Time: 2:00pm
Venue: Sama Rathi Auditorium, HTGC, Lemont IL
Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam and Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago
present four original bharatanatyam dance programs with the theme
Mystic Messages of Hindu Women Saints
on
Akka Mahadevi (Sushmita Arunkumar)
Born in Udatadi, Shimoga district of Karnataka, Akka Mahadevi was a prominent figure of the Veerashaiva Bhakthi movement in the 12th century A.D. Her vachanas, a form of poetry, are considered her greatest contribution to Kannada Bhakthi literature, and bear witness to her intense, all-encompassing love for Lord Chennamallikarjuna, embodying the philosophy “Sarana sati Linga pati’.
Karaikkal Ammaiyar (Sowmya Kumaran)
In the famous seaport town of Karaikkal inhabited by merchants noted for their virtue, veracity and wealth there lived a merchant by the name of Danadattan. As the result of his great tapas, he was blessed with a daughter called Punitavadiyar (the immaculate). From her earliest years, she instinctively developed a love of God. She studied religious literature and served God’s devotees. When she reached a marriageable age, her parents sought a husband for her. A suitable offer from the neighboring town of Nagapatnam was approved. Punitavadiyar was then married in great pomp to Paramadattan. However, her parents were unwilling to part with their only daughter; so they assigned a separate house and large property to their son-in-law, who agreed to live in Karaikkal.
One day, Paramadattan sent his wife a couple of mangoes that he had received from his friends. On the same day a mendicant devotee came to Punitavadiyar’s house asking for alms. The virtuous lady had only just prepared rice, but had not cooked any vegetables. So she decided to appease the bhakta’s hunger with one of the two mangoes sent by her husband’s friends. When her husband returned home for dinner, Punitavadiyar served him the other mango. Finding its taste agreeable, her husband asked her for a second mango. Distressed and frightened to tell her husband the truth, Punitavadiyar withdrew as if to fetch the mango and prayed to God who showed His grace by placing a mango in her hands. Upon eating this second mango served by his wife, Paramadattan proclaimed that the fruit’s taste surpassed the delights of the three worlds, and wanted to know where she had gotten the mango. Punitavadiyar was torn between an unwillingness to disclose the truth and a reluctance to be dishonest. However, she did eventually narrate to her husband the events as they had happened. Paramadattan was amazed and incredulous. He asked that Punitavadiyar should prove her honesty by asking God for another fruit. Punitavadiyar once again implored God to prove his grace and her honesty by presenting her with another fruit. God fulfilled her request, but when Punitavadiyar placed the divine fruit on her husband’s hand, it miraculously vanished. Paramadattan was struck with fear and decided to abandon a wife whose extraordinary divine powers intimidated him. He acquired a trading ship, took all his wealth and set sail for a port in the Panidayan territory where he settled. Soon he remarried and had a daughter whom he called Punitavadiyar.
When Punitavadiyar’s relatives found out Paramadattan’s whereabouts, they decided to confront him. They took Punitavadiyar in a palanquin to Paramadattan’s town and then informed the runaway husband of their arrival and mission. Accompanied by his wife and child, Paramadattan came to his former wife and fell prostrate at her feet. Punitavadiyar’s relatives were amazed at the sight of a husband falling at his wife’s feet. Paramadattan explained his actions by relating the story of the miraculous mango. He told them of how he had named his own daughter after the woman whom he considered divine. He urged everyone to worship her. Affected by her husband’s actions, Punitavadiyar resolved to shed her flesh and beauty which had been solely for her husband’s delight. She prayed to God asking that she be transformed into a demoness who would stand by God in prayer. Her wishes were granted. Punitavadiyar’s transformation was blessed with flowers from the Gods, music from the heavens and praise from the Rishis and Devas.
The bhakthi of Punitavadiyar, also called Karaikkal Ammayar, found expression in her poems, the first of which was called Arpudhat-thiru-andhadhi, the wonderful andhadhi of 100 verses. No one can read these verses without feeling the wonderful beauty, pathos and love that permeates them.
Meerabai (Vanitha Veeravalli)
Undying love for Krishna – Mereyto Giridhar Gopal – was part of Meera’s steadfast faith. Born a princess in Rajasthan, (15th-16th century A.D.), Meera became one of the most renowned women saints of India. Persecuted in marriage, for her beliefs and actions, Meera left the royal household in search of her Giridhar, and sang and danced in name till the very end. Meera’s poetry is marked with bridal mysticism, with Krishna as her beloved and only true husband.
Andal (Sujatha Srinivasan)
When the spread of irreligious atmosphere pained the saints and they prayed for Divine interference, their agonies reached Goddess Lakshmi, and Her soft heart was moved. To relieve the suffering of the devotees and bring them to the Lotus feet of Lord Narayana, she incarnated on earth as Andaal. She was discovered underneath the Tulsi plant in the garden of Vishnuchitta, also known as Periyalwar. He brought her up affectionately as his own child. Early in life the child showed signs of an all-consuming love for Lord Narayana and a hatred for all earthly pleasures and happiness.
Periyalwar had the daily practice of offering a garland to the temple deity of Srivilliputtur in South India. One day when he offered the garland to the priest, the latter observed a strand of hair and returned it as unfit. Periyalwar found out that Andaal daily donned the garland before sending it to the temple for the Lord. She would stand before the mirror saying, “Lord, do I look beautiful donning this?” The father chastised Andaal not knowing her godliness. That night the Lord appeared in a dream to both the priest and Periyalwar telling them, “The flowers acquire their special fragrance for me only if Andaal wears them. Let me have the usual wreaths garlands.” Both woke up delighted at the fortune of Andaal.
As she advanced in age, her knowledge and her Bhakti towards the Lord grew day by day and she longed union with the Lord. How ennobling is her idea that even at that young age she realized that the Lord is the only Purusha and all the rest are his spouses! Days passed and with it the pain of separation from the Lord increased in Andaal. Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam appeared in a dream to Vishnuchitta and directed him to bring Andaal in bridal attire and due ceremony to Srirangam as he wished to marry her.
Vishnuchitta took Andaal in a great marriage procession and when Andaal reached the presence of Lord Ranganatha, she was drawn like a magnet and she boldly mounted up His serpent couch, embraced Him most affectionately and vanished from the sight of the large crowd gathered there to witness the scene.The ceremony of marriage as also her penance for a month are still observed to please the Lord in the Vaishnava Temples of India. Her two poems known as Tiruppavai (30 stanzas) and Nacchiyar Thirumozhi (143stanzas) are exceedingly popular with the Vaishnavities.
Andaal’s mysticism of Love has a special efflorescence of its own and her hymns have been ranked along with the Upanishads. The concept of Prapatti (surrender of the human will to the Divine will and Kainkarya (Service to the Lord and to his Bhaktas) are given by her a high and honored place in the scheme of life towards God. Her poems brimming with creativity and overpowering passion for Lord Narayana simply overwhelm and transport me to a different world. According to Swami Desikan, Andaal is the leader and pathfinder for all the Azhvars in expressing their love for the Lord and she is the only Azhvar to attain the status of a Goddess.
This presentation is my humble offering at the feet of Andaal and through her poems I am trying in my small way to relive her life, her longings and her experience. ”Sri AndaaL ThiruvadigaLE SharaNam”.
with live music accompaniments from India performing music specially composed for this occasion.
Tickets
Pricing:
- $15 per person
- $25 per couple
Dependent children/youth will be allowed free of charge with parents. Seats are guaranteed only for adults.
Tickets available in advance at the HTGC Front Desk.
Please make checks payable to Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago.