Alagar Gets in River Vaigai on Chitra Pournami - A Grand Festival of Madurai !!!

Alagar, also called as Kallalagar is none other than lord Vishnu, who is residing at Alagarkovil, which is 24 k.m from Madurai. One of the best festivals which have been celebrated for Him, is 'Alagar gets in river Vaigai', on that day the whole Madurai is on it's jubilant.

Along with this festival, yet one another festival is celebrating by the people of Madurai is 'Goddess Sri Meenakshi Thirukalyanam' (Marriage of goddess Sri Meenakshi). These two festivals have been celebrated as a joint festival which endures for more than 9 days.

Goddess Sri Meenakshi is said to be the sister of lord Alagar. Her marriage has been fixed with lord Sundareshwarar (lord Shiva), which is held at Madurai. In order to see His sister marriage, lord Alagar departs from Alagarkovil at Alagarmalai.

For this he starts his journey from Alagarmalai accompanied with His pariwar (gatherings). The next day early morning he reaches the place called 'Moonrumaavadi', where he takes some rest (not for Him; for His palanquin lifters), where people receives Him with warm welcome.

My residence is very near this place called 'Alagar nagar'. On that very early morning, all people in our area are gathering in the 'Thirukan mantapam' (Alagar stays for a while at some particular pre permitted places by the temple management).

There people worships lord Alagar who is on the horse vagana and He departs from that 'thirukan mantapam' to the next one,which are all along the way to the river Vaigai. Evening itself He reaches the place called 'Tallakulam', where in Ambalakarar mantagapadi 'Ethirsevai' (greeting Alagar to Madurai entrance) has been taking place.

That night He Stays in Tallakulam area where one famous lord Vishnu temple is there. The full night that area looks like a heaven full of traditional dances and small temporary plat form shops. The people all over Madurai is gathering there and celebrates the arrival of lord Alagar to Madurai.

The next morning, before leaving for attending His sister's marriage, He is receiving the garland from 'Andal' (incarnation of goddess Boodevi, consort of lord Vishnu) from Srivilliputhur, which is around 80 k,m from Madurai. She had been a fierce disciple of lord Vishnu.

Having accepted the garland, He moves on the huge wooden car,called as 'Vettiver saparam' and then from 'Aayirampon saparam' (gonden car) to river Vaigai. There He has been welcomed by another deity called 'Veeraraghava perumal' and been told that the marriage finished already.

Lord Alagar is angry enough to turn His route along the river Vaigai and stays at various 'Mantagapadis' (pre alloted places for stay) and give His dharshan to His devotees who are staying all along the banks of river Vaigai.

That night He stays at Vandiyur, where He blesses His devotees the whole night and watching many more rituals there. The next morning he reaches Thenur mantapam by the 'Shesha vagana' (Five headed snake called 'Aathiseshan' which is His sleeping bed).

There he appears in Garuda vagana and retrieves the curse of Manduga Maharishi (in the form of a frog), who had been once as sage Subathus and been cursed by Durvasa muni.

The legend was that the sage Subhathus,once had been taking bath in the noobhura gangai, when he didn't notice the presence of the sage Durvasa, he annoyed as the negligence and cursed the sage Subhathus to change into a frog and should always in the water.

Later, having worried about his pitiable condition, sage Durvasa told him about his curse retrieval that when he would have met lord Alagar, his curse would have been cured. As per the word of the sage Durvasa, he got released from his curse.

That night lord Alagar reaches Ramarayar mantapam and shows His 10 incarnations (Thusavatar) as in the form of idol decoration to the devotees.The next day, Alagar appears in Mohini avatar and reaches again the 'Mysore mantapam' by the 'Anandharaya - palanquin'.

There He has been decorated with a lot of flowers, arranged in a palanquin (Puspha pallaku) and showing His enduring blessings to the devotees. The next day, He returned to Alagarmalai, via a night stay at 'Appan Thirupathi'.

Totally this festival is celebrated for 9 days, in which He starts from Alagarmalai on the 4^th day and would return to his abode alagarkovil on the 9 ^th day.

Before the reign of the king Thirumalai nayak, these two festivals had been celebrated on different months. At the time of his kingdom, in order to create the harmony of religious celebration, he combined both the festivals (Meenakshi thirukalyanam & Alagar gets in river vaigai) as one. Before his era, the festival of 'Alagar gets in river Vaigai' had been celebrated by starting at Alagar malai via Alanganallur, Thenur and reached river Vaigai,stayed at Vandiyur and again returned to Alagarmalai on the Tamil month of Cithirai (Apr-may), while the festival of 'Meenakshi thirukalyanam' had been celebrated on the Tamil month of Masi (Feb-Mar).

The king Thirumalainayak had been a really good ruler who wanted the two divisions of Hinduism, that is 'Saivam (followers of lord Shiva) and the Vainavam (followers of lord Vishnu)' to be united in the harmony of religious celebration which had been held on the same month of 'Chithirai' on and after his era.