Scope of Alangkaaram

Alangkaaram in Hindu devotional literature is not confined merely to adorning the particular form of divinity 'from head to foot', or, according to the Indian tradition, 'from foot to hair of head', which is equivalent to the Tamil expression paathaathikesam (பாதாதிகேசம்), traditionally used by Tamil writers and speakers to describe the process of adornment and ornamentation of the revered form, or person, concerned.

On the contrary, a careful reading of the sacred songs contained in collections such as Kantharalangkaaram would seem to indicate that the scope of alangkaaram is very much wider than mere adornment and ornamentation of the various parts of the physical form of the divinity. It includes the ancient religious or spiritual beliefs and practices of the Tamil-speaking people in South India, as reflected in the Tamil classical as well as devotional literature of the ancient and medieval periods, supplemented by a variety of mythological information found in the Sanskrit Vedic, epic, and puraanic literature.

Illustrating the Scope: Verse 5 of Kantharalangkaaram

By way of illustrating the above point, reference may be made to verse 5 of the Kantharalangkaaram, in which the saint Arunakirinaathar praises the Infant-Lord Kanthapperumaan as one who is acclaimed by the world as the Lord of Kuriňci-realm:

"குருந்தைக் குறிஞ்சிக்கிழவன் என்று ஓதும் குவலயமே!"

In order to appreciate fully the reference to "the Lord of Kuriňci-realm", one has to be familiar with the information found in the classical Tamil poetry of the Sangam-era (circa 200 B.C.–200 A.D.), concerning the ancient Tamil cult of Lord Murukan [முருகன்], especially in the Kuriňci, or mountainous region(s) of the ancient Tamil country.

A Composite Account of the Cult of Lord Murukan in Sangam Poetry

Professor F.W. Clothey has furnished a vivid and composite account of the cult of Lord Murukan, based on the passages in the early Sangam poetry [Clothey 1978: 26–35]. A summarized extract of that account is given in the following sub-paragraphs [3.2.1. to 3.2.6], so that the relationship between the cult of Lord Murukan in the Sangam-era and the more developed cult of the Lord in later periods can be discerned.