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Sunday, April 23, 2017

enrapturing Udayavar at Periamet

For a Chennai resident, trip to Chennai Central is but regular- beside the iconic Red building that provides the trackway to many other destinations, is another landmark building – the Ripon Building, a fine modern attempt at the Indo-Saracenic, the headquarters of the Corporation, to which the move from Errabalu Chetty street was made in 1913. A magnificant white building, it was built by Loganatha Mudaliar.  It was declared open at a function attended by over 3000 of the city's elite. Lord Ripon, Viceroy from 1880-1884, when he introduced local government reforms is remembered in a statue here.
Udayavar Thirumeni – without garland and grand one with garland

Can you identify this Udayavar and where could one have darshan of Him ?  As one moves on the Sydenhams road leading to the famous Nehru stadium – is the Periamet area, the  hub of leather trade in the city. You may not have  ventured into the many winding small lanes – today, I went through Karpura Mudali Street to Thoppai Street ~ and what a great darshan it turned out to be !

Tradition is the sustaining force of any culture.  It remains the primary link between the past and present.  The highly cultured traditions determine the culture level of the society – its strength lies in its antiquity.  We are fortunate to have had great Acharyas as our Gurus – this is the time we are celebrating the sahasrabdi of the Greatest Acharyar Sri Ramanujar – Udayavar organized the procedure of daily worship in temples and handed over to us systems, that have stood the time. 



Ramanujacharya  travelled far and wide through the Bharatham – he went to Thiruvananthapuram, established order at Thirumala, went to Kashmeeram  to access ‘boddhayana vrutti’ – a rate treatise on Vyasa brahma sutra. While his thirumenis at Srirangam, Thirumalai, Thirupathi, Sriperumpudur, Thirunarayanapuram, Thirukachi, Thiruvallikkeni and many many more places are exceptionally prominent, there are thousands more at other temples too .. .. ….

Today, had darshan of our Swami Ramanujar at Sri Prasanna Venkatesa Perumal Temple, Thoppai St., Periamet, Chennai 3 (the one collaged at the beginning) – here are some photos and sure the  Sishyas of Acharyar Udayavar would adore the exquisitely beautiful archavathara meni of Swami Emperumanaar.


Here are some photos (thanks to Agaram Sriram and Kavalkazhani Srinivasan)




adiyen Srinivasadhasan.
23rd Apr 2017.


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