Kondalalo Nelakonna (Annamacharya) — Benefits & How to Chant
कॊण्डललो नॆलकॊन्न
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Kondalalo Nelakonna (Annamacharya)
Strengthens the faith that the Lord personally stands by his devotees, as he did for Nambi, Tondaman and Anantalvar.
A song of assurance in difficulty
the giver of 'hill-sized boons by the fistful' lacks nothing to give.
Recalls the sacred geography of Tirumala
the hills and the Swami Pushkarini — bringing the pilgrimage into the heart.
One of the most loved Annamacharya kritis in raga Hindolam, sung across generations in homes and concerts.
Ideal for Saturday Venkateswara worship and for singing with children as an introduction to the Lord's devotees.
How to Chant Kondalalo Nelakonna (Annamacharya)
Instructions
Sing in raga Hindolam with a gentle swing, savouring each story of the Lord's friendship — the potter, the emperor, Anantalvar, Tirumala Nambi, Tirukachchi Nambi. Let the refrain remind you that he who settled among the hills gives boons 'by the fistful' to all who trust him.
Spiritual Significance
Legend tells that when Anantalvar dug the temple garden and his pregnant wife carried earth, the Lord himself came as a small boy to carry her basket — and took a blow from the Alvar's crowbar that marks the Lord's chin to this day (the sandalwood applied there is called the 'gaddapu chandanam'). This kirtana sings of that very Lord who labours for love of his devotees.
Origin & History
Source: Tallapaka sankirtana of Annamacharya, popularly in raga Hindolam, Adi tala (Telugu, 15th century CE)
Author: Saint Annamacharya (Annamayya)
Annamayya, the designated songmaster of the Tirumala temple, sang one sankirtana to the Lord every day. In this kirtana he gathers the temple's own legends — the potter Kuruva Nambi whose devotion the Lord rewarded, the Tondaman king who built shrines and fought for him, Anantalvar whose garden-trenches the Lord helped dig, Tirumala Nambi who told him Ramayana, and Tirukachchi Nambi summoned from Kanchi — to show that the Lord on the hill lives among his servants.