Thread by @veejaysai

Something extraordinary is happening in Hyderabad. A giant statue of Saint Shri Ramanujacharya who propounded the Visishtadvaita philosophy has been set up. Today the Prime Minister of India, Shri @narendramodi ji will do Lokaarpanam.

A short thread on what it might signify. 🙏

The statue and complex around it looks damn impressive! It has miniature shrines to all the Divyadesams. Veda Patashalas, Yagashalas, Gaushalas and so forth.

Certainly a huge huge commendable feat achieved!

🙏😀🙏😀

I am not going into the biographical details of the Saint. They are well known and readily available. What is more important is Telugus reclaiming him. Yes, he was of Telugu ancestry in his Poorvashramam. His Inti peru was Aasuri. His father was Keshava Somayajulu. 🙏😀

The person behind this huge project is Sri Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, easily the most popular spiritual leaders in the Telugu lands today.

You might like him or not, like his philosophy or politics or not, but he has been working for Dharma significantly in the Telugu states.

Even Jeeyar Swamy's biographical details are well known. Including the huge controversy when he decided to travel overseas! They accused him of breaking Sampradayam, polluting it. Etc etc.

But his way of functioning and his reasoning of his travels seems perfectly fine!

It is important to understand how Sanatana traditions have been suppressed for long in the Telugu states. The exponential growth of the Church and the other predatory religion that has been taking disadvantage of economically poorer sections is a good case study.

Earlier you had several saints, godmen and Hindu spiritual leaders in the Telugu states who worked hard for Dharma in their own ways. Be it Jillellamudi Amma, Viswamji, Sundara Chaitanyananda or Satya Sai Baba or later Sivananda Murthy in Andhra. They contributed much.

In the absence of many of these spiritual leaders, the few traditional Mathadhipathis didn't function beyond their regular territory. In that light, Jeeyar Swamy's work stands out. He went across villages, communities, castes, genders, etc and began gathering support for Dharma.

In the Naxalite-ridden Telangana and feudal rural Andhra, Jeeyar Swamy's brand of spiritual philosophy brought in the much needed solace to thousands of people who were looking for a direction. And he was ready to take the extra mile to make them feel special and loved.

Here is a clipping from one of his travels. You can see how he loves to get involved in this. Moreover, gets everyone around him involved and makes them feel so special. I have met people from different castes and communities who have met him once and worship him blindly!

No Jeeyar Swamy or Mathadhipathi had done this earlier. And in a place like Andhra and Telangana, it was desperately required. Like it was required for the Kanchi Paramacharya once upon a time to walk across Tamil Nadu and rejuvenate Dharma in the peak of Dravidian politics.

But Chinna Jeeyar Swamy wasn't doing something new. He was following the steps of the great Saint Ramanujacharya who also went around unifying hundreds of Hindus as one large community. He believed in the strength of Hindu unity. A thing that is required even now!

So when he decided to construct a statue to celebrate the thousand years of Sri Ramanujacharya, donations poured in. He only had to mention his Sankalpam.

This whole project is supposed to have costed over a thousand crores. Every single rupee came from devotees donations!

You want more?

Less than a decade ago, this man with pretentions of social activism spewed so much poison! He wanted all temples broken down, Vedas burnt, abused Brahmins endlessly. And today he is here!

The iconic baladeer Gaddar!

If someone could bring about a change of heart in a hardcore radical like Gaddar, imagine what all is possible!

I have interviewed Gaddar while he was in hiding and on the run, and I am unavailable to believe it is the same man here!

Absolutely stunning and beautiful!

You might say what a waste of public resources etc. The funds came completely from devotees.

In Covid times, this massive project supported several hundreds of workers, labourers, craftsmen, artistes. All were paid their professional fees. They lived through these testing times

I might personally not agree with a hundred things Chinna Jeeyar Swamy says. Or his politics. There are hundred other things if one wants to point out. Why equality? This overboard hype etc.

But for pulling off this massive project, he has my deep admiration and respect.

This is a time when Hindu society requires unity far more than ever! Keep all the inter-Sampradaya clashes, warring philosophical understandings, egos aside. Celebrate the power of unity. And the possibilities it can manifest!

If such projects can set an example, why not! 🙏

In Telugu states, a Dharmic renaissance is desperately needed. In Andhra,Church is on the prowl. With that dubious CM. In Telangana, petty politics have ruined any scope for progress in the spiritual direction. In such light, this extravagant display of Hindu unity was required!

Will end this thread here with a prayer to Sri Ramanujacharya.

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namah!

योनित्यमच्युत पदाम्भुज युग्मरुक्म
व्यामोहतस्तदितराणि तृणाय मेने ।

अस्मद्गुरोर्भगवतोऽस्य दयैकसिंधोः 
रामानुजस्य चरणौ शरणम् प्रपद्ये ॥

☺️🙏☺️🙏☺️🙏☺️🙏☺️

Sick and tired of useless politician statues.

May every corner of Bharat be decorated with statues that celebrate our saints, poets, philosophers, and those who lived for the cause of Dharma!

Will look forward to the inaugural ceremony in the evening!

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Oh man! This is historic!!!

@narendramodi ji doing Aachamanam and other rituals before the inauguration!!

And that Thiruman on his face!! 🙏😀

Unbelievable!!

Shri @narendramodi ji presented the Raksha by Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, and performed a Pradakshina around the Homagundam and the final Poornahuti took place.

These are truly historic scenes!

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After the Poornahuti of the Viswaksena Ishti Homam, he received the Pavithra Theertham and other Ashirwachana Mantrams.

That peacock feather mala is so 😍😍😍

Fantastic evening. Several important things said, for politics of the country and Telangana.

Friends have asked for a reco. on books about #Ramanujacharya. This is easily one of the finest biographies I ever read, by the erudite Dr Prema Nandakumar, an unparalleled scholar!🙏😀

This book was published by Chinmaya Mission. It is available online. Order. Read. Enjoy.

Shall end this thread here. 😀🙏

May the Bhakthi of all our spiritual leaders and the strength of our rich Sampradayam guide us always in the rejuvenation of Sanatana Dharma!

🙏😀🙏