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Re: Karnataka Iyengars

From the Bhakti List Archives

schakrav • June 6, 2000 


Ranganath Sudarshan wrote:

> What is frustrating to me is that no one really seems to have an exact idea of the history of these Hebbar SriVaishnavas.  I'm posting this message to ask if any one is aware of this history, and perhaps to start a general dialogue about the Sri Vaishnavas of Karnataka.  Please anyone respond to share your thoughts, ideas.
>  

Dear Sri. Ranganath:

This is what I've heard from relatives and other Srivaishnavas, and
standard disclaimers apply as is normal for all hearsay information.
Any of this is open to correction. 

(a) "Mandya" and "Hebbar" refer to actual places in the Mysore country,
(b) Mandya Srivaishnavas are predominantly from Then sampradAyam,
(c) Hebbar Srivaishnavas may belong to either kalai,
(d) Several Mandya Srivaishavas were originally Jains under King Bittideva,
(e) Based upon the time of migration from Tamil country to Mysore, the
    Srivaishnavas in Karnataka are called either "mElnAttu" or "kIzhnAttu";
    i.e. earlier or later - respectively,
(f) Hebbar Srivaishnavas are generally considered mElnattu (which seems to
    suggest that they were migrants unlike most Mandya Srivaishnavas).
(g) Mandya Srivaishnavas were mostly local Jains/other sects that who 
    embraced Ramanuja SampradAyam during Ramanujar's 20-some years spent
    in Mysore country (and perhaps even later).

As a matter of fact, I too am interested in some information about the
"keezhnaattu" people, since my parents claim to belong to that "category".
Going by their logic, "keezhnaattu" would mean any migration during the
last 100 years or so (since prior to that my parents' ancestors were 
from hOsUr and kOmanDUr respectively).

Regards
-Srinath Chakravarty
email: xsrinath@ti.com
  


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