee of Vishnu. Under her influence. Kumudavalli also got him to promise that he would feed a 1008 Vaishnavas every day for a year. Unable to bear the heavy expense of feeding a thousand people, Thirumangai resorted to highway robbery. One day, Thirumangai tried to remove rings from the toes of a bridegroom but could not do so. Then he realised the bridegroom was none other than the Supreme god Vishnu himself. Narayana (Vishnu) revealed himself to Kaliyan and transformed him by teaching the Narayana mantra – "namo narayanaya", turning the robber into a saint and starts singing the first verse of Peria Thirumoli.
Thirumangai plundered "refractory" Shaivas (devotees of Lord Shiva) and lived on the acquired wealth. He is described as cold-hearted Vaishnava who defeated the rival Shaivas by his words. Vaishnava texts tell of his meeting with Thirugnana sambandhar, a Shaiva saint, who invited Thirumangai to his home town Sirkazhi so that Thirumangai would compose a poem in praise of the local deity Thadaalan. The poem was admired by the Shaiva – who granted Thirumangai a trident as a mark of appreciation.
A late ninth century text, Tamilalangaram by Dandapani Swamigal describes him of having the rare privilege of biting god Vishnu's toes and being pardoned for all his sins, as he wrote in Tamil. Vaishnavas consider him as a divine incarnation of Sharanga, Vishnu's bow.
Four big silos at one of the 7 parikrama paths where the land owners drop off their harvest of rice grains which are used to feed pilgrims visiting the temple.
Simheswara Dasa (right) with Temple President of Kumbakonam, Vanamali Gopal Dasa
Periya Tirumoli is the composition of hymns illustrating the greatness of Vaishnava shrines and their presiding deity as well as God's numerous attributes. His songs extol the largest number of shrines – over 40 forms of Vishnu, from Badrinath in North India to Thirukkurungudi in the extreme South. The first ten verses of Thirumangai's poem Periya Tirumoli sing of his transformation, after receiving the spiritual knowledge from Vishnu. He sings about his transformation thus:
I became a thief
deceitful and dishonest
I wandered hither and thither
yet light dawned upon me –
I reached Your feet
and instantly your grace fell upon me
with melting heart and choked voice
your praises I sing
bathed in streaming tears
I repeat day and night
the sacred name of Narayana (Vishnu)
Periya Tirumadal and Siriya Tirumadal, two other poems he wrote, use the ''madal'', an ancient Tamil custom which is practised by a rejected lover to win back his love. The custom evolves singing about his love in love, devoid of food and sleep and finally trying to commit suicide before her if all things fail. Thirumangai sings as a woman threatening Lord to finish her life if He can not reciprocate her love. He assumes the role of a gopika (milkmaid) who threats Krishna (a form of Vishnu) with ''madal''. His songs are also based on akam love poems, and talk of employing bees and storks as messengers to God. He goes to the length of portraying himself as the nayaki, pining for the love of Vishnu.
Hari Naam Diksha Ceremony 
Sat-tila
Appearance of Sri Nityananda Prabhu
Indian Classical Dance Classes
Sunday School
