Sri Ranga Pankajam

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The Lost Thiruvarasu of The Last Acharya

Shri Manavala Mamunigal,  who is a popular pontiff of Srirangam and a hierarchically last in the Guru Parampara, with Sri Ramanuja as the centric, ascended to the divine abode in the year CE 1443 masi Krishna paksha dwadasi day. This day, his thiruvadhyayanam is celebrated without fail in all divyadesams with its own specialty in Srirangam.

‘Yathindra pravaNaprabhavan’ records that Mamunikal was given his last rites at purushotthama chathurvedi mangalam or near to the Adikesavaperumal temple, adjacent to the Thavarasan paditthurai in Srirangam. Today neither the tomb nor the temple is clearly visible rather clearly ruined.

The details about the Tiruvarasu are lost from the pages of history. None has paid attention to this over the past 150 years.

It is also described that till 900 years ago, the tombs of all Sri Ranganarayana Jeeyars, Sri Yamunacharya (Alavanthar) which are in good condition, were being in regular worship.

Most of the Jeeyars tombs including Sri Yamunacharyas tomb is found adjacent to the Aalavandar paditthurai, and they end before Thavarasan Padithurai. But Sri Ramanuja being a special case was granted his tomb, inside the temple itself, which was the old Vasanthosthava Mandapam.

But, Manavala mamunikal some how did not find a place in this common burial ground among Jeeyars, instead, was given funeral in the Adikesavaperumal Temple, which is slightly north east to the Thavarasan paditthurai. This place is more away from the Northern Kaveri (kollidam) and located north east of Sukara Vara Thoopu.

In the year 2001, some good hearts and scholars decided to renovate the Manavala Maanunikal Thiruvarasu. Clubbed with some temple activities, they were able to locate approximately the place of the Thiruvarasu and revealed many large sized granite stones and some sculptures, indicating the presence of some ancient structure. An old well was also found intact. (Please Click here to see a document released during the year 2001).  During those times it was reported that a huge serpent used to visit few times a week on a pile of stones inside the bushes. Nothing except Thulasi plant grows near to that pile of stones. It is believed that this place could be the place of Mamunikal’s Tomb.

But there is no evidence of the Adikesava Perumal temple found near the tomb. Even yathindrapravana prabhavam, which is an official account of Maumunikal’s life, does not contain details about this temple.

But it was well known from other books that those times except jeeyars, archakas, periyanambi, bhattar and few other families no one lived inside the 7 prakaras of Srirangam, instead they lived near to the surrounding streets of this Adikesavaperumal.

The connecting streets to Srirangam and this temple were called as Vadakku Thiruveethi, Naduvil Thiruveethi etc., (Acharyas lived in these streets were named accordingly)

The Fact is that, there are possibilities of the existence of the Sannithi, even after Mamunikal’s period.

Scene Now at Mamunikal’s Tomb:

                                                       Now anyone who visits this place can see two very large stone pieces lying parallel, a pile of stones, and a provision for lighting lamps. It could be the top or bottom part of a Mandapam which stays buried deeply.

Next to this pile, another plant a sort of a vilwa tree, below that some local worshiping place was found with a lamp and some designs similar to Jyothishkudi

We can only speculate on the existence and the possible cause of the destruction of the tomb and the temple with the bits and pieces of information.

Seeing the fast growing townships around the place, we believe that there is a threat to even the remaining stones in this place. This warrants for an immediate attention from the archeological survey of INDIA and help us in identifying the tomb properly.

ASI is the authority who can do a deep study and dig out the tomb again and handover the same to the temple authorities for maintenance.

Click here for further interesting pictures from the web.