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The Sanskrit
word “Adhyayana” means “recitation.” The Adhyayana Utsavam is a festival that
is celebrated at Tirupati in which recitations are performed before Sri
Venkateswara Swami in a very elaborate way. This utsava is celebrated in many
Vaishnava temples during the month of Dhanur Masam (the month of Margazhi or
Margaseersha), which usually falls in the second half of the month of December.
The primary focus of the Adhyayana Utsavam is the group recitation of Sanskrit
verses and the Divyaprabandham, poems in Tamil composed by the Alwars.
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The Alwars
were twelve saint (poet) devotees, who lived their lives dedicated to
expressing their devotion to Maha Vishnu. In the view of Sri Vaishnavas and
followers of other bhakti traditions, the Alwars attained the most profound
realizations of the Supreme Being. They were saints who devoted their entire
life to the worship of Maha Vishnu. Blessed with spiritual insight and intense
love for God, they sang the glory of all aspects of Vishnu in a form of
poetical compositions in Tamil named Prabandham.
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There are a
total of 4,000 divine hymns that are known as Nalayira Divya Prabandham. These
compositions are intensely devotional and represent the spontaneous outpourings
of the Alwars’ deep love and experience of God. Many of the Alwar’s hymns
praise the beauty and glory of Sri Maha Vishnu residing in various Divya
Desams, the 108 divine temples in India. Many of their compositions express
their joyous experiences contemplating the splendor and kindness of Sri
Venkateswara Swami and his abode at Tirumala.
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