Chennai Express-Thirupanazhwar Pasarum

Research credit: @TrueIndology

The song Titli in the Hindi movie, Chennai Express, starts with a Tamil verse of sublime beauty.

கொண்டல் வண்ணனைக் கோவலனாய் வெண்ணெய்

உண்டவாயன் என் உள்ளம் கவர்ந்தானை

அண்டர்கோன் அணி அரங்கன் என் அமுதினை

கண்ட கண்கள் மற்றொன்றினைக் காணாதே.

One can sense immediately that there is something special in this verse. This was composed by Thiruppanazhwar (திருப்பாணாழ்வார்), one of the greatest Bhakthi saints of India. 

English fails to convey the beauty of this verse. He sings of the dark skinned divinity who has stolen his heart, who is his immortal nectar, who after been sighted, the eyes don't want to see anything else.

Who was Thiruppanazhwar? He was a Bhaktha (devotee) who sung melodious songs on Srirangam Ranganathar. However, he was also a Dalit. He would sing across the Cauvery river but not come near the temple. The head priest of Srirangam has a dream, where Ranganatha commands him to fetch Thiruppanazhwar. When Thiruppanazhwar is unwilling owing to his untouchability, the priest convinces him citing Ranganatha's command and carries him into the temple.

This painting from the ancient Uraiyur temple depicts this event.

Thiruppanazhwar then sings the Amalanadhi Piran poem describing Ranganathan. This is part of the 4000 Tamil Divya Prabandham recited at Tirupati, Srirangam and other prominent Vaishnava temples everyday. One of the verses is sung in the Chennai Express Titli song.

This is the earliest reference to the story from the manuscripts-researcher John Strawley.

Over the next millennium, secondary fictional atrocity literature was created.