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 The ancient temple of Sri Adhikesavaperumal in the township of
Sriperumbudur, 60 km southwest of Chennai, is famous as the avatara sthala of Saint
Ramanuja, the great philosopher of Vaishnavism. It was the presence of Mahavishnu as Adhi
Kesavaperumal and the beautiful setting of the village which made Asuri
Kesavacharya,
father of Ramanuja, settle there. Ramanuja incarnated in the year 1017 A D on the 12th day
of the month of Chitrai under the star Tiruvadirai. We went to Sriperumbudur on Sunday,
May 7 for the Temple Car festival. The festivities were part of the Sri Ramanuja Avatara
Utsavam, which commenced on April 28 and concluded on May 9. Before that the temple
Brahmotsavam had been held. The township is easily accessed from Chennai thanks to a
well-laid west-bound National Highway. The holiday afternoon traffic was light. A fork to
the right takes you into the ancient town. One can see the newly painted Rajagopuram from
the highway.
 The temple entrance is crowded. As one
enters, a big pool of water in the courtyard signals the previous night's downpour. This
has kept the dust low -- dust is sometimes a problem in peak summer. The shrine of the
main deity is thronging with devotees. A smiling Sri Adhikesavaperumal, with his consorts
Sreedevi and Bhoodevi, bestows his abundant grace on his devotees. To the right of the
main shrine is the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Ramanuja and to the left is Sree
Yatirajanathavallithayar. Her name denotes that she is the consort of the master of the
king of saints, Yathiraja (Ramanuja). This is the only temple where Goddess Lakshmi has a
name attributed to a devotee of the lord. She is a "Varaprasadi", who grants all
wishes. The temple has a golden vimana with Sri Ramanuja's image etched on it. Those
associated with the temple say this was the first golden vimana in South India, erected in
1912. A copper plate commemorating the event is set on the temple floor, from where one
can look up and see the great devotee seated on the vimana.
 After the temple visit, we go to the
garden adjacent to the place of Sri Ramanuja's birth. Here one can see the utsava murthy
of the great teacher. It is said that Ramanuja was so impressed by its likeness to him
that he hugged it, passing on all his powers to it. It was, therefore, called the
"than ugandha thirumeni"; the body touched by him. The fact that his powers had
been conveyed to this vigraha is indicated by two events. First, when the stapathi opened
the eye of the vigraha with the chisel, blood came out of the eyes of the teacher, who was
then residing far away at Srirangam. When asked why, the preceptor explained that it was
because the idol was "himself". Secondly, when the vigraha was sanctified,
Ramanuja became weak and shuffled off his mortal coil in a fortnight. This is interpreted
as his prana coming to abide in the vigraha at Sriperumbudur.
 The idol here is believed to be very
powerful and worshipping it will confer all benefits, including Moksha. In fact, in
Sriperumbudur, Ramanuja is addressed as "Swamy'. On the festival day, the idol is
bejewelled, dressed in glittering robes and carrying a sword, indicating Ramanuja's status
as the king of saints. The idol is brought to the garden after the ride in the temple car
in the morning. Before the "Thirumanjanam", the jewels and robes are removed and
the idol can be seen in all its original glory. It is very difficult to find words to
describe the visage and the form of the great saint. His back is shaped like a hooded
serpent, flared and vibrant as he was the incarnation of Adisesha. People eagerly wait to
see the thirumanjanam and the pushpa pallakku that follows. Devotees from all over have
come to see and serve the lord. The locals exude warmth and hospitality even to strangers.
More on Sri Ramanuja and his
life next week.
Ambujam Anantharaman
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