This is the birthday of “Sri. Andal”. She was born in the month of “Aadi” – Shukla paksham – chathasi day. Sri Andal, also known as Goda Devi, is considered as an incarnation of Sri Bhu Devi, the spouse and dear companion of Sri Maha Vishnu. Sri Andal is held in high esteem for her devotion to Sri Maha Vishnu and is regarded as one of the twelve Alwars.

She was found in the flower garden of Perialwar, a very pious saint who brought her up with great affection. Perialwar and his wife had no children of their own. One day while digging a pit in the garden, they noticed a baby girl whom they considered to be a gift from God. From her childhood, Andal was drawn towards God and was always fascinated by the stories of the playful activities of Lord Krishna. In the course of time, the desire to have Sri Vishnu as her life partner became deeply rooted in her heart. She yearned to marry only Him.

Perialwar, her adopted father used to provide garlands strewn from the flowers plucked from his own garden for daily worship to Sri Maha Vishnu at a nearby temple. The story goes that Andal used to decorate herself with the garland prepared by her father without his knowledge. She would look in the mirror and imagine that the garland would be a perfect fit and would look gorgeous on the Lord. One day her father noticed this act of his daughter and was heartbroken that he was offering garlands all these days to the Lord that were already worn by his daughter. He felt very guilty that day and decided not to take the garland to the temple. That night Perialwar had a dream in which the Lord expressed his displeasure for not offering the garland worn by Sri Andal, stating that he preferred to wear the garland that had previously been worn by Sri Andal. Perialwar suddenly realized the divine character of his foster daughter and called her Sudikkodutta Nacciyar, the goddess who offered the garland worn by her. As Perialwar was thinking of the marriage of Sri Andal, Sri Maha Vishnu appeared in a dream and asked him to bring Sri Andal to the temple and offer her as his beloved wife in a holy wedding ceremony. Following the Lord’s wishes, Perialwar took Sri Andal to the temple and presented his daughter to Sri Maha Vishnu for a spiritual wedding. The Lord received Sri Andal as his beloved wife. Sri Andal was united with the Deity.

Sri Andal has contributed two devotional compositions: (1) Tiruppavai comprising of thirty hymns and (2) Nacciyar Tirumoli consisting of 143 hymns. Tiruppavai describes the noble qualities and glory of Sri Maha Vishnu. As the title pavai indicates, Sri Andal observed a religious rite or vrata in the month of Margashirsha or Marghazi to seek Lord Krishna as her beloved husband. The thirty poems of Tiruppavai portray beautifully the ritual ceremony observed in the morning, the awakening of companions and Lord from sleep, and finally imploring the Lord to grant the boon. The teachings of Tiruppavai carry a deeper spiritual significance and are a practical guide to follow the Bhakti Yoga or path of devotion to God.

How to celebrate

Items required for puja

The following items should be purchased prior to the puja day.

One the day of the puja; clean the stoop and draw Rangoli, if possible, tie a string of mango leaves by the front door. Take a bath, wear clean clothes and follow the steps of the puja:

• Picture or Idol of Lord Srinivas/Andal in the Pooja room
• A dupatta or sari to offer to the deity
• Fresh and washed mango leaves
• Sandalwood
• One coconut
• Kumkum
• Turmeric
• Betel leaves and betel nuts
• Flowers and Fruits (especially red lotus)