Who is Thirumangai Alvar?

Recently, the Ashmolean museum of the University of Oxford's museum of art and archaeology which was founded in 1683 in the UK, housing priceless and ageless artifacts from a multitude of nooks and corners around the world announced that they would be returning a 16th century statue of Saint Thirumangai Alvar from Tamil Nadu to the Government of India after conducting research about its origins and liaison with Indian authorities, as stated in many news articles published by prominent dailies in India and the UK.

The history that underlines this return is well documented in our books, libraries, textbooks, biographies and archives, and is also a topic that has been heavily debated over the generations. It intrigued me so much that I began reading a bit about it.

So, who is Thirumangai Alvar?

The statue of Saint Thirumangai Alvar- Photo Credits- The Hindu (thehindu.com)

As I read about him, I got to know that Thirumangai Alvar is known to be the last of the 12 Alvar saints of South India. The Alvar Saints were affiliated to the Vaishnava tradition in Hinduism, which is a tradition based on devotion towards the Hindu deity Vishnu and his avatars. It is said that he was born in the small village of Thirukuraiyalur in Sirkazhi, Tamil Nadu in India. He is also known to have switched from being a military commander, a chieftain in the Chola kingdom's court (where he earned his title of Thirumangai Mannan, or chief of Thirumangai), and then surprisingly a robber. An even intriguing story about him was that his transformation from robber to saint was the result of an unexpected divine interference. It is said that Thirumangai Alvar's devotion to Vaishnavism was because of a promise to his wife, and it inspired him undertake giving food for a thousand people. He desperately resorted to robbery to cover the expenses, and there was an instance where he and a couple others looted a bride and groom on their wedding day. His repeated attempts to get the groom's toe ring went in vain for the groom was none other than the lord he worshipped- Vishnu. Vishnu then taught him the holy Narayana mantra, leading to his enlightenment.

A lot about his story, which in my opinion seems to be lesser known, is available to read in so many different destinations, and the country land of his origin. These tidbits of his story reminded me of so many different examples in ancient Hindu mythology that talk about God's eternal presence everywhere in our world, and that he lives and breathes in everything around us, including ourselves. The goodness in the world is often in the nooks and corners of our vast world that go unnoticed, or in the most unexpected places. I am someone who takes time to admit my mistakes and learn from them, but time and again stories like these serve as a reminder, that every mistake we make in our lives is a divine cue to strive for better, learned versions of ourselves everyday- that way, even a mistake becomes something to be grateful for.

A mistake is what opens doors to self-discovery and the reason why life is 'not a destination, but a journey'. It made me realize one of the many purposes of mythology from around the globe, and that no matter the difference in religion, origin and culture, across boundaries and differences drawn by humans, God's message and the many forms of God as we perceive it- and the devotion of devotees all over- forever remain the same, rooted in faith, belief and love.