December 16, 2022 sees the commencement of a new month in the Tamizh (Tamil) calendar, the Margazhi Masam. It is an auspicious month that associates with spirituality and devotion. The holy month sees the worship of Andal as devotees lovingly recite bhajans, mainly the Thiruppavai.
Andal was a 10th century Tamil poet who is revered as a saint in the southern parts of India. Also revered as Kothai Naachiyaar, Andal is the only female Alvar among the 12 Alvar saints of South India. She is often remembered for her pure love and devotion towards the lord. When her father was to get her married, she insisted that she would marry only Sri Ranganatha and no one else.
As a young woman, she fell in divine love with Lord Vishnu, the form of Sri Ranganatha, and refused to wed any mortal man. In her songs, which are now recited as Andal Thiruppavai, she asks for His embrace, demands His caress.
This special month offers prayers to Andal and respects her pure love for the Divine. Some believe that people who sing the Andal Thiruppavai and pray to her and Lord Vishnu during the early hours of the days in Margazhi Masam will be blessed with a good life partner.
Also, it was in this month that the scriptures suggest Lord Nataraja to have displayed His divine dance to sages Vyagrapada and Patanjali. Aspiring artists and those looking for spiritual advancement consider this month very special in their loves.
