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Swamy Nammalwar India Foundation - 3rd Anniversary at Kattumannarkoil

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Krishnan • June 23, 2002 


Priya BhagavatOttamAs,
Nathamunigal and Alavandar , the two great acAryAs who have been pillars
to our Srivaishnava sampradayam, took their avatara at Kattumannar koil
, 25 kms from Chidambaram. Yesterday, the 23rd June was Ani anusham the
avatara day of Swamy Nathamunigal. Swamy Nammalwar India Foundation (
SNIF) celebrated its 3rd anniversary at this holy place coinciding with
the tirunakshatram celebrations of Swamy Nathamunigal. It was a new
attempt. 
 
Earlier the first two anniversary celebrations were at Chennai attented
by over 2000 people and many mathAdhipatis. Since kattumannar koil was a
rarely visited place, it was decided to hold it there. To our pleasant
surprise, 8 buses from Chennai with 400 people, 2 buses from Bangalore
with 70 people, and two buses from Srirangam with 70 people poured in.
Besides this, about 100 people came on their own. Along with this, they
also visited Srimushnam, Sirkazhi, Chidambaram, Tiruvaheendra puram and
madhurantakam. 
 
The main events were :
Submission of the title "Srivaishnava simham" to three scholars - Sri U.
Ve MahAmahimOpAdhyAya cEtlur SrivatsAnkAcariar swamy, Sri U. Ve Dr. V.
V. Ramanujam swamy and Sri Prapanna vidwan Etiraja Ramanuja Dasar Swamy.
Foundation has a practice to honour one vidwan from  tennacarya
sampradaya, one from Desika sampradaya and one from Srivaishnava
bhagavata goshti. There were 10 vidwans who spoke on Nammalwar and
Tirumangai alwar - a compare and contrast on various topics. From the
awardees and vidwans to the devotees who attended, there was absolute
harmony and no difference in vadakalai or tenkalai, male or female,
Brahmin or non Brahmin. All attended in equal number. It is worth to
quote Sri U Ve SrivatsAnkacAriar swamy " I have been honoured by the
President of India amidst an elite gathering. But I am carried away
here, being honoured amidst a large cohesive Srivaishnava gathering.
Nammalwar and Nathamunigal would be pleased by this sight."  The vidwans
were honoured by Sri U Ve ParahamsEtyadi Azhagiya manavala Jeer of
Kanchipuram. 
 
As a preparation for this , the foundation issued a question bank
comprising of 500 questions  and answers in Tamil and English on
Srivaishnava sampradaya, alwars and acAryAs. One month time was given to
over 1500 children from the age of 5 to 18 to prepare. A proper
objective / fill in the blanks / matching test was conducted last month.
It gave us immense pleasure to note that 9 had scored 100, 11 had scored
99, 25 had scored 98, and 50 had scored between 90 and 95. There were
almost 500 calls on the day we published the results which showed the
interest. All the 100 children were offered free trip to Kattumannar
koil to receive the prizes. Over 60 children came in along with their
parents. Generous souls immediately came forward to give them prizes,
gold coin for first two prizes, silver coin for 3rd and special prize.
The foundation also honoured State rank holders (1188 / 1200) in public
exams with Sanskrit as their language. They have been denied all the
status by Tamil nadu Government because they have taken Sanskrit. 
We also passed a unanimous resolution to represent this case in a
positive manner to the Government. Inspired by the response the
foundation would conduct these exams every year at various centres
including overseas. I have already sent this to middle East. I expect
your response in conducting this in the US. We also have plans to join
hands with JET and Vikas tarangini at Chennai to conduct this in their
forums. We would not spare any efforts in catching them young. 
 
Besides the above there were many more events. We also collected a
sizeable sum and donated to the repair work being carried out at
Kattumannar koil. 
 
Last year I had requested in the Bhakti list for sponsorship for the
purse being offered to the Srivaishnava simhams. There was a good
response. I request the same individuals or any other who would be
willing to participate in this service of honouring people who have put
in 40 years of untiring dedicated efforts to our sampradaya.
 
Services undertaken by the foundation :
*	Regular weekly classes in Gita, Sahasranama, Tiruvoimozhi, and
guruparampara at T Nagar. Fresh courses are being started at Mylapore
and Naganallur. 
*	Monthly classes in English on Gita at Bangalore
*	Monthly visakam lectures at various divya desams to spread the
message the alwar in those hamlets.
*	Conducting santhai classes at divya desams, undertaking the
yearly education expense of those children who attend. 
*	Helping students in need for higher studies.
*	In the process of acquiring land for a school to be started in a
village. 
*	Conducting divya desa yatra (covered about 60 divyadesams
already). 
*	Inscribing or publishing books at Kerala about alwars divine
hymns. There is not much trace there now. 
 
We can proudly say that there are no internal politics, discrimination
of any nature amongst the 2000 odd members. Almost all the
mathAdhipatis including Srimat Paramahamsetyadi Azhagia singar, Andavan,
Vanamamalai Jeer, Srimannarayana Jeer are in the advisory panel of the
foundation. All have visited and graced our functions. We owe all this
to Swamy NammAlwar and Swamy Ramanuja.
 
Poliga!  Poliga!  Poliga! 
SrimatE Ramanujaya Namaha. 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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