Latest news with #Azhagar
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Time of India
Stolen circus camel reunited with tribal group
Trichy: Almost a week after a circus camel was stolen from a Kazhaikoothaadi tribal group, police found it tied to a tree, and handed it back to its owner in Thanjavur late Sunday. R Azhagar, 47, and his family from Nathamedu village in Karur had arrived in Keela Vastha Saavadi in Thanjavur earlier this year to conduct 'The Great Indian Circus.' Like others of their community, they wander for most of the year performing shows with their animals, which include a camel, horse, a dog, and some goats, and earn an income. On the morning of May 16, they were shocked to see the camel tied to the tree near their camp missing. The female camelid named 'Lakshmi' was with them for eight years and was the main attraction of their show. "Lakshmi was gone just as we were about to dismantle the camp and leave. As she was our primary breadwinner, we began searching everywhere before complaining to police," said Azhagar. A case was registered at Thanjavur taluk police station under BNS section 303 clause 2 (theft). Thanjavur SP R Rajaram formed a five-member special team under a DSP. The team looked for clues, and finally found footage of some people untying the 7-foot-tall animal and walking away on May 16. "As days went by, we thought Lakshmi was sold, and we had lost her forever," said Vijay, 25, Azhagar's son and the complainant. The family was relieved after the police informed them on May 23 that the camel was found tied to a tree on the riverbank in Reddipalayam, 5km away from Keela Vastha Saavadi. They handed the animal to the group. "We suspected this may have been done by people to whom the group owed money. They might have abandoned it after a case was registered," said an official. The tribal group thanked the police and residents as they left the town.
The Hindu
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Unearthing lyrical gems that describe Azhagar's procession to Vaigai and back
It's that time of the year again, when notwithstanding the heat of the Chithirai month, thousands flock to Madurai to witness the wedding of Meenakshi and Sundareswara and also the twin event of Azhagar's procession from Azhagarkoil/Tirumalirumsolai arriving at the Vaigai river. Last year in this supplement we looked at a book published in 1932 that contains compositions by Senkamalavalli, wife of AK Srinivasa Iyengar, who was a Tamil professor at the Findlay College, Mannargudi. She has penned 54 songs that capture every little aspect of Azhagar's nine-day outing. Apart from Senkamalavalli's songs, there are a few other compositions, but they do not visualise the event the way she has done. In fact, formal description of the procession find mention only 17th century onwards. This is not to say that the event itself dates back to the time, it can be traced further beyond. Description of Madurai and the temple can be found in the pasurams composed by five azhwars, Silappathikaram, Vedanta Desika's Hamsa Sandesam and Arunagirinathar's Tiruppugazh. The last one that has a mention of Pazhamuthirsolai, situated in the same range of hills as Tirumalirumsolai, highlights the natural beauty of the place and the presence of the Nupura Ganga/Silambaru. The 17th composition 'Chalu Chalu' by Raja Shahaji in raga Kanada and Ata tala is an ode to the deity. Muthuswami Dikshitar makes passing mention of the festival in his 'Sri Sundararajam' (Kasiramakriya/Adi). The song states the festival is associated with the arrival of Manduka. Even today, one of the highlights of the procession is the seventh day, when Azhagar, on his way back, stops at Thenoor to offer salvation to rishi Sutapas who owing to a curse, has transformed into a frog (Manduka). That night, at the rishi's request, Azhagar appears in all ten incarnations at the Ramarayar Mandapam. But only seven are displayed. Varaha and Narasimha avataras are omitted since they would require Azhagar's face to be changed. The tenth avatara is not of Kalki but Mohini. The 19th century Azhagar Kuravanji by Kavi Kunjara Bharati though set in Sivaganga, imagines that the town is part of the procession and has songs describing it. One of them depicts the first eight avataras and the subsequent song is dedicated to Azhagar as Krishna. There is a one structured as a conversation among women mesmerised by the beauty of Azhagar. Legend has it that a princess is smitten by Azhagar's beauty and a fortune-teller (kurathi) assures her of union with the Lord. In the 1950s, when Ambujam Krishna began composing, she dedicated several songs to Azhagarkoil. One of them being 'Azhagan bavani' (tuned by KR Kedaranathan in Kamboji/Rupakam), which has four charanams, each beautifully describes important events in the procession. It begins with the composer inviting devouts to pay their respects to Azhagar as he sets out with a smile in a palanquin from the temple. His hair is tied in a knot, he wields a shepherd's crook and is dressed in sparkling gems. The next stanza describes Azhagar in a golden chariot, which as the lines indicate, moves in a slow, swaggering manner. On reaching Madurai, by when it is a full moon night, Azhagar gets onto a horse and prepares to cross the Vaigai, this being the highpoint of the festival. The third stanza describes the first part of the return, when the Lord is seated on Adi Sesha and then Garuda, and grants salvation to sage Manduka enroute. The description of the 10 avataras comes next. The final stanza depicts Azhagar in a floral palanquin, surrounded by his devotees, reaching his abode in the hills. This is a festival of the people and the folk songs on it are no less interesting. In his thesis on the temple, titled Azhagar Koil (Madurai Kamaraj University, 1989), Tho Paramasivan includes a few. The most absorbing section comprises songs belonging to the 'varnippu' genre that describes an event, in this case the entire procession, and episodes from it. The author lists 11 songs, of which five were passed down through oral tradition. He notes that this temple had an association known as the Bhaktar Varnippalar Mahasabai, which comprised these songsters. Founded in 1966, it aimed to preserve and propagate the genre. In various interviews, Paramasivan has indicated that varnippu follows the ammanai format. This format traces its origins to the Mahabharata Ammanai, sung by Sankaramoorti Konar in 1817, who also composed varnippus. The varnippus, essentially long-format, multi-line pieces devoid of cadences, were sung at the Ramarayar Mandapam through the night when Azhagar changed his garb nine times. They played an important role in keeping audiences enthused and awake. The Mahasabai crowdfunded these performances. Paramasivan has published one varnippu which had existed till then only in oral tradition. Comprising 189 lines, it describes Azhagar's journey from the temple to Madurai. The lyrics make for an interesting reading as they are sprinkled with Telugu, English and a couple of Urdu words as well.
