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 ANDAL'S GARDEN: The Love Letter January 16, 2021 Specially curated and presented by Dr. Anita Ratnam and Narthaki.com on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, the morning presentations of Margazhi month starting from Dec 16, 2020 titled ANDAL'S GARDEN featured verses from Andal's Thiruppavai, while the evening presentations titled 'ANDAL'S GARDEN: The Love Letter' were devoted to verses from Nachiyar Thirumozhi, a lesser read masterpiece by the 9th century female saint Andal. VERSES FROM NACHIYAR THIRUMOZHI Sharanya Chandran (Bharatanatyam) @ chandran.sharanya  Andal sees the cuckoo birds enlivening her grove, the dazzling peacocks, the beautiful trees, fruits and flowers - all of whom remind her of her dark Lord, her dear Kannan. Tormented by them, she brands them all as the five great sinners! "You took on his hue, just to torment me!" she blames them mercilessly. Andal then pleads to the cuckoo bird to call out her coral-lipped Lord's name, and plead with him to come to her instantly. Should it not do her bidding and call out to her Lord? She threatens to even drive the bird away from her bower!
GODHA'S SANDCASTLES - THE MISCHIEF OF KRISHNA Archana Raja (Bharatanatyam) @archanarajadance  The Nachiyar Thirumozhi is a lesser read masterpiece by Andal, compared to her magnum opus, Thiruppavai. This spectacular work is a more visceral exploration of her relationship to her Lord, Sri Ranganatha. The second poem in this work describes the mischievous Krishna taking delight in destroying the girls' sandcastles - a metaphor for how He ravages their inner minds too. We have toiled over them until our backs throb... Allow us to enjoy the fruit of our labor, O Lord, alpha and omega, let us gaze with pride for a passing moment on what we have so carefully built. Sifting particles of sand, we've wearied our wrists thick with bangles, even as you lounge on approaching waves, laughing no doubt. Don't wreck our sandcastles. You cross our courtyard just to show us your sublime smile, never revealing whether or not you intend to smash our sandcastles and our hearts as well. Oh Govinda, who leaped to span the waist of the earth and the wet of the sky, if you embrace us like that, what will our neighbours say? (Translation by Ravi Shankar, 'ANDAL: Autobiography of a Goddess')
MAZHAYE Dr. Pranamya Suri (Kuchipudi) @pranamyasuri  My heart is filled with eagerness, hope, pain. Oh rain! You fall on Venkatam mountain where my handsome lord stands. These little raindrops that coalesce end up pouring into the river, which empties into the ocean. In the same way, my love for Him overflows and will eventually reach that ocean which He reclines on. Each element of the rain only reminds me of Him and torments me more. The peacock, cuckoo, ocean and the clouds have failed me. Will you, at least, convey my message of love to Him? Upon His tight embrace, my heart will melt like wax, like wax that makes its way for bronze. (When a Panchaloha vigraham is made, first the surface of the wax is covered with clay. Molten metal is poured into the clay, which melts the wax). Will you unite Him with me... and then pour out your heart's content! (Adapted from translations by Archana Venkatesan)
DANCE TO THE RAIN CLOUDS Bindu Rajendren (Mohiniattam) @bindurajendren  'A dance to the rain clouds' is a lament to the clouds that explores some of Andal's thoughts during a rainy day. Bindu uses translation of the poem 'Vinnila melappu' by Dr. Archana Venkatesan (from Nachiyar Thirumozhi) interspersed with verses from her own poetry to portray the hope and anguish cascading through Andal's mind. Andal compares herself to the earth and envies her. Although the thirst of parched earth has been quenched by the welcome embrace of rain, Andal's desire for her Lord remains unfulfilled... Clouds spread like blue cloth across the vast sky Has Tirumal my beautiful lord of Venkatam, where cool streams leap come with you? Tears gather and spill between my breasts like waterfalls. He has destroyed my womanhood. How does this bring him pride? Clouds that spill lovely pearls what message has the dark-hued lord of Venkatam sent through you? The fire of desire has invaded my body I suffer. I lie awake here in the thick of night, a helpless target for the cool southern breeze. (Excerpted from 'The Secret Garland: Andal's Tiruppavai and Nacciyar Tirumoli' by Archana Venkatesan) A RAIN SONG by Bindu Rajendren grey sheathed sky roaring drumbeats echo conspicuous silence singer of mist whisper of songs lullaby caressed zephyrs translucent pearls and broken silences a capella twinkling into life effusive drizzle dance arched trees and branches drenched in fluid indulgence errant diamonds on emerald leaves parched earth, soul outstretched wet, wild and delicately fragrant an embrace after eternity.
PALLANDU Aniruddha Knight with Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan @ aniruddhaknight / @ mads_kalai  Aniruddha Knight  Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan Composed by Andal's foster father Vishnu Chittan, the opening verses are considered most auspicious and are always chanted daily during prayer. They describe the glory of Vishnu's form holding the conch and the discus and whose radiance sends fear among the enemies and courage to devotees. The next set of verses are from Andal's Nachiyar Thirumozhi where Godai, a maturing teenager is calling out to Kama Deva. I worship You Manmatha with fresh-cut paddy, sugarcane, Sweetest jaggery, flattened rice, with The pour of mantras chanted by holy Brahmins And plead that he who is Vamana And Trivikrama too touches me with his sacredness Touches my breasts, my waist so slender I live only for this pleasure-- pray help me And enhance Your glory. (Translations by Priya Sarukkai Chabria, 'ANDAL: Autobiography of a Goddess') The performance ends with the ritual chanting of the 29th Tiruppavai where ANDAL seeks no moksha but multiple rebirths so she may serve her Vishnu in song and chants.
NACHIYAR THIRUMOZHI: PASURAM 12.5 Shreyasi Gopinath (Bharatanatyam) @ shreyasigopinath  None of you can understand my ailment or find a cure for it. Instead, please take me to the bank of the river where the one whose complexion is that of the clouds jumped from the Kadamba tree on to dance on Kaliya's hoods. If He gently passes His hands over me, I will be cured of my sickness. Please take me to Him....
GODA, FROM ĀMUKTAMALYADA Dr. Anupama Kylash (Vilasini Natyam) @anupamakylash1  Goda, from Āmuktamalyada of Sri Krishnadeva Raya is a precocious young lady, emotional and fiery in spirit. In this Padyam, Goda, filled with love and longing, but finding no way to unite with her beloved Lord, has a tiny spat with her friends, as she derides Vishnu in no uncertain terms. She says: "He should never have taken these human forms of a God, Sage or King. He has only caused suffering to innumerable women in these forms! He should have stayed - A Fish! What? What do you all say? In this form, he protected the knowledge of the Vedas? So what, when he hardly has any knowledge of a woman's innermost desires?! Should have stayed - A Turtle! Oh! You say he lifted the mighty Mandara mountain on his back?! So what, he played the Gods and Demons against each other and stealthily gave nectar to the Gods! Should have remained - A Wild Boar! Oh he rescued and united with Bhudevi in this form, did he? So what, when he left so many women alone, to suffer his desertion?! He should have stayed - A Man Lion! What? He killed a ferocious demon king in this form?? Didn't he come running at one call from a little child? Yet, he ignores the repeated calls of all the women longing for him!!" How does this tirade end? Watch to find out!
DESIRE AMONG RUINS Vidha Lal (Kathak) @ vidhalal  Vidha uses choreographic abstractions as take off points from the many names that are associated with Lord Vishnu. The words of Thiruppavai verses are braided with musical elaborations so that the dance can be reimagined as Andal finds echoes among the crumbling walls and corridors of Delhi's abandoned spaces. Bridging imagery from Thiruppavai where Krishna is Trivikrama who strides the worlds, Andal calls out to nature to carry her message of love.
ULLURAI | UNRAVELING Divya Nayar (dance theater) @2dancingfeet  I'm not sure how often the translation of a poem inspires dance movement; this was a first for me! Priya Sarukkai Chabria's translation of this verse of Nachiyar's Thirumozhi, was a revelation for its sheer decadence in 'unraveling' the ullurai in Andal's words. With the guidance of this beautiful translation as spoken word, I have played with the motif of spirals -a reflection of the scenery and Her state of mind in this verse. This is followed by the next and final verse in Her message to the clouds - a benediction for those that recite Her sacred verses with conviction. Clouds clashing like rutting elephants trumpeting with trunks entwined over Vengadam's peak - ask him who sleeps on the snake's stupendous loops to awaken to my distress, to be not twisted in his words. He, Supreme Guardian of All ignores me as he slumbers, head secure beneath its hood. I blossom in love, a vine yearning to wrap around him. How will universes assess him if he lets me wither? (Verse: Nachiyar Thirumozhi 8.9 - Mada yanai pol Translated by Priya Sarukkai Chabria, 'ANDAL: Autobiography of a Goddess')
POEM TO THE CONCH Ileana Citaristi (Odissi)  The world of Andal's poetry is completely new to me. I am slowly entering into it through the Andal's Garden series. I am only at her doorstep. I have imagined her as an adolescent girl discovering her sensuality through her passionate love towards her God. The conch becomes the object of her plea, she talks to her, caresses her, reprimands her, tries to discard her, finally surrenders to her.
MULLAI PIRATTI, NADAMADI TOGAI Ragini Chandershekar (Bharatanatyam) @raginichandershekar  NACHIYAR THIRUMOZHI DECAD 10 Verses 4 & 7 O! Queen of Jasmines, do not make painful afflictions on me; O! Splendorous and virtuous consort of the Lord, I surrender unto you, you being our refuge! He, the son of Dasaratha who cut asunder the nose Of the immoral, murderous demon, Surpanaka, If His words become fallacious, Will not my birth also turn out fictitious! O! lofty peacocks moving here and there Unfurl your feathers splendid, as you dance! Ignoramus that I am unfortunate, as to have Not seen your dance divine; Govinda enthralled me and took all my wealth away, Leaving my soul in dire straits! (Adapted from the translation by Vankeepuram Rajagopalan)
GODHA STUTI Yashoda Thakore (Kuchipudi) @yashodathakore  This verse by Parashara Bhattar bows to Goda who captured and experienced Krishna through her garlands. Andal is then teased by her friends in Vedanta Desikar's verse, as the one who fell in love with someone who sleeps on a snake and rides a bird. To this Andal, our little loveable girl, Rangamannar and Garudalwar, do I surrender.
THANNMUGILKAAL Divya Kasturi (Bharatanatyam) @ divyakasturico  Oh cool clouds, residing in Venkatam, please descend to his red feet and appeal to Mal who has red eyes and has Churned the sea filled with shells. Tell him that my soul would survive only if he enters me one day and wipes away the red sandal paste smeared on my breast (Nachiyar Thirumozhi 8.7 Translated by Palaniappan Vairam Sarathy) A message...then...and now... This is an attempt at unravelling the 'bold and the beautiful' Andal's Nachiyar Thirumozhi 7th verse of chapter 8. I set out to understand and internalise unsurpassed love, devotion, identity, extreme surrender nestled into a state of a 'being'. The 'being' unfurled layered with physicality, music, sound, voice, textures of nature all envisioned through the lens of a camera painted with shades of emotion, passion...an obsession almost that continues to inhabit me and my surroundings everyday... the search continues...
KANNANENUM KARUNDEIVAM Ramya Ramnarayan (Bharatanatyam) @ramyaramnarayan  Thirsting for Kannan's sapphire body, I lie Prone. Pray don't gather to mock me! He is My lord. Your words burn like tamarind juice Sluicing a sore. He does not know the agony Of a woman cased in separation. Quick, bring The pitambar that wraps his waist And fan me with its golden length so its scented Breeze cools my fever. He killed Kamsa whose eyebrows are like thick Black bows; my lord's eyes shoot sidelong Glances, swift arrows that find their mark In my heart. Wounded and defenceless My world quakes. Yet not once has he Reassured me, 'Do not fear'. Should he part With the tulasi garland that adorns his chest Bring it to smear on my breasts. (Translations by Priya Sarukkai Chabria, 'ANDAL: Autobiography of a Goddess')
VINNILA MELAPPU Krithika Rajagopalan (Bharatanatyam) @krithika_rajagopalan  "Vinnila Melappu" is the eighth Thirumozhi with Andal telling her plight to the clouds and sending them as her messenger to Govinda, who is stationed in Thirumalai. Ceaseless storm canopy unfurling beneath The covering sky, roof beneath its roof Do you declare the coming of my splendid Tirumal From high Venkata where dreaming waterfalls plunge? My tears spill and crash between the full Hills of my breasts. My love is sworn to secrecy. Yet he makes me break my vow. How does this honour him, tell? (Translations by Priya Sarukkai Chabria, 'ANDAL: Autobiography of a Goddess')
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