Thiruppaan Alwar was born in Urayoor, a town near Sri Rangam. Thiruppan Alwar was well versed in playing Veena and every day he sang songs in praise of Sri Ranganatha. But since he was from a lower caste, instead of going to Sri Rangam, he used to go to banks of the Cauvery river and sing. looking in the direction of the Sri Rangam temple {Like Thiruppan Alwar, Koorathalwar though born as a Brahmin lived only beyond the 7th Agrahara of Sri Rangam. Both of them, though very devoted considered themselves ineligible of living in a divine place like Sri Rangam}. Sri Ranganatha wanted to show Alwar's devotion to the world and so played a small drama. Image via Wikipedia One morning as usual Alwar was singing in the banks of Cauvery River. But this time he was too immersed in his Devotion that he did not feel the presence of a Archaka (Saranga Muni) asking him to move way, since he was from a lower caste. The Archaka had come to take water for Lord Sri Ranganatha. The archaka then takes a small stone and throws at Alwar, which brings back alwar to consciousness. Alwar immediately moved away from the place to give way for archaka. Alwar was afraid that he had commited apacharam and had delayed the service to Lord Sri Ranaganatha. The archaka goes back to temple with the water and seeing Lord Ranganatha he is shocked. Lord Ranganatha bleeds at the exact place where he hit Thirupaan Alwar with stone. The archaka is terrified and requests the Lord to tell the reason for his bleeding. Sri Ranganatha says that the one he hit with the stone is his devout baktha. Sri Ranganatha says that He Himself was with alwar in his songs and when archaka hit him with stone He too was injured. Sri Ranganatha instructs the archaka to bring alwar on his shoulders. The archaka then goes back to alwar and narrates the entire incident. Alwar objects to be taken on archaka’s shoulder, since he held archakas in a very high regard as they serve the Lord Ranganatha himself daily. But when the archaka says that it is the instruction of Lord Ranganatha to bring him on his shoulders, alwar accepts finally. Saranga Muni starts walking towards him Sri Arangathan through the Cauvery river. Everyone was surprised to see this scene and stood in silence. After reaching the temple, Thiruppan Alwar could not believe his eyes because he was seeing Perumal whom he thought that could never see him in his life. He raised his hands above his head and started to sing slokas on Sri Arangathan. He then started to see the whole thirumeni (body) of Emperumaan and he sung a total of ten paasurams which explain the beauty of Sri Ranganathar from his thiruvadi (foot) to thirumudi (head). He explains in his ten paasuram called amalanAdhipirAn about the clean safron cloth which is worn on the body of Ranganathar, his jewels the thiru vayiru (stomach) from where Lord Brahma originated, the broad chest, the red lips and finally the beauty of the two broad eyes. After singing the 10 paasurams (known as Amalanadhipiran) THIRUPPAN ALWAR merges with the Lord Sri Ranganathar.