Song - Akhilandeshwari
Ragam - Dwijawanti
Talam - Adi
Composer - Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar
Language - Sanskrit
Akilandeswari is one of the main forms of the Hindu goddess, Parvati. The famous abode of Akilandeswari is the temple of Thiruvanaikoil. Other important forms of Parvati are Meenakshi of Madurai, Kamakshi of Kanchipuram and Vishalakshi of Varanasi.
The deity's name means: Supreme Goddess ("Eswari") - who rules ("Aand") - the Universe ("Akilam"). Hence, Akilandeswari.
She is sometimes depicted riding on the back of a crocodile
This song contains depiction on the said temple and its complete history captured in a most charming manner.
Akhilandeshwari’, is one such song that evokes nostalgia for many especially during the time of Navaratri.
There is an interesting story, about this goddess. She was believed to be in an angry state of mind at the time of manifestation in the temple. Her devotees were reluctant to enter the sanctum sanctorum as they feared her wrath. The philosopher saint Adi Shankara who was visiting the temple placed a statue of Ganapathi in front of the goddess. The saint hoped that seeing her son in front of her would have a calming effect. He also created the Sri Chakra in the form of earrings for the goddess. The sri chakra is a diagram of nine interlocking triangles that radiate from a central point called the bindu. Adi Shankara believed that the powerful energy of the goddess would be harnessed in this chakra to mitigate its effects on the common man.
While composing the song, Dikshithar refers to the Ganapathi placed in front of the goddess – “lambodhara guruguha” in the charanam of the song.
Dwijavanti raga, a derivative of the 28th Melakartha Harikambodhi. This raga has its roots in Hindustani music and resembles raag Jaijaivanti. Dikshithar who had lived in northern India for many years (Varanasi) had picked up melodies from the Hindustani genre and used them in some of his compositions.
#Akhilandeshwari #dwijawantiragam #Aditalam #SriMuthuswamyDikshitar #kriti #carnaticmusic #musicalmadhu
P.S. I don't own any rights to this song
