- 01
When Ramanuja first climbed the Hill — on his knees, at the flight still called muḻaṅkāl maṭippāṉ — he stayed three days. The worship of the Lord was his food. He then remained a year at Tirupati and learnt the Rāmāyaṇa rahasyārthas from Periya Tirumalai Nambi. At the end he asked a favour: the service of Govinda Bhaṭṭa — Embar. Nambi obliged. Ramanuja and Embar ascended again. At Ananthalvan’s request the Acharya consented for an exact replica of himself to be made as per śāstra, embraced the vigraha, and gave it into the gardener’s hands.
- 02
Krishnamacharya notes this as the earliest idol of Ramanuja. The images at Sriperumbudur, Srirangam, and Tirunārāyaṇapuram were installed around the Acharya’s last days. This one was presented in his middle years, on his first coming to the shrine.
- 03
When news came that Emberumānār had rested in God at Srirangam, Ananthalvan did not worship Srinivasa for a year. The Lord Himself consoled him and granted two boons: that Irāmānuja Nūṟṟantāti — the prapanna-gāyatrī — be recited one day of Adhyayanotsava, and that Ramanuja’s idol stand close to the garbhagṛha. It was installed, by Vaikhānasa rite, the day after Kaṇṇinuṇ ciṟuttāmpu, on the left of the sanctum.