The Chithirai festival at Madurai combines two events, which share a legend. The first is the celestial wedding of Meenakshi-Sundareswarar and the other is Azhagar travelling from Tirumalirumsolai/Azhagarkoil to the Vaigai river. It is believed that in the 17th century, Tirumalai Nayak combined the two events. While the wedding and the festivities leading up to it are well-known, the most significant aspect of Azhagar’s procession is when the Lord enters the river on the fifth day.
Kallazhagar leaving Azhagarkoil for Madurai on Sunday, as part of the Chithirai festival. | Photo Credit: Ashok R
Azhagar’s outing is celebrated in every hamlet en route. It has a fixed itinerary and lasts nine days — four on the way to Madurai, a day by the Vaigai, and four on the way back. There are numerous Thirukann’s or pavilions by the wayside, (300 and more as per one estimate), and Azhagar halts in each while travelling to and from Madurai. He is accompanied by a huge entourage, including folk dancers, shamans, people dressed up as guardian deities, itinerant vendors, and temple officials, who carry all the costumes and mounts. Azhagar changes alankarams all along the way, each transformation dictated by a watertight schedule.
The Music Academy library has a book titled Tirumalirumsolaimalai Azhagar Kirtanaigal by Sengamalavalli, published in 1932. She was the wife of A.K. Srinivasa Aiyyangar, Tamil lecturer at the Findlay College (now High School, Mannargudi). In the preface, she writes that having had the opportunity to witness the entire Azhagar festival, she was inspired to compose songs on it.
Devotees witnessing Lord Kallazhagar entering the Vaigai River, as part of the annual Chithirai Festival in Madurai in 2024. | Photo Credit: Moorthy. G
A remarkable corpus of 54 songs describe every stage of the procession. The language is colloquial and there is basic adherence to rules of prosody, alliteration, and metre. Though the raga and tala are indicated for each composition, Sengamalavalli provides no notation. Most songs carry a reference to well-known Carnatic compositions for the tune. The remaining songs are accompanied by a basic swara pattern only for the Pallavi.
Devotees thronging Karuppanasamy Temple at Tallakulam in Madurai in the early hours of Monday to have a darshan of Lord Kallazhagar on ‘Poo Pallakku’. | Photo Credit: G. Moorthy
The first nine pieces are in praise of Hayagriva, the kshetra of Azhagarkoil and the presiding deities. The description of the procession actually begins with the 10th song when Azhagar, by midnight of the third day of the festival, leaves for Madurai from the hill fortress. The piece is structured as a set of kannis and describes Azhagar giving the keys to the guardian deity Karuppusami, represented by 18 steps. Surrounded by Kallars and Maravars, Azhagar leaves in a floral palanquin, donning the garb of a Kallar. Song 11 describes Azhagar halting at various Thirukanns, some made of stone, others mere thatch. He accepts offerings at places such as Kallandhiri and Appan Tirupati.
Song 12 describes Azhgar going on a hunt near Narasingampatti with the hair tied in a knot and the hands wielding a spear and staff. At the outskirts of Madurai, Azhagar is received by people in a ceremony known as Ethir Sevai. The song mentions the fireworks during this ceremony. Azhagar reaches the Ambalakara Mandapam, where he discards the Kallar costume to get into a gold kavacham. A garland worn by Andal at Srivilliputhur awaits him here. At Thallakulam, Azhagar spends the fourth night. All of this brings us to the end of song 13.
Lord Kallazhagar leaving the Thenur Mandapam on the Vaigai in Madurai on Garuda Vahanam after the ritual of redeeming the curse of Mandooga Maharishi, on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: Ashok R
The fifth day is a busy one for Azhagar. Song 14 describes him mounting the horse and being taken in a chariot made of fragrant vetti ver via Mysore Mandapam to Karuppan Koil, where he is transferred with the horse to the mount known as Ayiram Ponn Chapparam. Song 15 describes the teerthavari utsavam .
Devotees spray water on Lord Kallazhagar on His way back after entering the Vaigai river in Madurai during the annual Chithirai Festival . | Photo Credit: G. Moorthy
Azhagar enters Vaigai thereafter, ‘holding tightly the reins of the horse,’ as per song 16. He goes to a hall of mirrors and this sevai is described in song 17. From here, Azhagar proceeds to the Vandiyur Veeraraghavaswami temple to spend the night. For some reason, this has traditionally been described as the Lord spending a night with his Muslim consort Tulukka Nachiyar. While she has a sanctum to herself in Srirangam, there is no equivalent in Madurai and yet the legend persists. Perhaps it was a way of integrating the Muslim community with the festival.
Lord Kallazhagar on ‘Poo Pallakku’. | Photo Credit: G. Moorthy
Songs 18 to 26 have Tulukka Nachiyar welcoming and offering various services to the Azhagar. Most interestingly, songs 27 to 35 have Azhagar reciprocating Tulukka Nachiyar’s services. In song 36, he plays a game involving a floral ball with her and departs. Songs 37 to 41 are benedictions, lullabies and swing songs for the couple.
Kallazhagar in Mohini avatharam at Ramarayar Mandapam in Madurai on Thursday. | Photo Credit: Ashok R
By song 42, Azhagar is at the Ramaraya Mandapam, where in one night at the request of rishi Sutapas, whom he redeems enroute from the curse of being a frog, Azhagar displays 10 avatarams. This is one of the most spectacular aspects of the procession. Azhagar transforms from Matsya to Kurma and more until he becomes Krishna. Owing to paucity of time some are omitted, and the composer too does not have songs for Varaha and Narasimha. The 10th avatara here is that of Mohini and songs 49 and 50 describe it.
On the seventh day, Azhagar mounts the Anandaraya palanquin and wends his way back. At the Mysore Mandapam, he is transferred to a floral palanquin and enters Azhagarkoil on the ninth day, with all the offerings given to him. Songs 51 to 53 sing of this journey and the book concludes with a Mangalam.
Sengamalavalli may claim to have no qualifications to compose but her songs bring to life an energy-filled festival replete with local colour.
Published - April 26, 2024 01:54 pm IST
