My father

My Father…….Sri V.N.Venkata Varadachariar.. (A Brief sketch)

Sri V.N. VENKATA VARADACHARIAR, Advocate Madras was born on 14 October, 1888 in the Vengrai village of Salem district to Sri V. Narasimhachariar and Smt. Janaki Ammal

He belonged to the Tirumalai Nallan Chakravarthy family who devoted themselves to a highly religious life. He traced his ancestry to Sri Anna raya Chakravarthy, a great and learned religious teacher who was attached to the venerable saint-preacher Sri Manavala Ma Muni. And, was himself a descendant of Uruppattur Achan, an illustrious disciple of Sri NAtha Munigal.

The Vengrai ‘KulA dEIVAM’ in the temple there are celebrated thus : SRI DEVI, BHUMA DEVI SAMETHA VENKATA-VARADA KULA DEIVAM NAMASTHUBHYAM NAMOH NAMAHA. Vengarai is situated in Namakkal District , Tamil Nadu .
Vengarai Pincode is 637208 With 11.0916937 Latitude and 77.9724323 Longitude.

Sri V.N.Venkatavaradachariar had his college education in St.Joseph’s College, Tiruchirapalli, and at the Madras Law College where he had a brilliant academic career. He had his initiation into the legal career which spanned 75 years, under Dewan bahadur T. Rangachariar CIE,, a front line lawyer, Parliamentarian and Deputy President of the Indian Legislative Assembly He married Smt. Vedammal, daughter of Sri Rangachariar.

Initiated by his father Mr. Narasimahachariar, Mr. VNV (as he was familiarly known in legal circles and as Chakrai by his close relatives)) was well-versed not only in religious literature but also in temple traditions and rituals,particularly in ThennAchArya sampradAya. He was well read in the Tamil the Divya Prabandham, which is an anthology of verses and hymns of the Azhwars, also known as Tamil Vedam or Parai.In his father’s memoriam, Mr.Vengrai Parthasarathy, a son, has written Select Hymns from the Nalayira Divya Prabhnadham–published by Sahithya Akademy.
Mr.VNV had appeared in a number of legal cases in disputes between Thenkalais and Vadagalais, the most important being the
Kanchi puram elephant
In recognition of his services to Vaishnavism and temple practices, he was felicitated by Sri PrathivAdi Bhayankaram Annangarachariar Swamy, savant of Kacheepuram who also conferred on him the title of VAVADHOOKA SAARVABHOUMA.

The felicitation function was held on 26th September 1979 in the presence of a large assemblage of religious personages and Judges of the Madras High court.

Sri V.N.Venkata Varadachariar died with full temple honours on 22nd April 1983 at the ripe old age of 95 years. In his memory his family members have instituted an endowment in the department of Vaishavism, in the University of Madras.
I am giving below excerpts from the honorable Court on the
Kanchipuram Elephant case in which Mr.Venkatavaradachariar,played
a notable part:(: http://www.vengrai.com/?p=598 )

” In the narration of the history of the litigation subsequent to A. S. No. 13 of 1854, we have seen that the Vadagalai sect was most reluctant to accept the decision of the courts. The attempt of the court amin for the restoration of the Thengalai namam on the living elephant was obstructed. The Court directed the arrest of the persons who opposed the execution of the court orders and the Dharmakerthas who happened to be the Thathacharis managed to collect a body of persons and resisted enforcement of the civil court decree. The order was enforced and a proclamation was made by the Civil Court. But the Vadagalai Vaishnavites sought to get over the decree by covering the head of the elephant with a cloth painted with Vadagalai namam to cover the Thengalai namam that was painted on the elephant. Contempt proceedings had to be taken for this action. We see sufficient basis in Mr. Venkata Varadachari’s grievance that the trouble is mainly due to the unreasonable attitude of the Thathachari trustees. It is sufficient to quote a passage from Srinivasachariar v. Thatha Desika Thathachariar ((1970) 83 Mad LW 407) in which the Bench has quoted the remarks of Sadasiva Aiyar, J. in Thathachariar v. Tiruvengadachariar (1915 Mad WN 916) : (AIR 1916 Mad 686):–

“Mr. Venkatavaradachariar, appearing for defendants 4 and 5 urged with some amount of justification that this attitude of the Vadagalais in putting forward some innovation or other in one form or another from time to time has been responsible for the series of litigations pertaining to this temple going on for the last two centuries. In Thathachariar v. Thiruvenkatachariar (1915 Mad WN 916): (AIR 1916 Mad 686) Sadasiva Aiyar, J. had occasion to make some adverse “remarks against the attitude of the Vadakalais wherein the learned Judge has pointed out that the litigation in that case was the result of the action of a small, though influential, faction of Vadakalai sectarians residing in Kancheepuram by introducing innovations in customary practices during the period of regular official worship in the temple.” We fully agree with the views expressed by the learned Judges in both these decisions. It is unfortunate that even though the remarks were made over sixty years ago, the Honorary Trustees do not seem to have realized their responsibilities. It is the ineffectiveness of the Executive Trustee and his playing into the hands of the Honorary Trustees that has led to this deplorable litigation. A scheme was framed for the administration of the temple in A. S. No. 175 of 1934.