The animus that has been existing between the two Sri Vaishnava sects for more than half a century shows little sign of abating even today i.e. in the first two decades of the 21st century CE… and most certainly not at all in the principal Tenkalai and Vadakalai temples of Tamil Nadu viz. Sri Rangam and Kanchipuram —
The tale of the two famous temple cities, that once upon a time represented the noblest of Vedantic traditions in all of India, embracing as it did at the same time both lofty Sanskritic philosophy and Tamil religious literature, was indeed the story of “ubaya-vedanta” which was a unique product of the catholicity of “ramanuja sampradaya”; of its fervent Bhakti mysticism inspired by the life and works of the Azhwars; of its hoary temple ritualism, rich variety of customs and deeply sacramental ways of life. It is that great tale of two cities which has today been reduced to plaintive narratives of sectarian peeve and spite.
A great deal of mutual “othering” — in other words, alienating of each other — marks today the relations between the Tenkalai and Vadakalai in the temples of Sri Rangam and Kanchipuram with each side very often rudely showing each other the door out of their very own overzealously guarded sacred space. A member of the Vadakalai sect who had been at the receiving end of Tenkalai “othering” or exclusion from the latter’s midst during a festive-procession inside the temple of Sri Ranganathaswamy at Sri Rangam took to a social-media platform to vent his dismay and despair:
QUOTE: “It is indeed a matter of utter disgust and shame to see learned and sometimes even revered Sri Vaishnavas exhibiting open resentment in such gatherings as offering of the Gadyam (the Sanskrit hymn of “saranagathi gadyam”) of Sri Ramanuja to the Lord at Sri rangam temple during the “panguni uthiram” festivals . I am a Vadakalai Yyengar and I was present during this Gadyam offering to the Almighty and had the misfortune of being told by the thenkalai goshti (priestly chanters) assembled there to not open my mouth during the goshti (chorus) as they think it is they and they alone who are ordained to do it. I consider it downright uncouth arrogance on the part of those in the goshti who indulge in such senseless behaviour. It is here in Sri Rangam the Lord had accepted the poetic offerings of ThirupanAzhwar (who belonged to the lowest order of caste). Let these groups come to a compromise soon and leave all their resentments once and for all and start a joint goshti in future to uphold the teachings of the great founders of Vaishnavism https://www.tamilbrahmins.com/threads/vadakalai-vs-thenkalai-iyengars-and-their-on-going-fight.13611/# UNQUOTE
The animosity shown by the Vadakalais in the same sort of misdeed of “othering” the Tenkalais is no less virulent either. At the temple-town of Tiruvaheendrapuram (near Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu) there is a temple presided over by the Deity, Sri Devanathaswamy Perumal. In Oct, 2014, a dispute arose between two sects in the temple-town. The residents of the Vadakalai sect living in quarters surrounding the temple “maada veedhis” (perimeter) used to rudely shut the doors of their homes every time a ritual procession of Thenkalai sect-members carrying the idol of their Acharya, Manavalaa Maamuni in a palanquin, came around. The Vadakalai priests even slammed shut the main doors of Devanatha Swamy Temple whenever their Tenkalai counterparts took out the utsava idol of Manavala Mamunigal in a procession from his shrine (sannidhi) to the sanctum!
Then there is also the bitter dispute in all temples of the Sri Vaishnavas over the matter of “naamam” — the flagstaff symbol of the two sects. The Vadakalai symbol is in the form of a “U” while that of the Tenkalai is in the form of a “Y”. The “naamam” is considered a very important religious symbol and any violation of the practice of using a particular “naamam” is looked upon by either sect as a serious inroad into the religious practice and space of the other. The dispute about the “naamam” started as early as 1792 CE and remains a bone of contention even in 2022 CE! The perverse nature of the dispute is revealed in the several decisions of Court-cases filed by sect-members against each other. The historicity of the matter is indeed littered and laced with rabid fanaticism shown by both camps.
Given below further are a few more illustrative samples of civil-litigation clashes between Tenkalai and Vadakalai at both Sri Rangam and Kanchipuram which were reported most recently and published in newspapers. All of them tell a sad tale indeed… the tale of two cities….
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QUOTE: “…. the first stanza (of the “saatrumarai” litany) according to the Thengalai cult begins with the words “Sri Sailesa Dayapathram…..” and invokes the Thengalai guru Manavala Mahamuni, whereas, according to the Vadagalai cult, the first stanza begins with the words “Ramanuja Dayapathram….” and invokes the Vadagalai guru Vedanta Desikar. At the conclusion of the recitation of the Tamil Prabandhams in temples, certain benedictory verses called “Vaazhi Tirunamam” are recited consisting of 9 stanzas of which the first four are common to both sects, while the last five differ. While both the Vadagalais and Thengalais share a common religious origin and faith and also adhere to their own school of thought, neither of them condemns or rejects the sacred character of the other cult. While so, the divergence between the two rituals outlined above has given rise to the most bitter, unreasonable and vicious fight between the two groups for nearly 200 years!” UNQUOTE
Inside the Kanchipuram temple, frequent fracas between the Tenkalai and Vadakalai priestly camps broke out with each side preventing the other from reciting its “saatrumarai kramam” and on many an occasion the two groups even came to physical and violent blows! In May 2019, a dispute broke out at the Kanchi Varadharaja Perumal temple in the presence of several devotees who had gathered to witness the deity being taken around the streets. It took a violent turn as members of both sects were caught on camera pushing, shoving and hitting each other in front of the procession.
QUOTE: “The Madras high court has passed an interim order restraining the management of Kanchipuram Devarajaswami Temple from permitting recital of Tamil Prabandam of Acharya Vedanta Desika till further orders. Justice S Vaidyanathan passed the interim order in a special sitting constituted on Thursday to hear the urgent plea moved by Srinivasan, a devotee of the temple seeking to prohibit reciting Tamil Prabandam in the temple.The issue pertains to differences between Vadakalai and Tenkalai sections of the Iyengar community on their right to perform rituals and recite Vedas and Prabandam in the temple. Originally, A K Suresh, a devotee belonging to Vadakalai sect, approached the court seeking direction to the authorities to permit them to recite Prabandam of Vedanta Desika in the temple particularly on September 21. On September 21, a single judge of the court passed oral orders to continue recital of the Prabandam in the temple and posted the plea to October 22. Now claiming that when the relief sought for is restricted only to September 21, continuing reciting the Prabandam without taking further orders from the court cannot be permitted, K B Srinivasa, a devotee belonging to Tenkalai sect has approached the court. When the plea was taken up for hearing on urgent basis, in the official chamber at Justice Vaidyanathan’s residence, Srinivasan submitted that even on October 18, the petitioner has proceeded to chant the Prabandam and therefore they should be restrained from doing so any further. Recording the submission, the judge said, “Until further orders or modification of this order during the hearing of the petition, there shall be no recital/ chanting of the Prabhandam of Vedanta Desika at the temple. He further observed that temple is a place of worship where anybody can pray. Unfortunately, as there is difference between Vadakalai and Tenkalai. The matter is yet to reach finality.”
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/66289755.cms?utm_source=nyoooz&utm_medium=post&utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst UNQUOTE
Then came… finally… a historic denouement !
QUOTE: “…. we now have the orders of the High Court laying down a Scheme for the reciting of the Sanskrit and Tamil prabandham, in a court mandated order, to be enforced by the Executive Officer. Observing that the dispute between ‘Vadagalais’ and ‘Thengalais’ should not lead to the chanting of Prabandhams being stopped, the Madras High Court has held that mutual respect towards both Sri Srisaila Dayapathram and Sri Ramanuja Dayapathram are of paramount importance and there cannot be any place for personal animosity or ego as the Temple is a public institution.Justice Subramaniam offered a string of directions which included inviting Thengalai Sect firstly during Pooja festivals and on such invitation the Thengalai Sect shall be permitted to recite the first two lines of Srisaila Dayapathram (initial recital).
“On completion of the said initial recital by Thengalai Sect, the Executive Trustee, Sri Devaraja Swamy Devasthanam, shall permit Vadagalai Sect to commence the first two lines of Sri Ramanuja Dayapathram (initial recital) and on their completion of initial recital, then both Vadagalai and Thengalai Sectors shall be permitted to recite Prabandhams jointly.
“On completion of Prabandhams, the Thengalai Sect shall be permitted to recite the concluding Mantram “Manavalamamunigal Vaazhithirunamam” and thereafter, Vadagalai Sect shall be allowed to recite their concluding Matram “Desikan Vazhi Thirunamam” and accordingly the process of recitals shall be concluded.If any one of the sects are unwilling to recite their Mantrams and Prabandhams, as per the directions issued by this Court, then the Executive Trustee shall permit anyone of the willing sect to recite the Mantrams and Prabandhams during Pooja festivals. The approved scheme shall be followed with effect from 1st March 2020, Justice Subramaniam said.
“What is going on?! The internecine tussle between the two sects has meant that a secular court has mandated the Scheme for religious practices. It is no longer amusing or innocuous entertainment. The Pontiffs and the religious leaders of the concerned sects appear to have abdicated their responsibilities or possibly expressed their inability to intervene and broker peace. The limit to remit to their writs is showing and it is not a healthy one. The fissures, fights and street fights are insulting to the memories of the Masters (i.e. “ubaya vedanta” Acharyas).” UNQUOTE
(Narasimha Vijayaraghavan’s Op-Ed published March 10, 2020 in “My Voice” https://myvoice.opindia.com/2020/03/vadakalai-vs-thenkalai-time-to-bell-the-cat-the-monkey-part-ii/)
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It is thus that the great legacy of Ramanuja stands today disputed over, discredited and disparaged by the two schisms of Sri Vaishnavism…. with two sectarian camps quarreling over their respective claims to it.
Unable or rather unwilling to find amicable resolution and settlement to their manifold conflicts either through community dialogue or through effective intermediation by their spiritual leaders (i.e. Acharyas, muttaadhipatis, Jeeyars, seers and pontiffs), both Tenakalais and Vadakalais today are only too eager and trigger-happy to rush with all their griping and all their grievances to the judges of the civil courts, high and lower of the land. Their bellicose litigation against each other on the most frivolous grounds of difference relating to what they claim is their rightful ‘sampradayam‘ is indeed the greatest injustice they do unto themselves.
The Court Order delivered to the Tenkalais and Vadakalais at Kanchipuram can be seen as nothing short of a coup de grace delivered by Civil Justice in the land to the two religious sects… But then there can be no denying the sad and painful truth that the sheer disgrace of it all was brought upon themselves by none other than the Sri Vaishnavas themselves…
In all of a 1000-year long history, there can be no doubt that it was the ultimate insult to the memory of Sri Ramanujacharya, to the image of “ubaya-vedanta”, and to Sri Vaishnavism itself…. signaling, as it were, its final Fall after such long, long Decline….
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(to be continued)
Sudarshan Madabushi