Andal was the only woman among the Alvars (or Azhvars, depending on the transliteration system -- 'zh' is pronounced as something between 'l' and 'r'), devotees of Vishnu. In his book, Hymns for the Drowning, A. K. Ramanujan writes of the Azhvars:
Between the sixth and the ninth century, in the Tamil-speaking region of South India, these devotees of Vishnu and their counterparts, the devotees of Shiva (Nayanmar), changed and revitalized Hinduism, and checked the spread of Buddhism and Jainism while absorbing some of the features of these rivals. The saint-poets wandered all over the Tamil countryside, inspiring and converting kings, brahmans, and peasants, affirming in poetry the holiness of hundreds of Tamil places dedicated to Vishnu or Shiva...Andal's life (I have condensed this):
A devout brahmin named Vishnucitta lived near Madurai. His daily duties included procuring flowers for the worship of the Lord at the local temple. One morning, as he went about his business, he discovered a baby girl lying under a tulasi plant in his flower garden. Having no family of his own, Vishnucitta felt it was God's grace that gave him this child and named her Godai, or "gift of Mother Earth." He took her home and raised her as his own.Andal composed two works of poetry. Both are available online, with Tamil transliteration and translations of some of the Tamil words:
The love Vishnucitta had for his Beloved Lord intensified in his daughter, and before long she was passionately in love with Lord Krishna. Even as a child, Godai made up her mind to marry none but Krishna.
Unknown to her father, she adorned herself daily with the flower garland he prepared for the Lord at the temple, then put the garland back for her father to take to the temple. One day, Vishnucitta noticed a strand of Godai's hair on one of the garlands. Shocked by this desecration of what was meant only for the Lord, he scolded Godai for her misuse of the garland and discarded it. He carefully prepared a new one and offered it to the Lord.
That night, the Lord appeared to Vishnucitta in his dream and asked him why he discarded Godai's garland instead of offering it to Him. He told Vishnucitta that He missed the scent of Godai's body in the flowers, and that He preferred them that way. Would he please continue to give the garlands once worn by Godai? From this day on, she became known as "Andal", the girl who "ruled" over the Lord.
When Andal came of marriageable age she refused, saying that she would only agree to marry Sri Ranganatha, the Lord at the temple town of Srirangam. Vishnucitta despaired, wondering what was to become of his daughter. One night, Lord Ranganatha appeared in his dream and asked that Andal be sent to Him in all her wedding finery. Simultaneously, the Lord appeared before the priests at Srirangam and asked them to prepare for the coming of Andal. Vishnucitta 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.
Tiruppavai (and another version here, with a complete translation)
Nacciyar Tirumozhi (and here, with translation)
The impact of these works on the daily religious life of the South Indian has been tremendous. ... The daily services in most Vaishnava temples and households include its recitation.
Both of these works, particularly the Tiruppavai, have been commented on extensively by innumerable scholars in a number of languages over the centuries....
During the month of Margali (December-January), discourses on the Tiruppavai in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and English take place all over India.
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