Alwarthirunagari.

Sri Aadhinathavalli Thayaar and Sri Aadinatha Perumaal at Alwar Thirunagari temple

In one of our stops ,Alwarthirunagari ,a part of navathirupathi temples , the tamarind tree under which Nam aazhvar the foremost amongst the 12 vaishnavaite poet saints [2nd to 9th cent AD] was inspired to pour 1300 hymns in praise of Vishnu as well as condensing the essence of Vedas in a concise form ,is still intact!

There are three trees with gnarled trunks.But the canopy is, fresh green The tree with the deepest hollow is the original tree ,from which other trees have been regenerated . The leaves never close when night falls! And there is no emission of carbon di oxide at night .And the fruit never ripens! A botanical wonder.

People from all over the world , more so from the US pay a visit to this temple every year with the sole purpose of sitting and meditating under this inspirational tamarind tree ,for hours together,to experience cosmic vibrations!


The priest of the temple pointed to us the figures of a succession of Pandya rulers of days gone by , who have contributed liberally to the temples upkeep down the ages.They have carved their images along with their families on the steps leading to the main deity!The reason, those mighty rulers really felt that they would be sanctified by the foot of the devotees of the deity ,trodding over them for eternity!

On hearing this, I skirted the prostrate figures , with their arms outstretched in total supplication, on the rock hewn floor on my way out. I simply didn't have the heart to trample underfoot those golden hearted rulers with their matchless humility and touching,deep faith.

It shames me to think that I live in an era where donations and services the size of a pin head are publisiced with great fanfare and pompously commemorated on marbles and granite.And men and women ,who donot posses even a fraction of the power ,wealth and valour of those lion hearted rulers,strut around like demigods ,fawned upon by sidekicks, also pint sized ,squashing every one and every thing underfoot.