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Alleppey S Vaidyanatha Ayyar (1901-1955) (SVA for short) in whose memory this Foundation is established was a brilliant lawyer and philanthropist who is still remembered with respect and affection.

The earliest known ancestor of SVA was a priestly singer of bhajans in Panangudi, a village in Tanjore Dt. Due to successive years of drought he left the village around mid-1820s for Trivandrum, capital of Travancore State, then ruled by Maharaja Swati Tirunal, a musician-composer and Patron of Fine Arts. The Panangudi bard too had his benevolence. He had a son named Vaidyanathan (c 1840 – 1890) aka Vythibhagavathar who settled in the new town of Alleppey near the temple of Mullakkal Bhagavathy among a small population of Brahmins and caste Hindus. He continued the tradition of Bhajans teaching and singing. He had four sons.

The eldest was Subramaniam alias Chuppini who, besides being a singer had a job in the law courts too. The second son was Sivarama Iyer (1874-1948) who on completion of school education, became a Government English School Master serving in Trivandrum & North Parur alternating. The third son Bhaskara Iyer alias Appasami became a Mridangist. The last son was Umamaheswara Iyer aka Parameswaraier a jack of all trades (and master of many too) – hotelier, merchant, builder etc. Vythybhagavathar had a daughter, a good singer, who, widowed early, lived to the ripe age of 85 and passed away in 1954 in SVA’s house.

S Vaidyanatha Ayyar was born eldest son of Sivarama Iyer and Lakshmi Ammal on 12.2.1901 in Kidangur, Central Travancore. After schooling, he joined the College in Trivandrum to graduate in Mathematics and in Law. He went through lot of problems due to hard financial conditions, and had to supplement the family income by tutoring students and taking free food at the temple. While at Law College, he worked for some time as a teacher and later as an assistant in the Accounts Office (now AG’s office). These difficulties strengthened his innate desire to help others later in life.

He married Parvathy Ammal, the eldest daughter of a doctor from Moncompu, a rich agriculturist village near Alleppey. Meantime SVA enrolled as a High Court Advocate and started practice in Alleppey which his grandfather had chosen as his home. SVA was born in Leo Ascendant with a strong Jupiter at square with Moon, aspecting his Ascendent (Hamsayogam and Kesariyogam). This, along with his absolute bhakti to Mullakkal Bhagavathy whom he worshipped daily, shot him up to a brilliant career within just ten years. Jupiter also made him charitable, and conferred a high sense of justice and fairness which was reflected in his social and professional dealings making him the beloved of all. His wife helped him whole-heartedly in all his religious and charitable activities.

In the profession he concentrated on defense in criminal cases and became a model for shrewd analysis of facts evidence and law, effective examination of witnesses, and brilliant arguments. No wonder he was chosen by the great Sir CP Ramaswami Iyer, Dewan of Travancore in 1946 as a special Public Prosecutor to handle the famous Communist Riot cases. SVA conducted the prosecution with fearlessness and fairness to Government and accused, earning the respect of even those he prosecuted and sent to jails!

Appreciating his incorruptible fairness, his services were continued even after independence to handle tricky and complicated criminal cases. As a lawyer he was the leader and was President of the Bar Assn. for long. He was a municipal councilor, patron of the poor home for rehabilitation of beggars, founder of an SHG for rickshaw-pullers etc. Having suffered much in childhood, he showed keen interest in providing food, education and jobs to the deserving irrespective of caste or religion.

Highly religious and philosophical, he was an active member of the Alleppey Theosophical Lodge. He was responsible for a number of reforms at the Mullakkal Temple, in particular the system of early morning worship during the sacred 41 day mandalam during Nov/Dec., and introducing the Navaratri Utsavams.

He was the President of the Brahmins’ Assn and, during his time got back to the Samooham, lands leading to the temple tank trespassed to by others. A good mantapam has been constructed now in this land, useful for conduct of marriages and sacred functions. Inheriting the family tradition he organized a bhajan group (1935 photograph below), which still continues.

He is fondly remembered in town for these contributions to the society and the community in particular. He passed away on 23.2.1955 leaving a large family of relatives and friends to mourn.

SVA had five sons and two daughters of whom a son and daughter are no more with us now. All his children and grand children are actively involved with the Foundation.

P.S.

The village of Rengasamudram has been chosen by the Foundation since some good work has been done for the past half a century by the Grace of the late Swamiji of Amrutha Ashram, and the work needs a lot of funds and sincere man power. The Mg Trustee Ramanathan, son of SVA was closely associated with the Swamiji. At the age of 75 he leaves a flourishing business and social position in Ernakulam, to relocate to this village to continue the great work. On the board he is assisted by his wife Visalakshi, Murukesh, the youngest son of SVA and Vaidyanathan*, eldest grandson of SVA. All other members of SVA’s family, the children and grand-children, are contributing to the efforts. It is in the fitness of things that the foundation in the name of SVA, a friend of the Swamiji, is established here.

• (Journalist & presently Chief Editor of the leading Tamil Daily Dinamani)

Information added by Umamaheswaran (S/o SVA), the ‘settler’ to the foundation as he had heard about Vythibhagavathar &c from the grandaunt referred above and her contemporaries.

Chennai 13 April 08 – New Year Day SARVADHARI.