Vittalapuram, the dakshina Pandaripuram, near Tirunelveli, South Tamil Nadu

I often wondered how my paternal-paternal great grandfather's family in the 1850s, not having traveled much, resident in Srivilliputtur, south Tamil Nadu, became firmly devoted to Panduranga Vittala.

There is one of the two oldest temples of South India dedicated to Panduranga Vittala, near Tirunelveli, in South South South Tamil Nadu. This would be the nearest to Srivilliputtur. Please correct me if I am wrong.

An excellent blog article titled "Vittalapuram Panduranga Perumal Koil" provides excellent information about the temple. I am borrowing some of the text here, with complete credit and copyright to the author of the blog - "temple, travel and sport".

Known as Dakshina Pandaripuram, the 500 year old Vijayanagara temple, is now in need of support and help to regain its former glory.

The temple is located 15 kms east of Tirunelveli, in Seydunganallur Village, at Vittalapuram. The deity Panduranga can be seen here, in the traditional posture, with Rukmini and Satyabhama. The story is that Panduranga from Pandharpur, Maharashtra came in the dream of Vittalaraya, the army general of the Vijayanagara kingdom, who was one his way to begin battle against the Travancore kings. Due to instructions in the dream,  Vittalaraya came to Seydunganallur village and discovered the Pandaripuram idol, buried in the banks of the Tamaraibharani or Porunai River. The deity was installed at a place called Nattarkulam, and was later known as Vittalapuram.

Panduranga Vittala at Dakshina Pandaripuram or Vittalapuram

Seydunganallur Village, near Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu

[from the blog - temple, travel and sport. Copyright and ownership of original blog.]

Vittalaraya continued southwards and camped at Suchindram, near Kanya Kumari. The Travancore rulers agreed to a settlement without a battle, and thus Vittalaraya returned to the Panduranga temple at Vittalapuram, and transferred all the finances to the temple, to ensure six pooja (= prayers) daily and for the conduct of major festivals.

Panduranga Vittala Temple at Vittalapuram, the Dakshina Pandharipuram

Seydunganallur, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu

[from the blog - temple, travel and sport - Copyright and ownership of original blog.]

My father's family

My paternal great grandfather, Neela Meghala Shyamala Naidu, was born in Srivilliputtur. My paternal great grandmother, Rukmini Devi, was also born in Srivilliputtur, in Tamil Nadu. They were a Telugu-speaking Balija Naidu family in deep South India, devoted to the Goddess Andal of the Srivilliputtur Temple. They were closely associated with the temple and yet, somehow became devoted to the deity Panduranga, Vittala. I am not aware of how that happened, so far south, in Srivilliputtur.

Sri Andal of Srivilliputtur

Deity at the prayer place of my family

since my great grandfather...

Srivilliputtur temple mahagopuram

the beginning....

From Srivilliputtur, my grandfather's marriage took place with Kodai, a lady from Tiruchirapalli, near Srirangam, in Central Tamil Nadu. Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam, my paternal grandfather, was true to his name. The family was extremely devoted to Ranganatha, the deity at Srirangam. Having come from Srivilliputtur, the deities at the prayer place were mainly Andal, Ranganatha and Panduranga. Kodai, my grandmother, or Kodamma, as we knew her, was a twin. Her sister, Lakshmibai / Lakshmamma, was married at Hyderabad in the Nizam State of those times.

Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam

My paternal grandfather

Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam and Kodamma

My paternal grandfather and grandmother

My paternal grandfather, Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam and

My paternal grandmother, Rambai (a.k.a. Kodai - Kodamma) - c. 1958, Mumbai

My grandfather, born on 9 July 1899, served in the army for a brief while, and later moved to the Railway Protection Force, which was an armed force of those times. He kept getting transferred to many places, but kept roots in Chennai, near Nungambakkam. His brother-in-law's family was settled at Nungambakkam and they were attached to the temple of Ranganatha at Tiruvallur. On alternate transfers, the family stayed in Chennai, and kept visiting the Tirumala temple of Sri Venkateswara frequently. Soon, the prayer place was now dedicated to Sri Venkateswara, and was accompanied by Andal, Ranganatha and Panduranga.

My paternal grandmother, Kodai, came from a very respectable family, full of good traditions, devotion and family values. My father was born in Belgaum and his brothers and sisters were born in different places, as the family kept moving.

My paternal paternal great grandfather, Shri Neela Meghala Shyamala Naidu, was an expert at civil construction and much sought after, as a valued contractor for works. He was invited for construction works and was involved in projects in Rajapalayam, Srirangam-Trichy, Kumbakonam, Chennai and nearabouts. In his later years, he was called to Mumbai and was involved in construction projects in the emerging metropolis, sometime in 1920s. Later, he returned to Madras, settled down with his daughters, Balamma and Shanmughavalli, who were married and staying at Triplicane and Mambalam areas. He passed on to the greater temple above in Madras.

My paternal paternal great grandmother, Rukmini Devi, was born in Srivilliputhur and married in the same city. She passed on to the greater temple above while at Srivilliputhur when my paternal grandfather was 12 years old, therefore, 1911. She would have been about 35 years old at that time, so, possibly born 1875 or thereabouts.

Shri Neela Meghala Shyamala Naidu and Smt Rukmini Devi would have probably been residents of Renganathapuram or Perumalpatti at Srivilliputhur, or nearabouts.

My paternal grandfather, Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam and paternal grandmother, Rambai, a.k.a Kodamma, a.k.a. Kodai, had eight children. Three survived to be elders and managed their families. Five children died due to various causes. Their names were -

(1) Daya Krishna - aka Damu
(2) Navneetha Krishna - aka Babu aka Nagabhushan aka Balapila Naga Bhushan (my father)
(3) Pramila Jairam Naidu
(4) Venkata Krishna - aka Venkappa (passed on due to illness)
(5) Sarala
(6) Murali Krishna
(7) Kaushala Ram
(8) Shanta Ram - aka Shantaram Naidu

Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam (Centre) with B. N. Bhushan (Left) 

and Shantaram Naidu (Right) - sometime in the late sixties. 

Photographer - myself, at age 8 or 9 years old, 

with a b&w photosmart camera that cost Rs. 18