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{{about|Saint Thirumazhisai Alvar|the Tamil language film|Thirumalisai Alvar (film)}}{{Short description|Tamil poet-saint}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu leader
| name = Tirumalisai Alvar
| image = Thirumazhsai Alvar cropped.jpg
| caption =
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| birth_place = Thirumalisai
| birth_name =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| guru = [[Vishvaksena]]
| philosophy = [[Vaishnavism]]
| literary_works = [[Tiruchanda Viruttam]], [[Nanmukan Tiruvantati]]
| footnotes =
| title = [[Alvars|Alvar]]
}}
'''Tirumalisai Alvar''' ([[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration|IAST]]) is a [[Tamil people|Tamil]] saint revered in the [[Srivaishnavism|Sri Vaishnavism]] school of south India between the 4th to 9th century CE, in [[Tondai Nadu]] (now part of [[Kanchipuram]] and [[Tiruvallur]] districts).<ref>{{cite book|title=Music and temples, a ritualistic approach|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yj8UAQAAIAAJ|page=23|author=L. Annapoorna |year=2000|isbn=9788175740907}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Ancient India: Collected Essays on the Literary and Political History of Southern India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=htArUg0OMpcC|pages=403–404|author=Sakkottai Krishnaswami Aiyangar |year=1911|isbn=9788120618503}}</ref> The legend of this saint devotees of Sri Vaishnavism believe that he was the incarnation of [[Vishnu]]'s disc, [[Sudarshana Chakra|Sudarshana]]. He is believed to have been born at the [[Jagannatha Perumal temple, Tirumazhisai|Jagannatha Perumal temple, Tirumalisai]], by "divine grace".

Historically, Tirumalisai Alvar is regarded to have been the son of a sage.

==Alvars==
{{Main article|Alvars}}
The word ''Alvar'' means the one who dives deep into the ocean of the countless attributes of god. ''[[Azhwars|Alvars]]'' are considered to have been the twelve supreme devotees of [[Vishnu]], who were instrumental in popularising [[Vaishnavism]] in South India. The religious works of these saints in [[Tamil language|Tamil]], songs of love and devotion, are compiled as ''[[Nalayira Divya Prabandham|Naalayira Divya Prabandham]]'' containing 4000 verses and the 108 temples revered in their songs are classified as ''[[Divya desam]]''.<ref name="Rao">{{Cite book |last=Rao|first=P.V.L. Narasimha |title=Kanchipuram – Land of Legends, Saints & Temples|year=2008|publisher=Readworthy Publications (P) Ltd.|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-93-5018-104-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GTMTQLuCNSMC&dq=poigai+azhwar&pg=PA27|page=27}}</ref><ref name="Dalal21">[[#Dalal|Dalal]] 2011, pp. 20-21</ref> The saints had different origins and belonged to different castes. As per tradition, the first three ''Alvars'', Poigai, Bhutha and Pey were born miraculously. Tirumalisai was the son of a sage, Thondaradi, Mathurakavi, Periyalvar and Andal were from the [[Brahmin]] community, Kulasekhara from ''[[Kshatria|Kshatriya]]'' community, Nammalvar was from a cultivator family, Tirupana from the ''[[panar]]'' community and Tirumangai from ''kalvar'' community. ''Divya Suri Saritra'' by Garuda-Vahana Pandita (11th century CE), ''Guruparamparaprabavam'' by Pinbaragiya Perumal Jiyar, ''Periya tiru mudi adaivu'' by Anbillai Kandadiappan, ''Yatindra Pranava Prabavam'' by Pillai Lokacharya, commentaries on ''Divya Prabandam'', Guru Parampara (lineage of Gurus) texts, temple records and inscriptions give a detailed account of the ''Alvars'' and their works. According to these texts, the saints were considered incarnations of some form of Vishnu. Poigai is considered an incarnation of ''Panchajanya'' (Krishna's conch), Bhoothath of ''Kaumodakee'' (Vishnu's Mace/Club), Pey of ''Nandaka'' (Vishnu's sword), Thirumalisai of ''Sudarshanam'' (Vishnu's discus), Namm of ''Vishvaksena'' (Vishnu's commander), Madhurakavi of ''Vainatheya'' (Vishnu's eagle, Garuda), Kulasekhara of ''Kaustubha'' (Vishnu's necklace), Periy of Garuda (Vishnu's eagle), Andal of Bhoodevi (Vishnu's wife, Lakshmi, in her form as Bhudevi), Thondaradippodi of ''Vanamaalai'' (Vishnu's garland), Thiruppaan of ''Srivatsa'' (An auspicious mark on Vishnu's chest) and Thirumangai of ''[[Sharanga (Hindu mythology)|Saranga]]'' (Rama's bow). The songs of ''Prabandam'' are regularly sung in all the Vishnu temples of South India daily and also during festivals.<ref name="Dalal21"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of the Tamils|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H4q0DHGMcjEC&dq=poygai&pg=PA14|page=211|last=Ramaswamy|first=Vijaya|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2007|isbn=9780810864450}}</ref>

==Early life==
The name of the Alvar comes from his birthplace, [[Thirumazhisai|Tirumalisai]], a suburb in modern-day [[Chennai]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Bulletin of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aQc_Xi0J8M0C&dq=parasakthi&pg=PA195|volume=49|year=1998|pages=535–538|last=Ramakrishna Mission|publisher=The Institute|isbn = 9780670083282}}</ref>
The Alvar was born to Bhargava maharishi and an apsara, Kanakangi, after an unusual 12 months stay in the womb. The foetus came out as just a lifeless lump of flesh with no arms and legs. The couple were terribly depressed and with unwillingness left it under a bamboo bush and proceeded with their spiritual journey. Vishnu appeared with Lakshmi and blessed the "flesh" with their kataksham and it turned into an lively human being.

He was later picked up with both the arms affectionately by a tribal named Thiruvalan. A really blessed couple Thiruvalan and pankajavalli, was overwhelmed by the grace of god for this gift of a baby. The boy grew on to become Tirumalisai Alvar. He also has an eye on his right leg. He lived up to 10 years of age in a hamlet near Tirumalisai village named as Pirayampathu. This Alvar was an incarnation of Sudarsana Chakra ( the divine discus of Lord Vishnu).

Tirumalisai Alvar decided to learn about all other religions. He also got initiated into Vaishnavism by Pey Alvar. After visiting several temples, he reached Tiruvekka, the birthplace of Poigai Alvar.

== Displeasing the Pallava king==
Legend also says that when Kanikannan, his disciple displeased the [[pallava]] king for not agreeing to restore the king's youth. Earlier on he granted youth to an old unmarried maid of the temple. The king married that woman but he himself was an old man and thus wanted to enjoy life as a youth with his new wife. Tirumalisai refused him and the king decided to banish him. Tirumalisai Alvar asked the God from the temple, [[Tiruvekkaa|Yathotkari]], to leave with him.

<blockquote>
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break}}
{{center|
[[Tamil script|Tamil]] 
கணிகண்ணன் போகின்றான் காமரு பூங் கச்சி 
மணிவண்ணா! நீ கிடக்க வேண்டா 
செந்நாப் புலவனும் போகின்றேன் நீயும் உன்றன் 
பை நாகப்பாயை சுருட்டிக் கொள் 
}}
{{Col-break}}
{{center|
[[Transliteration]] 
KanikaNNan Poginraan Kaamaru poong Kachi 
ManivaNNaa! Nee Kidakka Vendaa 
Sennaap Pulavanum Poginren Neeyum Unran 
Pai Naagappaayai Suruttik KoLL 
}}
{{col-end}}
{{Cquote| KanikaNNan is going out of kAnchi Oh! Manivanna!, You don't have to lie here anymore. Since, as the fluent poet that I am also leaving with him, you also roll your serpent bed and follow me"And, accordingly all of them left KAnchipuram}}
</blockquote>

[[Vishnu]] is said to have rolled up the snake [[Sesha]] like a mattress and left with him.

==[[Mangalasasanam by Divyadesam|Mangalasasanam]]==
There are 216 of his paasurams in the 4000 [[Divya Prabhandham]]. His first ''Prabandham'' named ''Tiruchanda Viruttam'' contains 120 hymns and starts from 752 ''paasuram'' and ends at 871 ''paasuram''. The second ''Prabandham'' of Tirumalisai Alvar is titled ''Naanmugan Thiruvandhadhi'' and it contains 96 verses. The work of ''Naanmugan Thiruvandhadhi'' starts from 2382 paasuram and ends at 2477 paasuram.

He has sung in praise of 20 temples.<ref>{{cite book | title=A Primer of Tamil Literature| last=Pillai| first=M. S. Purnalingam | year=1904| publisher=Ananda Press|location=Madras|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QIeqvcai5XQC&dq=tirumalisai&pg=PA183|pages=182–83| isbn=9788120609556}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="background:#FFC569"
! scope="col" | S.No.
! scope="col" | '''Name of the temple'''
! scope="col" | '''Location'''
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | '''Photo'''
! scope="col" | '''Presiding deity'''
! scope="col" | '''Notes/Beliefs'''
|- align ="center"
|- style="background:#ffe;"
|-
|1
| [[Gajendra Varadha Temple|Thiru Kapistalam]]
| {{coord|10.946|79.256}}
|
|
|
|-
|2
| [[Sri Vadivazhagiya Nambi Perumal Temple|Thiru Anbil]]<ref name="KV51">[[#K.V.|Kodayanallur Vanamamalai]] 2001, p. 51</ref>
| [[Anbil]] [[Tiruchirappalli district]] {{coord|10.86|78.88}}
| [[File:Tiruanbil4.jpg|130px|center]]
| Sundararaja Perumal Azhagiya Nambi Perumal
| The temple is located on the Northern bank of the river [[Kollidam]], at a distance of {{convert|25|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Trichy]]. King [[Sundara Chola]] who ruled the area was a devotee of the temple and during each of his innumerable victories in wars, he showered a lot of wealth on this temple. His prime minister Anirudha Brahmarayar is believed to be from Anbil, the village where the temple is located. The copper plates having the records from the Chola period from Anbil indicate generous contribution from the [[Medieval Cholas]] indicate various gifts to the temple.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sri Sundararaja Perumal temple|newspaper=Dinamalar|url=https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=167|access-date=2013-09-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=South Indian Shrines: Illustrated|publisher=Asian Educational Services|page=533|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NLSGFW1uZboC&dq=govindaraja+perumal+temple&pg=PA242|last=Ayyar|first=P. V. Jagadisa|isbn=9788120601512|location=New Delhi|year=1982}}</ref>
|-
|3
| [[Thiruevvul]]<ref name="KV51"/>
| {{coord|13.143|79.907}}
| [[File:Tiruvallur7.jpg|130px|center]]
|
|
|-
|4
| [[Ulagalantha Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram|Thiruuragam]]<ref name="KV52">[[#K.V.|Kodayanallur Vanamamalai]] 2001, p. 52</ref>
| {{coord|12.839|79.705}}
| [[File:Ulagalantha-perumal1.jpg|130px|center]]
|
|
|-
|5
| [[Parthasarathy Temple|Thiruvallikeni]]<ref name="T85">[[#T.|T.]] 2002, p. 85</ref>
| {{coord|13.053884| 80.277020}}
| [[File:Tiruvallikeni1.jpg|130px|center]]
|
|
|-
|6
| [[Sri Appakkudathaan Perumal Temple|Thirupper Nagar]]
| {{coord|10.839282| 78.889070}}
|
|
|
|-
|7
| [[Thirukkurungudi]]<ref name="KV59">[[#K.V.|Kodayanallur Vanamamalai]] 2001, p. 59</ref>
| {{coord|8.436096| 77.565933}}
| [[File:Thirukarungudi temple.jpg|130px|center]]
|
|
|-
|8
| [[Tiruvekkaa]]<ref name="KV70">[[#K.V.|Kodayanallur Vanamamalai]] 2001, p. 70</ref>
| {{coord|12.824|79.712}}
| [[File:Thiruvekka - yathothkari1.jpg|130px|center]]
|
|
|-
|9
| [[Pandava Thoothar Perumal Temple|Tiruppatakam]]<ref name="T86">[[#T.|T.]] 2002, p. 86</ref>
| {{coord|12.842|79.696}}
| [[File:Pandavathootar.jpg|130px|center]]
|
|
|-
|10
| [[Thirukoshtiyur]]<ref name="KV58">[[#K.V.|Kodayanallur Vanamamalai]] 2001, p. 58</ref>
| {{coord|10.060|78.560}}
| [[File:Thirukkottiyur1.jpg|130px|center]]
|
|
|-
|11
| [[Sarangapani Temple|Thirukkudandhai]]<ref name="KV58"/>
| {{coord|10.959|79.375}}
| [[File:Gopuras in Kumbakonam - India.JPG|130px|center]]
|
|
|-
|12
| [[Tirumala Venkateswara Temple|Thiruvenkadam]]
| {{coord|13.683304| 79.347406}}
| [[File:Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala in Chittoor district,Andhra Pradesh.jpg|130px|center]]
|
|
|-
|13
| [[Ocean of milk|Tirupparkatal]]
|
| [[File:The Churning of the Ocean of Milk (6125106488).jpg|130px|center]]
|
|
|-
|14
| [[Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam|Srirangam]]
|[[Srirangam]], [[Trichy district]] [[Tamil Nadu]] {{coord|10.8625| 78.689722}}
|[[File:Srirangam14.jpg|130px|center]]
|Ranganayagi Ranganathar (Periya Perumal)
|Srirangam temple is often listed as the largest functioning [[Hindu temple]] in the world, the still larger [[Angkor Wat]] being the largest existing temple. The temple occupies an area of 156 acres (631,000 m²) with a perimeter of 4,116m (10,710 feet) making it the largest temple in India and one of the largest religious complexes in the world.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mittal |first1=Sushil|first2=G.R.|last2=Thursby|page=456|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fz6KBkgEacAC&dq=The+Hindu+World+%2B+srirangam&pg=PA456 |title=The Hindu World|year=2005 |publisher=Routelge |location=New York |isbn=0-203-67414-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Vater |first=Tom |title=Moon Spotlight Angkor Wat|year=2010 |publisher=Perseus Books Group |location=USA |isbn=9781598805611|page=40}}</ref> The annual 21-day festival conducted during the Tamil month of ''Margazhi'' (December–January) attracts 1 million visitors.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Victoria|page=4 |title=Wonders of the World Dot-to-Dot|year=2004 |publisher=Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. |location=New York |isbn=1-4027-1028-3}}</ref>
|-
|15
| [[Azhagar Kovil]]<ref name="KV59"/>
| {{coord|10.074|78.213}}
| [[File:AzhagarKovil Madurai.JPG|130px|center]]
|
|
|-
|16
| [[Appakkudathaan Perumal Temple]]<ref name="KV59"/>
|[[Koviladi]], [[Trichy district]] [[Tamil Nadu]] {{coord|10.86| 78.88}}
|[[File:Koviladi4.jpg|130px|center]]
| Indravalli Appala Ranganatha Perumal
| The temple has inscriptions from the 18th year of the reign of [[Aditya I|Aditya Chola]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Pallavas|first=Tony|last=Jouveau-Dubreuil|year=1994|isbn= 81-206-0574-8|publisher=Asian Educational Services|location=New Delhi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6o9XCT3XiaMC&dq=koviladi&pg=PA77|page=77}}</ref> The recorded inscriptions in this temple are numbered 283, 300, 301 and 303 of 1901.<ref>{{cite book|first=G.|last= Jouveau-Dubreuil|title=Pallava Antiquities – 2 Vols.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=itsryymCeLgC&dq=koviladi&pg=PA13|year=1994|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=978-81-206-0571-8|page=13}}</ref> The temple is one of the five [[Pancharanga Kshetrams]] (also called ''Pancharangams'',
meaning the "five Rangams or Ranganathas"), a group of five Hindu temples on the banks of the [[Kaveri|Kaveri River]] dedicated to Ranganatha, a form of Vishnu.<ref name="hindu">{{cite news|title=Restoring the glory of a temple|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/restoring-the-glory-of-a-temple/article672107.ece|work=[[The Hindu]]|last=S.|first=Prabhu|date=16 September 2010|access-date=2013-09-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Soundara Rajan |first=Kodayanallur Vanamamalai |title=Concise classified dictionary of Hinduism|year=2001|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|location=New Delhi |isbn=81-7022-857-3|page=65|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lAWS49f8HKoC&dq=koviladi&pg=PA65}}</ref>
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin|20em}}
* {{cite book|title=History of People and Their Environs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=crxUQR_qBXYC&dq=poygai&pg=PA47|publisher=Bharathi Puthakalayam|year=2011|last1=B. S.|first1=Chandrababu|last2=S.|first2=Ganeshram|last3=C.|first3=Bhavani|isbn=9789380325910|ref=B.S.}}
* {{cite book|title=Philosophy and Theistic Mysticism of the Āl̲vārs|first= S. M. Srinivasa|last= Chari|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers|year=1997|isbn=9788120813427|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8TwHhuZrZ-wC&dq=poygai&pg=PA16|ref=Chari}}
* {{cite book|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC&dq=poigai&pg=PA308|last=Dalal|first=Roshen|ref=Dalal|publisher=Penguin Books India|year=2011|isbn=9780143414216}}
*{{Cite book |first=Soundara Rajan |last=Kodayanallur Vanamamalai |title=Concise classified dictionary of Hinduism|year=2001|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|location=New Delhi |isbn=81-7022-857-3|ref=K.V.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lAWS49f8HKoC&dq=tirumalisai&pg=PA58}}
*{{Cite book |last=T. |first=Padmaja |title=Temples of Kr̥ṣṇa in South India: history, art, and traditions in Tamilnāḍu |year=2002|publisher=Shakti Malik |location=New Delhi |isbn=81-7017-398-1|ref=T.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pzgaS1wRnl8C&dq=tirumalisai&pg=PA48}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Azhwars}}

[[Category:Vaishnava saints]]
[[Category:Alvars]]
[[Category:Tamil Hindu saints]]

Tirumalisai Alvar - Revision history

Dan: Creating first bio more to come