Abshishekam evening of Lord Vallalan's sraddha observance: March 12, 2017

After abhishekam was observed at Pallikondapattu in the daytime of Monday 12 March, 2017; Lord Arunachaleswarar returns to Arunachaleswarar Temple on a palanquin carried by devotees. That evening a special worship arranged by the Vanniyar Kula Community, is conducted at the Second Prakaram of the Temple.

King Vallalan and Pallikonda Pattu

King Vallalan was an ardent Saivite and during his stays in Tiruvannamalai made many improvements to the Arunachaleswarar Temple. Tiruvannamalai was near the geographical centre of his empire and this encouraged him to make protracted stays there, particularly after the destruction of Dwarasamudra. 

Vallala Gopuram, Arunachaleswarar Temple

It seems that during the last fifteen years of his reign he was constantly in residence at Tiruvannamalai. 

King Vallalan, Arunachaleswarar Temple

In a concluding verse on King Vallalan in the Arunachala Puranam, Lord Siva undertakes to perform King Vallalan’s funeral rites for him, a task which is normally performed by the son of the deceased. The promise is still remembered in Tiruvannamalai and each year King Vallalan’s funeral is re-enacted to commemorate the event. 

The Lord on his way to river

In the month of Masi the Temple priests read out the news of King Vallalan’s death to Arunachaleswarar. Then the image is carried in procession to the village of Pallikonda Pattu, about three kilometres from Tiruvannamalai, for the performance of the King’s annual sraddha rites. 

Puja at riverbank

Pallikonda Pattu

The connection between Pallikonda Pattu and the life and death of King Vallalan is no longer known. It is unlikely that he lived there since his palace is thought to have been located about a mile to the east of the main Temple. Until about a hundred years ago the last remains of what was reputed to be his palace could still be seen there, but around the turn of the century the land was levelled and cultivated and the railway line from Villupuram to Tirupathi now runs across the site. 

Masi Maga Theerthavari Urchavam

Yesterday was the important Festival of Masi Magam which falls in the Tamil Month of Masi (February – March). Maham or Makam is one among the twenty seven stars in the astrological system. The makam star in the Masi month usually falls on the full moon day and is considered highly auspicious in many Temples across South India. 

One of the important rituals on this day is the taking of idols to the seashore or ponds. Therefore the festival is also referred to as, the holy bath ceremony. Long processions from Temples arrive at the sea shore or waterbody with idols of various Gods. Pujas and other rituals are held at the sea shore and thousands of devotees throng the sea shore on this day to offer prayer. Yesterday the bathing of idols was performed in the river at Tirukkoyilur Temple near Tiruvannamalai.

Idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess

Immersion in River near Tiruvannamalai

Each temple has a myth for celebrating Masi Makam, in the case of Arunachaleswarar Temple, the legend for Masi Makam is related to Lord Shiva. King Vallalan of Tiruvannamalai was an ardent devotee of the Lord, and as he had no child, Lord Shiva promised to perform his last rituals. The king died on a Masi Magam day and it is said that the Lord performed his last rites. Lord Shiva also blessed the king by saying that whoever bathes in the sea during Masi Magam will merge with him and will get ‘mukthi.’ It is believed that every year the Lord visits a waterbody to perform the last rites of the king. 

Large crowds gathered for immersion

King Vira Vallalan III was an illustrious king who ruled over the Hoysala empire from 1292 till 1342. His empire at its peak covered a large part of South India. It had three capital cities, one of which was Tiruvannamalai, although it was then known as Arunasamudra, or Arunai for short. 

King Vallalan in niche Vallala Gopuram, Big Temple

The king was an ardent Saivite and during his stays in Tiruvannamalai he made many improvements to the Arunachaleswarar Temple. Tiruvannamalai was near the geographical centre of his empire and this encouraged him to make protracted stays there, particularly after the destruction of Dwarasamudra. It seems that during the last fifteen years of his reign he was constantly in residence at Tiruvannamalai. 

King Vallalan

King Vallalan's devotion and piety are celebrated in chapter seven of the Arunachala Puranam, a Tamil poetical work that was written in the sixteenth century by Ellapa Nayinar. The work is primarily a poetical rendering of the Sanskrit Arunachala Mahatmyam which was written several centuries before, but the verses at this link here, dealing with King Vallalan’s quest for a son, are only to be found in the Tamil version.

Vallalan Maharaja

In response to the recent request of a reader of Arunachala Grace about more information on King Vallalan Maharaj, below is a short extract of the King and explanation of his significant connection with Arunachaleswarar Temple. To find more in-depth information about Vallalan Maharaja, visit this link on my website.

Briefly, the Arunachala Purana describes King Vallalan as an embodiment of all human virtues renowned for his uprightness, generosity and love for Lord Arunachaleswarar.

The story goes that King Vallalan had no issue, and Siva tested him for his piety and thus became a child at the hands of the King and his wife. King Vallalan embraced the child and later Lord Siva disappeared. When the king prayed for a child, Lord Siva assured him that he himself would perform all his funeral rites as he had become a child to the king.

Even now in the month of Masi (February) when the annual anniversary of King Vallalan’s death occurs, at the instruction of Lord Arunachaleswarar, the Lord is taken in procession with great Ceremony to the village Pallikonda Pattu, where the funeral rites take place. This festival is known as 'Masi Maga Theerthavari' Urchavam.