Lord Vishnu has been praised by the 12 Alwars (Vaishnava Saints) in their Four Thousands Paasura’s. The Twelve Saints were belongs to the South India and are well-known for their Srivaishnava tradition of Hinduism, who was born in 3005 BCE. Thiruppavai and Nachiar Tirumozhi are the renowned version composed by ‘Andal’, the only female Alwar among the Twelve Alwar saints, dedicated it to the Lord with heartfelt Love. She then was married by Lord Ranganatha Swamy, the reincarnations of Lord Vishnu. In order to praise of the ardent devotion of Andal, Lord Vishnu has granted one whole Tamil month (Margazhi masam) of the year entirely devoted to Sri Kodhai with one of her work Thiruppavai will be recited replacing the Suprabhatham at Thirumala Sri Venkateshwara Temple.
Who is Andal?
According to an ancient Legend, Andal is the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi Devi the spouse of Lord Vishnu. She is also called as Godha Devi, who is believed to have been discovered under a Thulasi (Basil/Ocimum tenuiflorum) plant in the temple garden of Srivilliputtur, to Vishnuchitthar who is a a devotee of Maha Vishnu and a Pandit. He later became one of the most revered saint of the 12 Alwars of the Vaishnavaites of the Hinduism. Vishnuchittha adopted the child and named her “Kodhai” meaning the gift of “Mother Earth”. This is also a popularly thought to mean as a “beautiful garland” in Tamil.
She performed a wonderful vratham or prayer called Dhanurmasa vratham to tell us that, by practicing this vratham, one can attain all materialistic happiness along with the eternal bliss. By observing this vratha sincerely, one’s desire get’s occomplished. Hence Kodhai performed this vratha in order to marry Lord Ranganatha (reincarnation or Lord Vishnu).
Andal has a passion over Lord Vishnu since from her childhood to teenage, Andal had spent most of the time only in thoughts of Lord Vishnu. She composed 30 verses named as Thiruppavai and 143 hymns as Nachiyar Thirumozhli. Astonishingly she was just four years old when she started to compose the first hymns of Thiruppavai, The Nachayiyar Thirumozhli and Vaaranam-Aayiram. She regarded Periyaazhlwar not only as a father, but also a preceptor. Andal, like her father Periazhlwar, sang a Pallandu to hail the Lord.