Andal Malai Vaibhavam

Periyazhwar brought up kothai in a very caring and affectionate manner and used to teach her songs about his beloved perumaal kannapiraan. Intensely listening to the songs and leelai of kannan from her father kothai got deeply interested in kannan and it transformed into deep love for Kannapiraan.So much that she declared that she would marry no one else except kannan.Periyazhwar tried to covince her and to make her see reason but everything was in vain.One day while his father Sri Periyazhwar was not in the house ,Kothai took the garland which was kept for offering to lord Vatapatrasayi ,wore it and saw her reflection in front of the mirror and wondered whether she was a good match for kannapiran(Kannanikku Porundhiirukirena)-The mirror in which Sri Andal is believed to have seen her reflection can be seen even today in the Andal temple(Kannadi Arai).She used to get lost in a flood of dreams standing before the mirror.Then suddenly remembering that it was time for her father to return,she used to remove it and hurriedly kept it in its original place in the same way as before.This practice of kothai wearing the garland and keeping it back after seeing herself with it in the mirror went on for many days without periyazhwar's knowledge

Sri Periyazhwar after comming back used to take this malai(worn by kothai) and offer it to Sri Vatapatrasayi Perumaal.After this garland was offered to the Lord it was observed that it acquired an added freshness after comming in contact with perumal's thirumeni.Perumal's face seemed to brighten up with a smile and His thirumeni used to shine with an added lusture.The archakas and other Bhagavathas observed this new phenomena and attributed it to the deep Bhakti that Sri Periyazhwar had for kannapiraan

One day when as usual when kothai was wearing the garland and seeing her reflection in front of the mirror ,Periyazhwar who had gone out returned(Maybe this day kothai was deeply lost in her dreams thinking about Kannapiraan) and saw Andal wearing the garland meant for perumal.Shocked and greatly upset by this scene Periyazhwar admonished kothai -"Kothai What is this ? What are you doing? You have done such a great Apacharam by wearing this garland meant for Emperumaan.Do not even think of doing this again"!!(Periyazhwar does not know that this is not for the first time that kothai has done this) Periyazhwar was very much upset that he could not do the kaimkaryam of offering the garland to emperuman that day.That night emperumaan appeared in Sri Periyazhwar's dream and asked him "What is the reason for not bringing the garland for me today".Periyazhwar immediatly narrated the incident that had happened and apologized to emperumaan for neglect of the kaimkaryam and for her daughter's "big mistake"(periya thappu).

Emperumaan replied "I find the malai adorned by kothai and offered to me as the most fragrant and the very best on my thirumeni(migavum Narumanam niraindagavum namakku ugappanadagavum irukkiradu) and hence please bring the malai adorned by kothai from now onwards".Periyazhwar was greatly moved by this and realised the greatness of her daughter and exclaimed "yenna peru perren ivalai magazhai adaya".Then calling her daughter he said" Amma Kothai Emperumaan earnestly desires to wear only that Malai adorned by you.You have won over the Sarveswaran himself" and gave her the name Andal and "Soodikkodutha Sudarkodi"

From that day onwards periyazhwar started offering the malai worn by Andal Even today it is the practice in Sivilliputtur that the malai is first offered to Andal and the malai worn by Andal is taken to the Vatapatrasayi Sannidhi and then offered to Vtapatrasayi.

Similarly during Chitra pournami festival in Madurai,Lord kallazhagar of Tirumaalirumsolai in kudurai Vahanam enters the Vaigai river only after wearing the Garland worn by Sri Andal at the Sivilliputtur Temple.In Tirupati during the fifth day of the Porattasi Brahmotsavam( during Garodotsavam) Thiruvengadamudayan wears the malai worn by Andal brought from Srivilliputtur

Sri matyai Vishnuchittaya Manonandana Hetave
Nanda nandana Sunandaya Godayai nitya Mangalam