Origin: Konaseema to Kodumudi: புலம் பெயர்ந்தது
Some history books throw more details on the migration. It appears in the early 9th century, some brahmin Smartha Iyer communities from the South migrated to as far as Gujarat, Matsya provinces and beyond. Later around early 13 AD, took up second migration to Vijayanagar province. After the downfall of Vijayanagar empire in the 16th century, they relocated to different places in Tamilnadu. Since they originally came from the North, their sub-sect is Vadama. (வட மக்கள்). So, all Telugu brahmins across Andhra, Karnataka and Tamilnadu are Smartha Iyer-Vadamas. Thus, it led to the evolution of different Intiperu like Ayyalasomayajula, Ganti, Akshanthula, Isola, Visanasola, Emani, Nemani, Mantha, etc. and the sub-sect categories like Aaruvela Niyogi, Karnakamulu, Mulakanadu, Konaseema Dravidlu, Velanadu, etc.
Heritage பாரம்பரியம்
Elders have been visiting Palani as Lord Dandayudhapani was regarded as the family deity. Generations have shown extreme bakthi to Saivism and ardent devotion to Lord Siva. Divine men in arulvakku had said that the worship of Lord Vishnu was discontinued. However, it has been found that the later generations lost knowledge about the kula dhievam worship because elders did not pay serious attention to it. Of course, Ishta dheivam could differ for every individual. I understand that a strong Vamsa saapam-paapam down the lineage did not disclose the kula dehivam or did not make any one of the preceding 3 generations to visit it.
Since the early ancestors migrated from a nearby hamlet Kunnathur Ayyampalayam to Kodumudi for settlement, they installed a Maha Mariammam @ K.Ayampalayam which is regarded as the guardian angel of Visanasola house and Maha Mariammam @ Chennasamudram for Mantha house. The members may visit the respective Mariamman temple yearly to offer abishekam, vastram, and pooja for prosperity. Mariamman is the kula dheivam.
Pongal Festival: பொங்கல் பண்டிகை
Four hundred years ago when a child was born in our lineage, it is hearsay that on the same day a cobra entered the house of our ancestor. It was a part of the family and was being fed daily. In the month of Thai, to escape cold, the cobra coiled inside the dark kitchen of the house. An old lady of the house placed the hot pongal pot on the coiled snake thinking it for rest pad. At feeding time when the snake was called out, it did not turn up. As a mark of respect for the dead snake, Pongal festival was celebrated the next day. Till date, it is in practice. The sarpa-bali dosham continued to haunt.
Anantharama Iyer @ Vembu (1853-1947) was the second son of Venkatasesha Iyer & Meenkashi. He was an agriculturalist, philanthropist and a man of respect. His walking stick and angavastram received respect in his absence. He was the caretaking VOA of Chennasamudram for his minor Brother-in-law, Annadu Iyer @Ramaswamy Iyer. He had 2 daughters through his first wife (Meenakshi). After her demise, he married Venkalakshmi @ Poochima in 1901, had a son and 4 daughters. He stayed with his son Pitchu at Kodumudi till he breathed his last. Poochima, an innocent noble-hearted lady died in 1973.
Pitchu Someswara Iyer (1903-1987) @ Mamadu vadhiyar was the eldest son of Vembu Iyer. He was a dedicated, agile and brisk teacher at the London Mission School, Kodumudi. He married Nagalakshmi and had 4 sons - Selvaraj, Ramarathinam, Jaganathan and Venugopal. A pensioner, Pitchu Iyer was honoured and felicitated by the Archbishop of Canterburry in 1986 when the later visited South India to inspect London Mission Schools (renamed as CSI Mission School). He died at his native home in 1987.
Nagalakshmi's family tree
Publications பிரசுரங்கள்
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"One of my ancestors, Someswara Iyer was mistakenly imprisoned by Tipu in 1789. He was a pure Saivite and an innocent Brahmin. He refused to eat or drink due to shame and humiliation. Soon he dropped and fell unconscious. That night Lord Siva appeared in the dream of Tipu and ordered him to release the poor brahmin. Tipu apologized and repented for the sin committed. Someswaran was too fragile and couldn't move. Tipu asked his court physician to smear battered curd rice paste throughout the body twice a day. His skin pores absorbed them. On the third day, it was said that he regained the energy to speak. Tipu granted few villages and a spatika shiva linga to Someswaran Iyer as a token of respect. The lands and lingam have vanished over the centuries. Henceforth Someswara Iyer was called Nawab Somayajulu (wife Subbulakshmi). They belonged to the Konaseema Telugu-speaking kuthsa-gothra brahmin family of south India. Someswaran was the 8th descendant of Madhyarjunam Subbarao who offered services as finance advisor and tax collector in the court of King Sri Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara Empire c.1520AD (approx.). It is to be noted that Tiruvidaimarudhur is aka Madhyàrjunam."
"After such atrocities, Tipu's view towards Hinduism changed completely and the history recorded his seeking reverential advice from the then Sringeri pontiff Sri Satchidananda Bharati III (1770-1814). The Sringeri Sarada Peetam has in its safe possession some 24 letters written by the Sultan. Tipu had donated many silver vessels and gold ornaments to Sri Ranganatha Swamy at Seringaptnam which is a stone's throw from his palace. He had a daily darshan of the temple gopura from his balcony."
On Visual Media
Konaseema is a fertile area in the East Godavari district. Many brahmins from Konaseema migrated to Tamilnadu and settled in places like Tanjore, Kumbakonam, Erode, Trichy, Mysore. Tirunelveli etc. The migration happened after the downfall of the Vijayanagar dynasty. Many pious saivaites, musicians, spiritual scholars and stalwarts had lived through the generations of Visanasola (House)-Konaseema Dravidlu (Subsect)-Kuthsa Gothram genealogy. A major section of these Telugu brahmins later settled along the banks of the river Cauvery. Later in the last 200 years, a second migration happened from K.Ayampalayam to Kodumudi (20km).
Konaseema has seen several dynasties of Andhra Satavahanas, Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Reddy Rajus and Vijayanagara rulers. Eastern Chalukya King, the Great Raja Raja Narendra ruled Vengi state with Rajamahendravaram @ Rajahmundry as his capital between 1022-1063AD. Chalukya ruler Rajendra Cholan had given his daughter, Rani Ammanga Devi in marriage to Raja Raja Narendra. It is said that along with the bride were gifted eighteen families of Vedic scholars from Velangaiman on the banks of river Kaveri. Some more families seem to have joined them as they travelled on foot carrying ‘Agnihotram‘, the ritualistic fire. Raja Raja Narendra patronised the Vedic scholars. He gifted Nandampudi Agraharam to Narayana Battu who helped in the translation of Mahabharata into Telugu.
The generation has a rich heritage and history. The chart here records from the line of Madhyarjunam Subbarao, approx. 1520 AD. It is understood, he was a minister in the court of Sri Krishnadevaraya. His seventh descendant was Nawab Somayajulu. Those prominent in the later years were Anantharaman @ Vembu Iyer (caretaker village Munsif VOA of Chennasamudram) and his son Pitchu Someswaran Iyer @ Mamadu vadhiyar(Teacher-Kodumudi). Many descendants of the lineage have scattered throughout Tamilnadu.
Kula Dheivam குல தெய்வம்
Elders have been visiting Palani as Lord Dandayudhapani was regarded as the family deity. Generations have shown extreme bakthi to Saivism and ardent devotion to Lord Siva. Divine men in arulvakku had said that the worship of Lord Vishnu was discontinued. However, it has been found that the later generations lost knowledge about the kula dhievam worship because elders did not pay serious attention to it. Of course, Ishta dheivam could differ for every individual. I understand that a strong Vamsa saapam-paapam down the lineage did not disclose the kula dehivam or did not make any one of the preceding 3 generations to visit it.
Since the early ancestors migrated from a nearby hamlet Kunnathur Ayyampalayam to Kodumudi for settlement, they installed a Maha Mariammam @ K.Ayampalayam which is regarded as the guardian angel of Visanasola house and Maha Mariammam @ Chennasamudram for Mantha house. The members may visit the respective Mariamman temple yearly to offer abishekam, vastram, and pooja for prosperity. Mariamman is the kula dheivam.
K.Ayyampalayam (near Paramathi Vellore) is on the way to Jedarpalayam. Buses are available from Erode, Namakkal, Karur. A straight bus to K.Ayyampalayam via Thiruchengode takes a long time. First-time goers may engage a cab from Erode or Namakkal. For puja ritual arrangement, please contact Mr.Mohanraj 9443717217 or Mr. KRISHNAN 9488574643 or Koil Poosari 8760284926
K.Ayyampalayam, Pin code- 637213, Taluk: Paramathi-Velur, District: Namakkal, State: Tamilnadu. The village is situated next to Pilikalpalayam village. Take the road opposite the Kabilarmalai Government Middle School. Enter the K.Ayyampalayam Post Office road and go straight. At one point three roads will split. Now take the immediate left and keep going. The road ends at the temple. When the Cauvery is bone dry, you can drive the car through the river bed at Kodumudi and reach the other side at Ayyampalayam.
K.Ayyampalayam, Pin code- 637213, Taluk: Paramathi-Velur, District: Namakkal, State: Tamilnadu. The village is situated next to Pilikalpalayam village. Take the road opposite the Kabilarmalai Government Middle School. Enter the K.Ayyampalayam Post Office road and go straight. At one point three roads will split. Now take the immediate left and keep going. The road ends at the temple. When the Cauvery is bone dry, you can drive the car through the river bed at Kodumudi and reach the other side at Ayyampalayam.
Here is a piece of evidence that our ancestors migrated from Ayyampalayam and settled in Kodumudi in the 19th century. An extract from the diary of Dr.Francis Buchanan Hamilton, a geographer, who toured South India after the final Mysore war. 'A journey from Madras through the Countries of Mysore, Canara, and Malabar' Vol II (1807)
Four hundred years ago when a child was born in our lineage, it is hearsay that on the same day a cobra entered the house of our ancestor. It was a part of the family and was being fed daily. In the month of Thai, to escape cold, the cobra coiled inside the dark kitchen of the house. An old lady of the house placed the hot pongal pot on the coiled snake thinking it for rest pad. At feeding time when the snake was called out, it did not turn up. As a mark of respect for the dead snake, Pongal festival was celebrated the next day. Till date, it is in practice. The sarpa-bali dosham continued to haunt.
On Nagapanchami day in 2006, our family conducted Ashlesha homam at Udupi/Kukke to propitiate the Naga family and get rid of the generations-old dosham down the Pitchu family. But the dosham continues to travel down the branches of dhayadhis (See part-1, 2 of the family tree below) who are unaware of the sin. In every branch, at least a member remained either a bachelor/spinster or did not shine in spite of wisdom or became a widow at a young age or had to marry a second time or had no prosperity even if married peacefully. To this adds one's own individual karma of previous birth.
A few years ago in my dream, a decorated gigantic divine cow and its calf obstructed my path. In a prachnam about my dream, it got revealed that one of our ancestors maintained a milk cow in the backyard. When the pregnant cow died, he had asked the milkman to bury it who in turn took away the carcass to peel and sell its leather. This Gho shaapam fell on our lineage to add woes. In 2008, a propitiating ritual was conducted by our family to remove Gho saapam. In modern time, we are impatient to undergo the frustrating sin and dosha. Let’s religiously pray for our family deity and remain god fearing. Let’s protect dharma and it will protect us. தர்மோ ரக்ஷதி ரக்ஷிதஹ:
Genealogy Chart வம்சாவளி Konaseema Telugu brahmins-Visanasola-Kuthsa gothram (From 1520 AD). Many names of the new generation might be missing in Part-1/2 as it is difficult to gather data and update here. Male descendants may download the file and update additions in their families under their respective ancestral path.
Vembu Iyer - Venkalakshmi @ Poochima (வேம்பு அய்யர் - வெங்கலட்சுமி (எ) பூச்சிமா)
Anantharama Iyer @ Vembu (1853-1947) was the second son of Venkatasesha Iyer & Meenkashi. He was an agriculturalist, philanthropist and a man of respect. His walking stick and angavastram received respect in his absence. He was the caretaking VOA of Chennasamudram for his minor Brother-in-law, Annadu Iyer @Ramaswamy Iyer. He had 2 daughters through his first wife (Meenakshi). After her demise, he married Venkalakshmi @ Poochima in 1901, had a son and 4 daughters. He stayed with his son Pitchu at Kodumudi till he breathed his last. Poochima, an innocent noble-hearted lady died in 1973.
Pitchu Iyer - Nagalakshmi ( பிச்சு சோமேஸ்வரன் - நாகலட்சுமி )
Pitchu Someswara Iyer (1903-1987) @ Mamadu vadhiyar was the eldest son of Vembu Iyer. He was a dedicated, agile and brisk teacher at the London Mission School, Kodumudi. He married Nagalakshmi and had 4 sons - Selvaraj, Ramarathinam, Jaganathan and Venugopal. A pensioner, Pitchu Iyer was honoured and felicitated by the Archbishop of Canterburry in 1986 when the later visited South India to inspect London Mission Schools (renamed as CSI Mission School). He died at his native home in 1987.
Nagalakshmi (1912-1994), the iron lady with patience and detached bondage, was the eldest daughter of Visalakshi (D/o. Anantharama Srowthigal) and Narayana Iyer. She was the grand-daughter of Sanskrit Vedic scholar, Anantharama Srowthikal and Annamma of Kumbakonam (No.17, Melkarai, Mahamaham Kulam). He was the Vedic teacher (Prathama Adhyapanar) during 1913-15 to Mahaperiyava Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swamiji, the then Sankaracharya of Kanchi. She was an erudite scholar in Veda mantra, Ratnakaram and Thyagaraja krithis. She had travelled to Kasi & Rameswaram. Often lamented, had she been a male she would have graduated in Vedic studies. She died on Arudhra Dharisanam day (24 Dec 1994) in Chennai.
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| 18, East Agraharam, Kodumudi |
Pitchu's generation பிச்சுவின் சந்ததிகள்
K.P.Selvaraj (Native:Kodumudi) is a retired Gazetted officer from OCS @VSNL. His wife Meenakshi (Native: Kollegal) is a homemaker. Both are residing in Chennai. They have three sons and two daughters.
(Late)P. Ramarathinam retired as Headmaster, Govt. Girls Higher Secondary School, Salem. His wife Sakunthala (Native:Devakotai) is residing in Salem. They have a son and two daughters.
V.S.Jagannathan is a Chartered Accountant by profession, spiritual person, and political advisor. His wife Suriyakantham is a homemaker. They reside in Chennai and have two sons. Jagan was adopted by his paternal aunt Janaki, sister of Pitchu Iyer and daughter-in-law of Ramaswamy Iyer.
P.Venugopal, Accountant (Retired) from (Rallis India), is a business consultant. His wife Radhika (Native:Neyveli) is a homemaker. They have two daughters and reside in Chennai.
Publications பிரசுரங்கள்
Kodumudi and its characters had always been a fascinating subject for short stories. Inspiringly, Kodumudi has been the charismatic centre for many people including the author of this blog. Some of the articles that were published in different journals have been reproduced in this blog.
REWINDING THOUGHTS Rs.50 (LEO Book Publishers, 36, (Basement), 1 st Main Road, CIT Nagar, Nandanam, Chennai-600 035, Ph: 044-24351283, 42867654)
It is recorded with great pleasure that Mrs.V.Sreemathy, (Great-granddaughter of Rajam Iyer -> GD/o Korambu Seetharaman (Part-2 of the tree), Assistant Professor of English, Vijaya College, Bangalore had chosen the book for her PhD thesis: 'An ethnographic inquiry into the linguistic competency of the migrated community of Konaseema'. She was conferred the degree in 2020.
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Books are available with the publishers. For online purchase, please visit http://www.marinabooks.com/category?authorid=3275 and Amazon.
S.Chandrasekar, Travel writer & Photographer, 2010, records from his family genealogy:
"One of my ancestors, Someswara Iyer was mistakenly imprisoned by Tipu in 1789. He was a pure Saivite and an innocent Brahmin. He refused to eat or drink due to shame and humiliation. Soon he dropped and fell unconscious. That night Lord Siva appeared in the dream of Tipu and ordered him to release the poor brahmin. Tipu apologized and repented for the sin committed. Someswaran was too fragile and couldn't move. Tipu asked his court physician to smear battered curd rice paste throughout the body twice a day. His skin pores absorbed them. On the third day, it was said that he regained the energy to speak. Tipu granted few villages and a spatika shiva linga to Someswaran Iyer as a token of respect. The lands and lingam have vanished over the centuries. Henceforth Someswara Iyer was called Nawab Somayajulu (wife Subbulakshmi). They belonged to the Konaseema Telugu-speaking kuthsa-gothra brahmin family of south India. Someswaran was the 8th descendant of Madhyarjunam Subbarao who offered services as finance advisor and tax collector in the court of King Sri Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara Empire c.1520AD (approx.). It is to be noted that Tiruvidaimarudhur is aka Madhyàrjunam."
It has come to know that this lingam is now in possession of a descendant Mr.Babu in Pondicherry. (s/o Krishnamurthy & Kanakam of Part-2).
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The samadhi peetam of Vibudhi siddhar Sri Subbarao is situated near the Ayyampālayam kuladeivam temple. He revealed his two different faces during the abishekam on Guru purnima day in July 2022 at his peetam. He has assured to protect and guide his generations.
Mahaswami had Vedic studies at Kumbakonam Mutt opposite the mahamaham tank. In 1915, Sri Anantharama Srouthigal was his prathama adhyayana tutor. As a little girl, his granddaughter Nagam (Visalakshi's daughter) used to carry milk in a pot to the pontiff next door. She said the acharya was sharp in memory and divinely blessed with prediction. Avidly she recalled how the acharya directed her father Narayana Iyer (Son-in-law of Anantharama Srouthigal) to vacate the place and go to his house next door. Narayana came home and died within minutes. This was his spiritual darshan. When her family visited the Kanchi Mutt in 1991, the aged acharya blessed the family members and enquired if they were Nagam's children? [2]
In April-2015, the creator of this blog was interviewed by Vendhar TV for a program மூன்றாவது கண் 'Moondravathu Kan'. It speaks on siddhars, spiritual happenings, and mystic experiences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6oUby-HNc0
Temple rituals and Pooja ஆன்மீகப் பணிகள்
Pooja kattalai at Malayamma Temple in Punguni-Chitirai month; Pradosha pooja happens every month at the Sringeri Kasi Viswanathar Temple, East Agraharam where 50 years ago Janaki Ammal (Pitchu's sister) donated a panchaloka idol of Sri Somaskandar. The temple was renovated and consecrated in July 2018.
Contribution to Brahmins Annathaana Chatram at Agraharam and other scholarships to economically deserving students are going on.
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| Railway station |
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| Brahmana Annadhana Chathiram, East Agraharam Street |
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| Makudeswarar-VeeranaryanaTemple |
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