The 2022 fracas between the Tenkalai and Vadakalai groups of Sri Vaishnavas at Kanchipuram is only the latest of dozens more of the past which are far bitterer — and equally petty-minded — than similar sectarian spats that occurred and grabbed news headlines over the last 200 years in Tamil Nadu.
India is a vast country and the Hindu religion in it is indeed a kaleidoscope of sects, subsects, denominations and cults. Tensions and rivalries are rife within each and between groups and camps caused by differences in ideological stance, belief and historical memories and experiences. But never have such differences within a Hindu community lasted as long and been harboured with such undiminished fanaticism as that exists between the Tenkalai and Vadakalai Sri Vaishnavas. Their differences might appear silly and petty to outsiders but, nonetheless, to the parties themselves they are so implacable at times as to defy imagination.
The fact that their internecine religious squabbling has been staged for over 200 years so relentlessly in the jurisdictions of the legal courts is what has made each one of the cases so eminently newsworthy. Every time there is a flareup in either Kanchipuram or the Sri Rangam temples, one can be sure the matter will get escalated to the Courts whose verdict will then surely attract the kind of wide, sensational attention from the press and media that no other sect or orthodox religious group in India would ever get — not Saivas, not Saktas nor Smaarthas, nor Madhwas.
A prodigious library of legal literature has indeed been built up over the last two centuries and is available today in the public domain all pertaining to the Tenkalai-Vadakalai history of legal skirmishes. One simply has to Google the subject to know that the first of their disputes went to the Courts way back in 1792!
It would be too laborious to recount tedious details of every such incident that led to court-room brawling of the last two centuries. But broadly speaking, the nature of the cause of the fracas was almost always only either one of the following two:
A. It was the use of the “naamam” design that each sect wanted to display on the most high-profile accessories of the Varadaraja Swamy temple — i.e. on the head of the temple elephants, on the towers, ramparts and walls of the temples, on ceremonial flagstaffs, on the mastheads of inner shrines and on the foreheads of the various idols of its venerated pantheon of past Achaaryas.
The issue of which “naamam” to use, whether the Tenkalai Y-shaped design or the Vadakalai U-shaped design, had incensed — and to this day continues to incense — both the sects. The narration of the events that led to the two groups fighting their case in this regard in the London Privy Council!, to have their own “naamam” design painted on the head of the temple elephant, is world-famous legend today in the annals of the Sri Vaishnava community. A legend that can never be erased!
Just to satisfy my own curiosity, I searched the internet and compiled court cases in this particular category since 1792. Without wanting to dump on the reader an overload of information therefrom, I have chosen instead only to list out the respective court registry numbers of each such case. So, this is only an illustrative list , not an exhaustive one. The purpose of my exercise is only to portray the monumentally huge amount of time, effort, money, passion and crusading spirit that has been expended by the two sects in the Courts of law — both during the colonial times and in post-Independence decades — to defend and attack what they each hold to be their own cause célèbre!
So, here goes that long, long list!
Civil Litigation: Sect symbols on temple processional elephants: The dispute as regards the “naamam” in this Kanchi temple started as early as 1792.
•O. S. No. 14 of 1850
•O. S. No. 15 of 1850
•A. S. No. 13 of 1854
•Krishnaswami Thathachariar v. Krishnamachariar ((1882) ILR 5 Mad 313)
Krishnasami Ayyangar v. Samram Singarachariar ((1907) ILR 30 Mad 158)
•Veeraraghava Tatachari Vs Srinivasa Tatachari ((1912) 23 Mad LJ 134).
•O. A. No. 466 of 1940
•A. S. No. 175 of 1934
•O. A. No. 466 of 1940
•O. S. No. 7 of 1945
•C. M. A. No. 111 of 1948
•I. A. No. 439 of 1968
•R. Thathadesika Thathachariar … vs K.V. Alagia Manavala Jeerswamy ... on 9 September, 1976
B. Then there are also an equal, if not many more number of cases between Tenkalais and Vadakalais that were taken to various courts since 1828 relating to disputes that one may broadly classify as squabble over the conduct of how sacramental protocols and ritual procedures were to be observed and performed for the various deities inside the shrines of the temples (e.g. saatrumarai, archamurthy araadanam or pratishtai, teertham-sataari, adhyaayanam, adhyaabaaga mariyaadai, madapalli talligai viniyogam, aachaarya sannidhi nithyapadi, purappaadu, sevaakaalam etc…)
I searched the internet again on this one and have been able to come up with a long sample listing of court cases pertaining to Civil Litigation re: Temple shrine sacramental protocols not only in the Kanchipuram temples but also at other important Sri Vaishnava temples of Sri Rangam, Tirumala, Oppiliappan Sannidhi in Kumbhakonam to name only a few. But here again in this category of cases, it is Kanchipuram that is leader in the most number of sectarian battles:
•O.S. No.231/1828 by Vadakalais against Archakas on the ground that they were unduly interfering with recital of Tamil Prabandham on Vijayadhasami day in Devarajaswami Temple
•O.S. No.120/1852 many quarrels between Vadakalai and Tenkalai sects in respect of performing Sathumurai on the Bhaktha Vigraha of Sri Manavala Mamunigal in his shrine.
•O.S. No.858/1861 Bhaktha Vigraha of Sri Manavala Mamunigal disappearing from the very temple itself.
•O.S. No.208/1883
•High Court in S.A. No.1200/1887
•O.S. No.744/1887
•A.S. No.190/1900
•S.A. No.269/1902.
•Dispute regarding the method of celebrating “Pagalpathu” and “Raapathu” of the Naalaayira Divya Prabhandhams
•Proceedings concluded only with passing of orders in O.A. No.332/1941
•A.S. No.147/1946.
•O.S. No.139/06 filed by the Vadagalai Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya Sabha organization.
•Commissioner of HR & CE in R.P. No.11/07.
•Vadakalai Sri Vaishnava … vs The Commissioner on 16 April, 2010
Then there are samples of numerous other similar cases that have been reported in the press at various times in the past decade… a few of which are quoted verbatim below:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/controversy-ends/article7423322.ece/amp/
The Vanamamalai Mutt’s 31st pontiff Sri Ramanuja Jeer was on a pilgrimage of the Chola Divya Desams (Sri Vaishnavite tradition temples sanctified by the Alwars) when he arrived at the Sri Oppiliappan Temple on a Saturday. According to tradition, whenever a Mutt head pays a visit to temples, the priests of the temple offer poorna kumbham with Sri Satagopam and Perumal vastram parivattam at the flagstaff spot (dhvajastambham) and lead the seer into the shrine as a mark of respect. But when the Jeer arrived at the temple, no official or temple priest was present to extend that courtesy and even after being informed of the seer’s visit, priests refused to accord the respect saying there was no such practice. There were reports that the sanctum sanctorum was screened out during the pontiff’s visit, though some suggested that it was pooja kalam when the screen was usually drawn close. The jeer left (in a huff, possibly?) after worshipping the deity from the Dwajasthambam and submitting offerings to the temple elephant.
The issue took a serious turn after the Mutt pandits and office-bearers alleged that the disrespect shown to the Jeer was a fall-out of centuries-old ideological clash between two sub-sects of Vaishnavism — Thenkalai and Vadakalai. While the Jeer is a flag-bearer of the Thenkalai sect, the priests of the Sri Oppiliappan Temple adhere to Vadakalai sect.
Sriperumbudur Sri Ramanuja Jeer and Thirukovilur Sri Emperumanar Jeer arrived then at Nathan Koil and took stock of the developments. Some Hindu outfits too joined issue over the disrespect shown the Jeer. So, Sri Oppiliappan Temple priests, officials of the HR and CE officials led by the Executive Officer met Sri Ramanuja Jeer to covey their regret and pleaded with him to visit the temple again. The Jeer also visited the temple on Monday night and the priests extended him due courtesy.
Tension prevailed in Kanchipuram when members of two Vaishnavite sects — Thenkalais and Vadakalais — clashed over the chanting of Naalayira Divya Prabhandam to Lord Varadharaja Perumal, who was taken out in a procession on the eighth day of the annual festival, Thiruvedipuri Utsavam.
As per the ritual, the idol of saint Thirumangai Azhwar was taken thrice around the presiding deity, which was mounted on a horse. The Thenkalai sect devotees then began reciting the Naalayira Divya Prabandham , a collection of 4,000 Tamil hymns, written and sung by the Azhwars in praise of Lord Vishnu.
As per the ritual, the Thenkalai group started singing the hymns on the Thirukatchi Nambi Street, but members of the Vadakalai sect opposed them. Soon, they got into a heated argument and some of them thrashed each other in the middle of the road.
The Thenkalai group lodged a complaint at the Vishnukanchi police station, alleging that a few Vadakalai sect members pushed them down.
This deprived them of their traditional right of reciting the Prabandham , the complaint added.
The matter relates to a dispute between the Vadakalai and Thenkalai sects of Vaishnavaits of Arulmigu Devanatha Swamy Temple in Thiruvaheendrapuram of Cuddalore district. It is a custom for the Thenkalai sect to take out a procession of their deity Sri Manavala Mamunigal chanting Divya Prabandham, after lighting camphor in front of the temple during the temple festival, which falls on Sunday this year. But the Vadakalai sect wanted to close the doors of the main entrance of the temple during the procession as per their belief. But the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) Department refused permission to close the door through an order dated September 29, 2014.
Aggrieved by the order of the commissioner, of the HR&CE Department, the Vadakalai petitioners, belonging to the Vadakalai sect, moved the Madras High Court seeking to quash the order and provide police protection, and maintain law and order during the procession of Manavala Mamunigal idol.
Observing that, even as per the sastraas, the doors to the entrance of a temple, constructed as per the Agamas, cannot be closed except during fixed hours and during certain inauspicious times, the judge ruled that the doors of the main entrance cannot be closed during the procession of deity of Manavala Mamunigal and directed police to give necessary police protection.
The Justice further said, “The processionists shall not light camphor when the deity passes through the temple. But, it is neither fair, nor possible to prohibit the processionists from chanting Divya Prabandhams and stopping for a few minutes in front of the temple, since it happens to be a public road.”
The rivalry between the Tenkalai and Vadakalai sects of Iyengar Brahmins plunged to lower levels recently, with a fresh controversy emerging at the holy Hindu hill shrine of Sri Venkateswara in Tirumala over how the idol should look. One of the groups has decided to move court against the other over the alleged change in the style of “Naamam” or forehead-mark of the presiding deity.
Members of one sect intentionally changed the style of “naamam” on the forehead of the idol of Lord Venkateswara. Though it is unclear as to which sect changed it, the TTD has allegedly excused the accused priest from Abhishekam duty. Priests of the Vadakalai sect wear the Tirunamam or U-shaped naamam, while those of the Tenkalai sect wear it in the shape of the alphabet ‘Y’. An apparent change in practice on what adorns the sacred idol has resulted in one of the sects planning to approach a court of law against the other sect.
This is however not the first time the two groups have fought with each other. Both Vadakalai and Thenkalai are subsects of the Sri Vaishnava Iyengar community of Hindu Brahmins and have shared a long history of disagreements and arguments. In recent times, controversies ranging from shutting doors of temples managed by the Vadakalai sect when their Thenkalai counterparts took a procession, to which sect’s religious mark should be smeared on the presiding elephant in the famous Vaishnava temple in Triplicane.
Why does it matter in what shape the namam is?
When newsmen tried to contact members of mutts belonging to the two sects to know further details about the ongoing controversy, it was met with this unanimous response, “only the big priests will know” and with a helpless shrugging of shoulders. Despite being able to explain in detail the 18 doctrinal differences between the two sects (“ashtadashabheda vichaara“) there is no real clarity on the difference on the religious mark.
A religious scholar and author living in Atlanta, USA, Sri U Ve Anbil Ramaswamy, the founder-President of “Swami Desika Darasana Satsangam” (SDDS), has an interesting if rather facetious take on the matter.
He claims that it could have started off with something as frivolous as an anonymous Acharya telling his followers that the base of the naamam mark should touch the tip of the nose. Apparently, one set of followers took it to mean the top-tip, linking the eyebrows with a U shaped curve while the other took it to mean the toe-tip, with a stroke below the U shaped curve, making it a Y shaped curve!
He continues:
“Be that as it may, the practices had come to stay and stay with such disastrous consequences. This is an example of how over enthusiastic fanatics could blow up even insignificant and inconsequential distinctions to abnormal proportions,” he adds. To trace its history of how the two sects came to be, in the 10th century AD, a collection of the devotional hymns and songs was organized by Nathamuni, one of the earliest Vaishnava theologians. He was followed by Yamunacharya, a famed yogi who would later accept Ramanuja as his disciple. Ramanuja would later become a renowned Hindu theologian and philosopher. Till the Ramanuja period, the two sects of Vadakai and Thenakai were non-existent.
Evolving between the time of Sri Ramanuja and that of Sri Vedanta Desika, a 13th century Hindu philosopher, the two sects split up as Vadakalai’s gave more importance to the the Vedas which were in Sanskrit, while the Thenkalai’s stressed the importance of the Divya Prabandams of Alwars which were in Tamil. However, this did not hinder relations between the two sects, who still respected the other’s opinions. History suggests that the disagreements started during the course of time, slowly increasing during the British rule wherein the two sects tried to settle some matters in the Court system established by the British.
This gradually led to the formation of fanatics in both the sects as power and control were distributed among them. Both the sects are strong pillars of the Vaishnava school of thought and none of the 18 differences which formed the two sects can actually be proved or disproved by either of the sects till today”.
The Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam is at the center of an old controversy yet again – the Thengalai and Vadagalai sects are fighting it out over the participation rights of the mahasamprokshanam puja (periodic consecration) at the temple, the Times of India reports.
According to the report, priests belonging to the Thengalai sect plan to drag to court members of the Vadagalai sect who insist that they should be part of the yagasala puja (sacred fire-ritual). Thengalai sect members cited an old court order saying the Vadagalai sect did not have the rights to be part of the puja.
The report says:
During the yagasala puja in the temple on Monday , priests belonging to both the sects exchanged heated arguments. The altercation didn’t last long as the members of the Vadakalai sect were allowed to be part of the puja. This was done so the puja was not disrupted since it marks the beginning of the mahasamprokshanam. In yagasala puja, verses from the “4000 Divyaprabandham“ and Vedas are chanted for more than three hours.
Citing a verdict of the court of the district munsif of Turaiyur in 1941, a Thenkalai priest, said: “Sri Ranganathaswamy temple is among the temples in the state that follow Thenkalai tradition of worship where only Thenkalai priests are entitled to chant Veda parayanam.“
“This has been the case in each festival happening in the temple over the past few years and to put an end to the whole row we are planning to take up the issue to the court,“ said Parthasarathy .
But the Vadagalais are not budging. They agree that the other group has the right, but insist that they too can be a part of it.
Members of the Vadakalai sect agree that the Thenkalai sect had the right to perform the daily “Thiruvaradhanana“ service offered to the presiding deity . But they said they should be part of the Veda parayanam service in Sanskrit since it was performed when the deity is taken out in a procession.
“The yagasala puja was happening outside the temple in the 1,000-pillar hall. We tried to exercise our duty only to be questioned by Thenkalai sect as they have been doing always,“ said the secretary of Vadakalai Palaya Veda Parayana Adhyapaka Ghosti.
Such sectarian battles are not new to the Vaishnavite sect. The two group have doctrinal differences dating back several centuries, and are known to fight over temple-issues in several parts of south India.”
End of my list!
Now, even a cursory reading of all the above case laws relating to the legal battles between Tenkalai and Vadakalai sects will thus tell us that the cause of it all lies in history older than the 200 years from when it all started.
To understand that much older history, one must travel even further back beyond 200 years!
(to be continued)