Notwithstanding the heavy rains that lashed Mylapore on Thursday evening and the consequent cancellation of the Mangala Giri street procession, the 10-day Pey Azhvaar avathara utsavam witnessed a grand finale at the Madhava Perumal Temple.
Early in the evening, 23 year old Ashwin Bhattar, who has received the official appointment from the HR &CE, showcased his alankaram skills with a beautiful decoration of Mylapore’s Vaishnavite saint poet on the occasion of Aippasi Sathayam, Pey Azhvaar’s birth anniversary.
Shortly after 7.30pm, the regular Prabhandham members of the temple were joined by several members from Parthasarathy Temple, Thiruvallikeni, who weathered the rain to make it to the final evening of the utsavam.
For over two hours, the members, in a devotional rendering, presented the sacred verses of Pey Azhvaar, the final canto of Nam Azhvaar’s Tiruvoimozhi and ended with the 108 verses of praise on Ramanuja.
The clock ticked over to 10pm when one came to the high point of the birth anniversary celebrations.
In recognition of this contribution and in celebration of his birthday, Pey Azhvaar was anointed with Parivattam and the sacred flower garlands that had come in from six different Divya Desams across Tamil Nadu specifically for this occasion – Thiru Maliruncholai (Madurai), Thiru Kadal Mallai (Mahabalipuram), Thiru Ninravur, Therazhundur (Mayiladuthurai), Thiru Koshtiyur and Thiruvallikeni.
The utsavam ended at 10.30pm with the distribution of a wide variety of sweet offerings, Chakkarai pongal and puliyodharai to the devotees who had stayed back late into the evening to celebrate Mylapore’s Azhvaar.
A special mention must be made of the Prabhandham members of the Madhava Perumal Koil who unmindful of the monsoon rain turned up in good numbers every day of the utsavam and recited the entire 4000 sacred verses over the last ten days.
- Report, photo; S. Prabhu
