According to the biography of
Andal, a man by the name of Vishnucitta discovered the infant Andal in the
Srivilliputtur temple garden under a tulsi plant. Goda, which translates to
"the gift of Earth," was the name he gave her. She was raised by
Vishnucitta in a loving and devoted environment.
In the Hindu tradition, Andal
holds a parrot as a symbol of her role as a messenger of love between her
and Lord Vishnu.
In Hindu mythology, parrots are
associated with the god of love, Kama, and his consort Rati. Kama is often
depicted riding a parrot and shooting arrows made of flowers with a bow made of
sugarcane. Parrots are also considered messengers of Kama because they can
imitate human speech. The colorful plumage of parrots also symbolizes
fertility and desire, with red representing desire and green representing
fertility and new life.
In the case of Andal, the
goddess is depicted holding a parrot made of green leaves when she returns to
the temple after processions. The parrot is made fresh daily with pomegranate
flowers, bamboo sticks, banana fruit, and pink oleander flowers. The
parrot is kept in Andal's left hand for about the same time it takes to make
it.
In Nachiar Tirumozhi, Andal refers
to her parrot as "Paal amudhootti edutha en kolakkili," which means
"a parrot that's fed on milk".
Srivilliputhur Andal's
hand-crafted parrot is made with fresh green leaves each and every day.
This parrot is kept in the left hand of Andal. A pomegranate flower for the beak
and mouth, bamboo sticks for the legs, a banana fruit, petals of pink oleander
flowers, and a pinwheel flower are used to prepare this parrot.
The parrot is made by S Raman, a fifth-generation
descendant of a man who made parrots for the temple. Raman spends at least
two hours each day in the Andal Temple garden picking flowers and leaves to
make the parrot. The parrot is made with a variety of materials, including
a pomegranate flower for the beak and mouth, Bamboo sticks for the legs, Banana
plant, Petals of pink oleander, and Nandiyavattai.
Raman takes about four to five hours
to make a parrot. He keeps the leaves and flowers in the shade and covers them
to prevent them from wilting.
The parrot is adorned on Andal
every evening, and devotees often wait to take it home as a blessing.
No comments:
Post a Comment