On the 27th day of the sacred month of Maarghazhi, we celebrate the "Koodarai Vellum seer Govindhan" utsavam and offer the Lord 100 vessels filled with butter and another hundred vessels filled with Sweet Pongal (akkAra adisil).
This is in rememberance of Andal's promise of samarpaNam of 100 vessels of AkkAravadisil for ThirumAlirumchOlai Azhagar (NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi : 9.6 and 9.7 Paassurams) and AchArya RaamAnujA's fulfilment of Her promise later as Her elder brother (GodhAgrajar) at the Lord's sannidhi. ANdal acknowledged the MahOpakAram of Her "elder Brother" and came out of Her Garbha Graham at SrivilliputthUr to greet Him and honor Him.
This year, "akkAravadisil SamarpaNa utsavam" falls on Sunday, January 11th. Sri Andal group will be celebrating this occasion at SVT Helensburgh.
Here is an explanation of the significance of this Utsavam.
Let us reflect on the wonderful kaimkaryam performed by our AcArya sArvabhoumar bhagavad rAmAnujA, on behalf of His sister SrI gOdhA pirATTi. AcArya rAmAnuja presented many vessels of akkAra aDisil to the Lord of tirumAlirum chOlai on behalf of ANDAL. His sankalpam to present the vessels of veNNai and akkAra aDisil is linked to the two pAsurams of nAcciyAr tirumozhi/NTM (sindurac-chempodi pattu: 9.6 and 9.7).
Once AcArya rAmAnuja was performing kAlakshepam at SrIrangam on NTM and when he came to the above two pAsurams, he developed a doubt whether ANDAL was able to fulfill Her promise of offering the hundred vessels of veNNai and akkAra aDisil to kaLLazhagar of tirumAlirum chOlai. AcArya rAmAnuja left for tirumAlirum chOlai right away to present the many vessels of veNNai and akkAra aDisil to the Lord of tirumAlirum cholai on behalf of ANDAL in case She did not get to present them Herself before She became the bride of Lord ranganAtha. After that samarpaNam, the AcAryan proceeded to nAcchiyAr tirumALigai at SrIvilliputtUr and was warmly greeted by ANDAL as Her elder brother, who came to Her rescue in fulfilling Her promise of the offer of the two naivEdhyams to kaLLazhagar.
The meanings of the two pAsurams linked to the samarpaNam of the delectable naivEdhyams are covered below:
Paasuram 9.6
நாறு நறும் பொழில் மாலிருஞ்சோலை நம்பிக்கு ,நான் நூறு தடாவில் வெண்ணெ வாய் நேர்ந்து பராவி வைத்தேன், நூறு தடா நிறைந்த அக்கார வடிசில் சொன்னேன், ஏறு திருவுடையான் இன்று வந்திவை கொள்ளுங்கொலோ !
nARu naRum pozhil mAlirum SOlai nambikku nAn nURu taDAvil veNNai vAi nErndu parAvi vaittEn
nURu taDA niRainda akkAra aDiSil SonnEn ERu tiruvuDaiyAn inRu vandu ivai koLLum kolO
TRANSLATION
To emperumAn, who is stationed in tirumAl irum SOlai surrounded by fragrant gardens, I am offering (by word of mouth), 100 vessels filled with butter and 100 vessels filled with akkAra aDiSil (sweet po'ngal). Will azhagar (whose wealth keeps increasing day by day) come today and accept these two offerings? ANDAL has tried sAmam (diplomacy) with the lotus, the bees and the pond (previous pASuram); thinking she is wasting her time, she now tries dAnam with tirumAl irum SOlai nambi.
Paasuram 9.7
இன்று வந்து இத்தனையும் அமுது செய்திடப் பெறில் நான் ,ஒன்று நூறாயிரமாக் கொடுத்து பின்னும் ஆளும் செய்வன், தென்றல் மணங்கழும் திரு மாலிருஞ்சோலை தன்னுள்நின்ற பிரான் அடியேன் , மனத்தே வந்து நேர் படிலே
inRu vandu ittanaiyum amudu SeididappeRil nAn onRu nURAyiramAk koDuttup pinnum ALum Seivan tenRal maNam kamazhum tirumAl irum SOlai tannuL ninRa pirAn aDiyEn manattE vandu nEr paDilE
TRANSLATION
If azhagar from tirumAlirum SOlai with its fragrant breeze comes here today and accepts the 100 vessels of butter and 100 vessels of sweet pongal and stays in aDiyEn's heart for ever, for every vessel of akkAra aDiSil offered, aDiyEn will offer one hundred thousand vessels in place of each vessel that aDiyEn offered earlier, and, aDiyEn will do more and more kai'nkaryams of all kinds.