Thiruppaan Azhwar, great Vaishnava saint: Attained an exalted status in Vaishnava tradition from humble beginning

Navrang India April 08, 2025

ThiruppanAzhwar, en.wikipedia.org

Thiruppan Azhwar. audiyahistory.iskcon

Above images: Thiruppaan Azhwar, A Vaishnava saint of repute. 
His famous work the ten verses from  Amalanatipiran  are significant among the 4000 stanzas in the Nalayira Divya Prebendam.......
 Born in Purthurmadhi year, Karthigai month,  in the Rohini Star (Natshatram) in a hamlet "Alagapuri" near Srirangam in the 8th or 9th century C.E,  Thiruppaan Azhwar rose to prominence on merit.

 Hailing from the Paanars community of musicians and traditional songmakers, well versed in Tamil and devotional hymns with skill and choice of words as the people in that community,  Thiruppaan Azhwar  had the ability to keep the audience spell-binding to a state of feeling blissful.  Despite their low caste status (which is absolutely non-sense), no doubt the members won the heart of demi gods - devas  and sages.  

Singing the glories of Shri Vishnu (Narayana) wherever  he travelled in the Tamil Desam,  his devotion and innate talents to invoke bhakti among  the  people did not go unnoticed and  Thiruppaan Azhwar got the attention of the devout people. He became popular and was called "Paanar perumal"

One day, a devout Brahmin priest in the Ranganatha temple  came to the Cauvery river for collecting  water for use in the Temple. On seeing Pannar, he asked him to move away (centuries ago low boundaries were  deep- rooted, Low cast people were not allowed to use holy rivers like Cauvery or from any  river water  meant for puja, etc at the temple).  The priest asked him to move away. Deeply engaged in a  meditative mood on Sri Vishnu,  he did not hear it. The priest threw a small stone to get him away. Unfortunately, it injured his  forehead from which blood was oozing out . Paanar quietly went away. 

Unaware of the the injury on Pannar's forehead, the priest went to the lord's sanctum and was in shock on seeing blood oozing out of lords's forehead. Connecting the two events, he went home and retired to bed with heavy heart. That night he had a dream  in which the lord asked him to bring Paanar to the Temple. But refused to come along with the priest when he approached  Pannar. As he was in state of trance, the priest to erase the caste boundary carried him into the  to fulfil God's wish.Temple; hence, he earned the title  Azhwar- Munivaahanar 

The Nachiyar  temple is said to be the birthplace of Thiruppaan Azhwar (belonging to the 6th-8th centuries). In Srirangam Ranganthaswamy temple a yearly birth festival of Thiruppaan Azhwar  is celebrated with Viswaroopa darshan of Ranganatha at the sanctum on  his birthday. The festive idol of Thiruppaan  taken from the temple to Srirangam is normally received with honours called "Keezha Padi Honours". A Parivattam (silk turban) is tied on the Azhwar s head, adorned with a garland, a shawl is wrapped around his shoulders and sacred sandal paste is handed to him. These are done to make him happy. 

Later, the image of the Azhwar lvar is taken to Nammazhwar shrine and then to the goddess shrine, with the chanting of Nalayira Divya Prabandham covering the hymns his work - Amalanaathipiraan. 

In the Azhagiya Manavala Perumal temple, a 10-day festival is held with  Araiyar sevai, Veda Paaraayanam (reciting of Vedas).  (Araiyar Seva is part of Vaikuntha Ekadashi festival at Srirangam); special thirumanjanam (ablution) and procession takes place inside the temple. (much of the legend is taken from gaudiyahistory.iskcon)