Deities > Godadevi
Simultaneously, the
Lord appeared before the priests at Srirangam and asked them to prepare
for the coming of Andal. Vishnucitta once again was filled with both joy
and sadness; joy that his beloved daughter would attain her goal, but
sadness at losing her at the same time. He made all the wedding
preparations and arranged for Andal's journey in a palanquin to Srirangam.
Andal waited with excited anticipation as the wedding party approached
Lord Ranganatha's shrine. As they entered the temple, she jumped out of
the palanquin, unable to restrain herself any longer. Running into the
temple sanctum, she embraced Lord Ranganatha and disappeared in a blaze
of glory, having joined her Lord. She was only fifteen at the time.
Andal is now one of the best loved poet-saints of the Tamils. Pious
tradition reckons her to be the veritable descent of Bhumi Devi
(Mother Earth) in bodily form to show humanity the way to His lotus feet.
She is present in all Sri Vaishnava temples, in India and elsewhere, next
to her Lord, as she always desired.
