: The Madras High Court bench today issued ordered notice to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Trust on a PIL, seeking to open the 'Thiruvarasu' (Samaadhi) of Saint Manvalamanigal and Sri Adhi kesava Perumal temple on the Coleroon river bank in Srirangam town.
Justices S Tamilvanan and V S Ravi ordered issue of notice to the HR& CE trust and posted the case to February 16.
Petitioner Swami Govinda Ramanuja dasa, president of the International Sri Vaishnava Dharma Samrakshaka sabha, contended that the Saint, considered the reincarnation of Vaishnavite saint Sri Ramanuja, was born during the tamil month of Aipassi in 1370. He took sanyas and was doing service at the Srirangam temple, managing it.
He also gave lectures on 'Tiruvaimozhi' (Tamil Hymns, considered the translation of Sama Veda, written by Saint Nammalwar) at Srirangam temple. Its presiding deity Lord Ranganatha was so impressed that he appeared before him in the form of a five-year-old child, accepted him as his acharya and even recited 'thanian' (couplet in praise of the Vaishnava acharya).
After the saint breathed his last at the age of 73, his disciples built a Thiruvarasu (Samaadhi) for him near Sri Adhikesava Perumal temple on the banks of the Kollidam river.
But the Samaadhi and the temple had been encroached by one Mutamilselvan, and disciples of Manavalamamuni were not able to perform worship or celebrate festivals for him during the Jayanthi celebrations, he said.
Though the HR&CE had given a direction in 2006 to the encroacher to vacate the premises, no step had been taken so far in this regard, he said.
The petitioner said he gave two representations to the officials to open the thiruvarasu and the temple of adhikesava perumal for the public worship. As the property belonged to Sriranganathaswamy temple, the HR&CE commissioner and temple officials should be directed to do so, he said.
He also contended that the thiruvarasu was in a dilapidated state and should be renovated.
