Kallazhagar Temple, Alagarkoil, Madurai – Literary Mention

Kallazhagar Temple, Alagarkoil, Madurai – Literary Mention 

Kallazhagar temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabhandam, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Periazhwar and Peyazhwar. The temple is classified as a Divyadesam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the temple finds mention in several works like 108 Tirupathi Anthathi by Divya Kavi Pillai Perumal Aiyangar.

The Aalwars Period:

Aalwars are the 12 persons of fierce disciples of lord Vishnu, belonged to 8^th century. Among them, some of them belonged to the 5^th century. On those days, they praised this hill and its wealth, and described this as the "South Thirupathi". In their hymns called "Paasurams", they had praised the sthalam, Moorthy and the Theertham. They had done "Mangalasasanam" on this Sthalam. Out of this 12 Aalwars, six of them namely, Periyalwar, Aandal, Thirumangaialwar, Boothatalwar, Peiyalwar, Nammaalvar had praised the hill and the lord Alagar in their 128 paasurams. All these paasurams have been compiled and called in the name of “Naalaayira Dhivya prapantham ", which has been called as the Veda of the vaishnavites.

Periyalwar and Aandal:

Aandal is the incarnation of the goddess Sri "Maha Lakshmi", the consort of lord Vishnu, who had been the one of the 12 Aalwars. She wanted to marry Lord Sri Renga (lord Vishnu), without knowing the birth secret of her incarnation. She had been also called as the other name "Soodi kodutha Sudarkodi", that every day, She had made the garland for the lord Vishnu and had garlanded him with the flowers and songs in the name of paasurams. She and her father Periyalwar (also one of the 12 Aalwars) often visited Alagar Kovil and had sung paasurams about the hill and Alagar. At last she got married with Alagar in the form of Lord Sri Ranganatha.

Periyalwar and Thirumalirunsolai:

He described the beauty of this hill by comparing it with the north Vengadam as like it, here also there were seven hills as follows:-

1)   Alangaaran Malai (here Malai means hill)

2)   Kula Malai

3)   Kola Malai

4)   Kulir Mamalai

5)   Kottra Malai

6)   Nila Malai

7)   Neenda Malai

In these seven hills, there were rivers, springs and fountains, which were described by Periyalwar in his paasurams.

Mangalasasanam:

·        Periyalwar - 24 Paasurams

·        Andal - 11 Paasurams

·        Thirumangaialwar - 33 Paasurams

·        Bhoodhatalwar - 3 Paasurams

·        Peiyalwar - 1 Paasuram

·        Nammaalvar - 36 Paasurams 

·        Total - 108 Paasurams

Manavala Maamunigal and Udaiyavar Sri Ramanujar have also done the Mangalasasanam on this perumal.