The Twelve Alwars
Twelve saints, from a king to a temple singer, whose four thousand verses the sampradaya treasures as the Tamil Veda. Each was drawn to the Lord by His own grace.
Poigai Alwar
The first of the Alwars, who appeared in a lotus at Thiruvekka and lit the first lamp of the Divya Prabandham at Thirukkovalur.
Bhoothath Alwar
The second of the Mudhal Alwars, who appeared in a flower at Thirukkadalmallai and lit a lamp of love at Thirukkovalur.
Pey Alwar
The third of the Mudhal Alwars, born in a lily at Mylapore, who by the light of the two lamps saw the Lord with Thayar and sang of that sight.
Thirumazhisai Alwar
The seeker who searched many schools of thought until Pey Alwar showed him Sriman Narayana; for him the Lord of Thiruvekka rolled up His serpent bed and followed.
Nammalwar
The foremost of the Alwars, who sat in silence under the tamarind at Thirukkurugur and gave the Vedas in Tamil; first in the line of acharyas after the Divine Couple and Vishvaksena.
Madhurakavi Alwar
The disciple who sang not of the Lord but of his acharya Nammalwar, and so became the model of devotion to one's acharya.
Kulasekhara Alwar
The Chera king who loved Sri Rama with his whole heart, left his throne to serve at Srirangam, and longed to be even a step before the Lord at Thiruvenkatam.
Periyalwar
The garland-maker of Srivilliputhur who, fearing for the Lord's safety, blessed Him with Tiruppallandu, and who raised Andal as his daughter.
Andal
Bhudevi herself, found under a Tulasi plant at Srivilliputhur, who gave us Tiruppavai and became the bride of Sri Ranganatha.
Thondaradippodi Alwar
Vipranarayana, the garden-servant of Srirangam who fell, was lifted back by the Lord's own mercy, and called himself the dust at the feet of devotees.
Thiruppan Alwar
The singer of Uraiyur who was carried into the Srirangam sanctum on a sage's shoulders and sang of the Lord from His feet to His face in ten verses.
Thirumangai Alwar
The warrior-chieftain who robbed to feed devotees, received the Thirumantram from the Lord Himself, and sang of more divya desams than any other Alwar.