SAINT RAMANUJACHARYA

5th February 2022

Hyderabad 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Statue Of Equality in Hyderabad to honour the 11th-century Hindu saint Sri Ramanujacharya. 

Hours ahead of the inauguration, PM Modi tweeted that the 216-foot tall statue is a “fitting tribute” to Sri Ramanujacharya, whose sacred thoughts and teachings inspire us.

Saint Ramanujacharya is believed to be born in the year 1071 in Tamil Nadu and is revered as a Vedic philosopher and social reformer. Ramanujacharya travelled across the country to propagate his teachings, spreading the message of equality and social justice to his disciples.

One of his key contributions towards the country was reviving the Bhakti movement, with his preaching inspiring other Bhakti schools of thought. He also acted as the inspiration for many notable poets such as Annamacharya, Bhakt Ramdas, Thyagaraja, Kabir, and Meerabai.

Apart from being a notable philosopher, Ramanuja was also believed to be an environmentalist as he appealed for the protection of nature and its resources like air, water, and soil. He wrote the navaratanas, which is the combination of nine scriptures, and composed various commentaries of the Vedic script.

Ramanujacharya often encouraged temples to open their doors to everyone, irrespective of their caste, creed or gender. He was often a firm believer of the fact that everyone should be educated in a society, even when certain sections were barred from it.