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Re: udayavar sannidhi

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • April 20, 1999 


Sri T.V. Venkat wrote:
> The first one, ThAnAna thirumEni, it is the original thirumEni of 
> swAmi EmberumAnAr. One can even see the true nails in His fingers in 
> the sannidhi. This is one of the most distinguished importance of the 
> sannidhi at Srirangam. 

This is popular legend but not true.  Sri Ramanuja's body
was interred in the temple temple premises and the sannidhi
was constructed over it.  The image in Srirangam known as 
'tAn Ana tirumEni' is therefore placed *over* the remains
of Ramanuja and is *not* the very body of Ramanuja.

The late vidvAn Sri Sathabhishekam Govinda Narasimhachariar,
Sri V.V. Ramanujam and others are authorities who have expressed
their views on this subject.  The story that the image is
that of Ramanuja itself is a recent concoction that has been
espoused and promoted by the temple priests and management.

This particular image of Ramanuja is regularly covered with
some unknown treatment to give it the look that it has today.

Rest assured that it is not the very body of Sri Ramanuja.

> Additionally adiyEn heard that bhakthAs who go 
> to this sannidhi at Srirangam will wash their feet after coming out. 

I had sEvai of Sri Ramanuja here with a Srirangam regular
and also sat in the goshTi and to my knowledge no one 
washed their feet after leaving the sannidhi.

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
Mani