Ramanujacharya Jayanthi

Sri Ramanujacharya (1017-1173 A.D.) was the leading expounder of Vishista Advaita - combining oneness of God (Advaitha) with its attributes (Vishesha). He was a South Indian philosopher who advocated that bhakti or devotional worship of Lord Vishnu in any form is the ideal method to attain salvation or moksha. Moving away from the Advaita principles, Ramanuja amalgamated philosophy of Upanishads, Brahma Sutras and gave bhakti tradition a strong intellectual basis.

Also known as Ethirajar, Yatiraja, Lakshmana Muni, Emperumannar, Ramanuja was born in 1017 at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu and spread the concept of his way of life till he breathed his last in 1137 in Srirangam. His literature work is known as Navarathnas (9 precious gems). The 3 major philosophical works of these are the Vedartha Samgraha (commentary on the Vedas), the Sri Bhasya (commentary on the Brahmasutras) and the Bhagavad Gita Bhasya.
He preached that the world is real and taught to attain Brahmin realization by intense devotion through reason or argument rather than intuition. This was just opposite to the Vedanta of Adi Shankaracharya. He also advocated the freedom to choose one or more personal deity. This form of spiritual path is followed by majority of Hindus today.

Ramanujacharya organized temple worship and founded centers to propagate the devotion of Lord Vishnu and his consort Mahalakshmi. His Jayanthi is celebrated with utmost pomp and gaiety in Srirangam, Srirangapattana, Melukote and all other Vaishnava Mathas and Peethas in Karnataka & across South India.