The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hindusim vol 2
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Tirumalisai<br />
702<br />
and the enormous Minakshi temple,<br />
named after the goddess considered to<br />
be Madurai’s patron deity. Interestingly,<br />
the temple was the real ritual center <strong>of</strong><br />
the city, as is clearly shown by its placement<br />
and the processional streets surrounding<br />
it.<br />
Tirumalisai<br />
(9th c.) One <strong>of</strong> the Alvars, a group <strong>of</strong><br />
twelve poet-saints who lived in southern<br />
India between the seventh and tenth<br />
centuries. All <strong>of</strong> the Alvars were devotees<br />
(bhakta) <strong>of</strong> the god Vishnu, and their<br />
stress on passionate devotion (bhakti)<br />
to a personal god, conveyed through<br />
hymns sung in the Tamil language,<br />
transformed and revitalized Hindu religious<br />
life. According to tradition,<br />
Tirumalisai was the son <strong>of</strong> a sage and a<br />
celestial nymph (apsara), who was<br />
abandoned by his parents at birth. He<br />
was found and raised by a man <strong>of</strong> very<br />
humble status who called his foster son<br />
by the name <strong>of</strong> their village. For further<br />
information see Kamil Zvelebil, Tamil<br />
Literature, 1975.<br />
Tirumangai<br />
(9th c.) By far the most picturesque <strong>of</strong><br />
the Alvars, a group <strong>of</strong> twelve poet-saints<br />
who lived in southern India between the<br />
seventh and tenth centuries. All the<br />
Alvars were devotees (bhakta) <strong>of</strong> the god<br />
Vishnu, and their stress on passionate<br />
devotion (bhakti) to a personal god,<br />
conveyed through hymns sung in the<br />
Tamil language, transformed and revitalized<br />
Hindu religious life. According to<br />
tradition, Tirumangai was born into a<br />
caste <strong>of</strong> thieves, and theft, robbery, and<br />
deceit play an important role in the stories<br />
associated with him. One story<br />
reports that after taking a vow to feed<br />
1,008 Vaishnavas for a year, he resorted<br />
to highway robbery to raise the necessary<br />
funds; on another occasion he took<br />
to robbery to raise funds to enlarge the<br />
temple at Shrirangam. In these and<br />
other works, he had the continual help<br />
<strong>of</strong> Vishnu, his chosen deity; regardless <strong>of</strong><br />
their truth or falsity, these stories reveal<br />
a great deal about the passionate<br />
devotional commitment <strong>of</strong> his time.<br />
For further information see Kamil<br />
Zvelebil, Tamil Literature, 1975; and<br />
John Stirling Morley Hooper, Hymns <strong>of</strong><br />
the Alvars, 1929.<br />
Tirunavukkarashu<br />
(7th c.) This was the given name <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Nayanar poet-saint most commonly<br />
referred to as Appar (“father”). Appar<br />
was one <strong>of</strong> the earliest <strong>of</strong> the Nayanars, a<br />
group <strong>of</strong> sixty-three southern Indian<br />
poet-saints who were devotees (bhakta)<br />
<strong>of</strong> the god Shiva and who lived in southern<br />
India in the seventh and eighth centuries.<br />
Along with their contemporaries<br />
the Alvars, who were devotees <strong>of</strong><br />
Vishnu, the Nayanars spearheaded the<br />
revitalization <strong>of</strong> Hindu religion through<br />
their passionate devotion (bhakti) to a<br />
personal god, conveyed through hymns<br />
sung in the Tamil language.<br />
Tirupati<br />
Town in the far southern part <strong>of</strong> the state<br />
<strong>of</strong> Andhra Pradesh, about 160 miles<br />
northwest <strong>of</strong> Madras. It is most famous<br />
for the Holy Hill (Tirumalai) eight miles<br />
to the north, which is the location <strong>of</strong> the<br />
temple to Venkateshvara and for which<br />
Tirupati is the major gateway.<br />
Tirupati/Tirumalai Devasthanam<br />
Official name for the managing committee<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Venkateshvara temple, near<br />
the town <strong>of</strong> Tirupati in the state <strong>of</strong><br />
Andhra Pradesh. This temple is the<br />
richest one in India, based largely on the<br />
popular belief that any wish made in the<br />
deity’s presence will invariably come<br />
true. In earlier times all <strong>of</strong> the temple<br />
receipts were taken by the priests running<br />
the temple, but since Indian independence<br />
in 1947, the temple<br />
committee has been responsible for<br />
them. <strong>The</strong> committee has channeled<br />
these funds into hundreds <strong>of</strong> charities,<br />
but particularly into education and temple<br />
building: the former in schools from