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Alamelu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Alamelu (Telugu: అలమేలు, Tamil: அலமேலு), also known as Padmavati (often spelled "Padmavathi" or "Padmavathy"), is a Hindu goddess. Believed to be a form of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and good fortune, Alamelu is the consort of Sri Venkateshwara. The name Padmavati is Sanskrit for "she who has lotus".
The main temple to Sri Alamelu is situated at Thiruchanoor, also known as Alamelu-Mangapuram, a village in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, lying at a distance of about 5 km from the temple-town of Tirupati. Tradition dictates that every pilgrim to Tirupati must offer obeisance at this temple before proceeding to the temple at Tirupati.
Alamelu Manga Thayar is a major focus of devotion among those belonging to the Iyengar sect of brahmins, next only to Vishnu/Venkateshwara himself, if that. In particular, the Thangalai Iyengars believe that her intercession is indispensable to gaining the favour of the lord. Sri Alamelu is the mother-goddess figure for staunch Srivaishnavites.
The great Vaishnavite saint and Telugu Bhakti poet Sri Annamacharya, was a staunch devotee of Sri Alamelu Mangamma. Indeed, it is a rare composition of the great saint that does not invoke the benedictions of the goddess and sing her praises. Many of the most famous and popular Kritis of Annamacharya eulogize in loving adulation the many graces of his Ishta devata and the many boons she is wont to bestow with facile benevolence on her devotees.
The name Alamelu Manga or more correctly Alarmel Mangai is a Tamil term which translates to Sanskrit Padmavati. The name is a conjoint of the words Alar (lotus) and Mel (aloft or up); Mangai means "(auspicious) lady" in pure Tamil. Thus, Alarmel Mangai softened over time to Alamelu Manga translates to Lady of the Lotus which is the same meaning as the Sanskrit word Padmavati.
The name Alamelu has traditionally been a surpassingly popular one in south India. Apart from that basic name, several variations are popular.
The word Mangai/Manga/Mangamma (auspicious lady) very commonly forms part of many names. Occasionally, this is replaced by the word Valli (literally: creeper or heather; compare Lata in Sanskrit), a metaphor for gentle lady in Tamil, to create the popular names Alarmel Valli and Alamelu Valli. Of course, the name Alamelu is very generally used as a stand-alone name for girls.
- Venkateshwara
- Lakshmi
- Tirumala-Tirupati
- Tirupathi
- Annamacharya
- Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam, a university named after Padmavati
- Sri Alamelu Mangammavari Aalayam, Tiruchanoor
- The Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanam website
- Sri Alamelu Mangamma website
| Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Indian epic poetry |  |
|---|---|
| Female Deities: Devi | Saraswati | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Gayatri | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Radha | Mahavidya | more... | |
| Male Deities: Deva |Brahma | Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Murugan | Hanuman | Indra | Surya | more... | |
| Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata | Rigveda | |