Tweet

मङ्गलम्

Mar 13 • 10 tweets • 4 min read

Auspicious day today! The Thirunakshatram of Sri Kulasekhara Azhwar, the king among Azhwars and the birthday of the poet saint Sri Atukuri Molla, two great Bhakthas, whose works continue to inspire us even today!

A short thread. 😀🙏

Kulasekhara Azhwar hailed from the royal lineage of Travancore. A wealthy king with a huge army & admin, and a great poet and a devotee. He authored the fantastic 'Mukunda Maala' in Sanskrit. He visited Srirangam and Tirupathi. Fell in love with the lord of the seven hills!

He was so engrossed in devotion to Lord Venkateshwara, that he wished if he had a rebirth, be wanted to be a plant or stone or dust on the seven hills. Perumal granted him his wish. The threshold into the innermost sanctum in Tirupathi is called Kulasekhara Padi in his honour.😀

He longed to serve Lord Ranganatha in Srirangam. He was well versed in the Vedas and Upanishads. He would organise daily Ramayana Upanyasams in his palace. They helped enhance his Bhakti further. The 105 Pasurams of the Perumal Thirumozhi are dedicated to Perumal here. 😀🙏

He was prolific in Sanskrit. He authored two Sanskrit plays Tapatisamvarana and Subhadradhananjaya and a champu kavya Ascharya Manjari. The plays continue to be performed in the ancient Koodiyattam tradition of Sanskrit drama in the temple Koothambalams in Kerala. 😀🙏

'Mukundamaala' in Sanskrit is one of my personal favourites. A 13th cent. inscription in Mandalay is prefaced by a sloka from Mukundamaala. The inscription describes the construction of a mandapa for Perumal and the endowment for a lamp by Rayiran Chiriyan Kulasekhara Nampi. 😀

Love this Sloka from the Mukundamaala being rendered by Nookala Garu.

🤩🙏🤩🙏🤩

https://twitter.com/veejaysai/status/1422897536507944960?t=G1IRiN66TCx6PGuSyJkn3A&s=19

@sahityaakademi

He is the only Azhwar who has been elevated with the honour of the title 'Kulasekhara Perumal'. For those of you interested to know further, @sahityaakademi had brought out excellent monographs on him. Good beginnings guide.

😀🙏😀

The other great devotee is Atukuri Molla (1440 - 1530). Born to a poor potter, she was also called 'Kummara Molla'. Kandukuri Veeresalingam Pantulu dates her to be a contemporary of Sri Krishna Devaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire.

Born into a staunch Shaiva bhaktha family, she was inspired by the great poet Bammera Pothana and did a Telugu rendering of Valmiki Ramayanam. It became popular as 'Molla Ramayanam'. It is a classic!

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

More from @veejaysai

मङ्गलम्

@veejaysai

Mar 10

In the golden words of Shri Atal ji..."Ham Vijay Hue Hain, Ham Mein Vinamrata Hain. Parajay Mein Atma Manthan Hona Chahiye.."

The Lotus shall blossom again! And again! 🤩🙏

Obviously those other idiots won't understand "Atma Manthan" in many lives!

Jai Ho! 😀🙏

As someone said "Ab Ki Baar, Antim Sanskaar!"

🥴🥴🥴

The memes are rolling!

There should be a collection of them for later entertainment!

🤪🤪🤪

Read 4 tweets

मङ्गलम्

@veejaysai

Mar 10

The annual #Panguni Utsavams have commenced in #Srirangam. Yesterday evening, the Purappadu of Viswaksenar happened. He goes around the Maada veedhis to inspect if everything is ok. Today onwards Namperumal with Ubhaya Nachiyar is taken in a procession.

Will do a thread. 😀🙏

The dreaded Chniese Vrius had attacked just before the Panguni Utsavams last time. And for two years, everything was conducted within the temple premises. The residents of Srirangam have been eagerly waiting for two years now!

Finally this year they are happening, like before!😀

Earlier this morning, before sunrise, the Dhwajaarohana Mahotsavam happened. Sharing images and videos as received.

🙏🤩🙏🤩🙏

#Panguni2022

Read 29 tweets

मङ्गलम्

@veejaysai

Feb 15

A day out with the nonagenarian Muthukannammal, the last of the traditional dancers of the Viralimalai Murugan temple. The original Kurathi of the famous Viralimalai Kuravanji!

Her name was announced for the Padma Shri award by the President of India, few weeks ago.

🤩🙏🤩

I was visiting her and this place after close to two decades! And what a phenomenal memory she has!! She could recollect so much from the last time!

So much laughter,music,dance, history, raunchy jokes and her old world social graces!

Superbly exciting day! Lots to tell!
🤩🙏

I showed her the image of hers I had taken some nineteen years ago! A young Muthukannammal had performed Abhinayam to a Dikshitar's Nottuswaram for us, then. She could recollect everything from memory!

Even now she has a sharp memory and perfect eyesight!

What a woman! 🤩🙏

Read 10 tweets

मङ्गलम्

@veejaysai

Feb 5

@narendramodi

Something extraordinary is happening in Hyderabad. A giant statue of Saint Shri Ramanujacharya who propounded the Visishtadvaita philosophy has been set up. Today the Prime Minister of India, Shri @narendramodi ji will do Lokaarpanam.

A short thread on what it might signify. 🙏

The statue and complex around it looks damn impressive! It has miniature shrines to all the Divyadesams. Veda Patashalas, Yagashalas, Gaushalas and so forth.

Certainly a huge huge commendable feat achieved!

🙏😀🙏😀

I am not going into the biographical details of the Saint. They are well known and readily available. What is more important is Telugus reclaiming him. Yes, he was of Telugu ancestry in his Poorvashramam. His Inti peru was Aasuri. His father was Keshava Somayajulu. 🙏😀

Read 26 tweets

मङ्गलम्

@veejaysai

Feb 4

In other Carnatic news, today is the Jayanthi Utsavam of poet,saint and composer Kancharla Gopanna, more popular as Bhaktha Ramadasu.

As a Vaggeyakara, he dedicated a large number of compositions to Lord Rama in Bhadrachalam, or "Dakshina Ayodhya", as it is called.

🤩🙏🤩🙏🤩

@AkashvaniAIR

I am not going to get into his biography and such details. A lot of it is very well known. Even his musical compositions. They were first popularized by Balantrapu Garu and Dr BMK on the famous Bhakthi Ranjani show of All India Radio. They became a rage!

@AkashvaniAIR.

Before his compositions became popular with the classical music community, they were already a large part of local folk repertoire!

Farmers working in fields would sing his songs. In fact, they popularized them centuries before anyone else!

Read 8 tweets

मङ्गलम्

@veejaysai

Feb 2

@RahulGandhi

Every time this @RahulGandhi speaks, @BJP4India gets more and more support! Every single time!

He is actually the star campaigner for the @BJP4India! They should use him more often! 😎

🥳🥳🥳