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Udayavar Thittam

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elayavalli • July 9, 2002 


Sri:
SrimathE Ramanujaya Nama:
AzhwAr emperumAnAr jeeyar thiruvadigalE Saranam
Appan thiruvadigalE Saranam

Dear group

In the process of trying to learn the history of Sri Vaishnavam and 
Sri Ramanujar's contribution to it, the temple management as 
perscribed by Sri Ramanuja caught my attention. In this and 
subsequent emails i will try to bring out the management structure 
established by Sri Ramanuja at Srirangam, which we all know as the 
Udayavar thittam, to the best of my understanding.


During Tirumangai AlwArs time, the temple management was distributed 
among five groups:

1. Kovanavars      - the acharyas associated with the temple
2. Kodavars        - the pot bearers
3. Koduvel eduppAr - the torch bearers
4. pAduvArs        - the singers
5. TalaiduvArs     - those who carry the plantain leaves. 

When Sri Ramanuja took over the temple management, he appointed 
mudali AndAn as SenApati Durantara. He increased the group to a total 
of 10 from 5 mentioned above and added 9 more groups of harijans. All 
the 19 groups would be under the direction of SenApati Durantara. 

1. Tiruppatiyar    - general followers of Ramanuja, includes outsiders
2. Tiruppanisaivar - includes the Kodavars, and few other desciples 
                     of select acharyas
3. BhAgavata nambis 
4. ullUrAr (todavattimAr) - the archakas and other who carry the
                     utsavar
5. Vinnappam seivAr - Arayars
6. Tirukkaragam kaiyAr - pot bearers and incharge of bathing the deity
7. SthAnattAr      - A class of TalaiduvArs with some fixed assignment
8. Pattukkottu     - the group that recites the vedas, puranas,
                     sriranga mahatmayam, prbhandam and sri bhAsyam
9. Aryabhattal     - the group that keeps watch in the temple
10. Dasa Nambis    - provided flowers for the garlands and torches etc

Sri Ramanuja also appointed four EkAngis (outsiders) couple of whom 
helped the SenApati durantara. He also allocated duties to SattAda 
Mudalis (the non-brahmins who did not wear mupuri)  

In addition to the above, Sri Ramanuja established groups of lower 
caste (harijans) with tasks involving temple fucntions: 

1. VellAlas        - incharge of granary
2. Saluvas         - miscellaneous functions: watering the plants,
                     decorating the utsava vehicles, blwoing the 
                     conch etc
3. emperumAnadiyar - the devadAsis (dancers) attached to the temple.
4. tiruvelakkArar  - the groups the guard the room hosting canopies,
                     drums etc
5. KammAlas        - sculptors, masons and metal workers
6. the group of needle workers, silk weavers etc
7. Potter          - those who make the every day pots for food prep
8. Boatman         - those who bring supplies from villages on the 
                     banks for the river
9. Muscicians      - the instrumentalists and drummers. 


To be continued ............


adiyEn 
Venkatesh Elayavilli


[ The Vellalas can hardly be called "low caste", and they are
  certainly not Dalits ("harijans"). They are an upper class,
  agrarian, landowning community, typically rather well-off.
  Similarly, the Devadasis were by no means considered outcastes
  or "low", in general.  I doubt that even the personality of
  Bhagavad Ramanuja could manage politically to give Dalits
  a large role in service of the Great Temple. Recall that in
  Tirunarayanapuram, the Dalit Tirukkulattaars ("people of holy
  birth") were allowed temple entrance only three days in the
  year, that that itself was a tremendous accomplishment by our
  Saint. -- Moderator ]


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