Andavan Pichai Ammal was born in Mylapore, Madras, on September 6th 1899. Her birth name was Maragathavalli, and she was the daughter of a pious Brahmin couple. Since she lost her mother at her young age, she was mostly brought up by his uncle Sri Venkatasubbiar, who showed great affection on the little girl Maragathavalli, also called as Maragathamma. Though she didn’t studied much, but somehow she managed to read and write Tamil, Sanskrit and Telugu.
When Maragathamma was a young girl, she married Sri. Narasimhan, who is considered to be her relative. On occasion of a puja celebration, during the year 1908, Maragathamma went to her father’s house, and there she began to listen to the wonderful Muruga Purana from her grandmother,who was believed to be a staunch devotee of Lord Tiruttani Murugan.
One day, to her surprise, in her dream, she had got the divine vision of Lord Muruga, who appeared in front of her in the form of a small charming young boy,and gently rubbed her body on his peacock feathers, and asked her to compose Tamil bhakti poems in praise of him, and also asked her to sing in front of his temples.
After she got up from the bed, she began to narrate her wonderful divine dream to her grandmother and also informed to her about her sweet dream. Then she sang her first poem on Muruga before his father, and very soon, Maragathamma became disinterested on worldly affairs, but kept the sweet memory of Lord Muruga for ever in her life.
She also met Mahaperiyava of Kanchi Mutt and received blessings from him. Her songs on Lord Muruga were found to be a really mesmerising one, and she had sung more than hundred songs on Lord Muruga, especially in his temples. She can be termed as “MODERN DAY AVVAIYAR”, with regard to her staunch devotion on Lord Muruga and also with regard to her excellent talents in penning bhakti poems on Lord Muruga. Still now those who recite her name with bhakti, her soul would bless them, would implement happiness in their lives, by removing their troubles and turmoil.
During the end of her life, she went to Rishikesh, peacefully meditated on Lord Muruga and attained Liberation there itself.
“OM MURUGA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR