36year old Lakshmi Narasimha Ganapadigal has committed his lifetime to the Vedic Patshala in this Avathara Sthalam of Vaishnavite Acharya Manakkal Nambi
A dozen Vedic students from different parts of the country are devotionally committed to learning the Yajur Veda from acharya Lakshmi Narasimha Ganapadigal. On the Rama Navami morning, they watch with excitement the Tejas Express speed past their building crossing the Lalgudi station that is walking distance from their Patshala. In their free time in peak summer, these students, most of them in their teens, spend time playing tennis ball cricket.
But their daily life is tough. They wake up early at 4am for their morning class. Each of them have a strict schedule and follow a routine that is high on discipline and process. They are all enjoying this way of life founded on tradition in the company of their friendly acharya. All of them function as a family sharing jokes and chit chatting on different topics while they are away from their studies.
At the Avathara Sthalam of Vaishnavite Acharya Manakkal Nambi (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2024/04/manakkal-nambi-varadaraja-perumal-temple.html), this almost 130 years old A Ramaswamy Iyer Vedic Patshala continues to thrive. Manakkal is a remote town 1km east of Lalgudi very close the Vadivazhagiya Nambi Divya Desam at Anbil (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2007/11/108-divya-desam-anbil-vadivazhagiya.html).
36year old Lakshmi Narasimha Ganapadigal has been anchoring the Patshala as the acharya passing on his Vedic learnings to the next generation of students. Having learned at the Ramanashrama Patshala in Tiruvannamalai for a dozen years from 1999 under Senthinathan Ganapadigal, he was roped in by Mahalinga Ganapadigal who at that time had created scores of vedic students at this A Ramaswamy Iyer Yajur Veda Patshala in Manakkal.
10 Generations in Vedic Tradition
Lakshmi Narasimha Ganapadigal told this writer that 10 generations of his family have been serving as Ganapadigal focused on Vedic teachings. “With the situation turning sour in the second half of the previous century, my appa was forced to get into the corporate world. But my parents were keen for me to revive the family tradition of being a Vedic Acharya and hence sent me to the Patshala after I completed my class VII”, he said.
“After the completion of my patshala education, my acharya wanted me to spread Vedic messages in remote towns and hence sent me to Manakkal to this patshala.”
Unmindful of the remoteness of the location, Lakshmi Narasimha Ganapadigal is committed to continuing his service at this historical Patshala run by Trustee Vijayakumar, the great grandson of the founder of this Patshala. His parents and wife are great support encouraging and inspiring him into donning the role of a Vedic Acharya that his forefathers had so successfully performed over the last few centuries.
At a time when most Vedic Pundits are looking to monetise their knowledge by moving to top cities, it is commendable that this young Ganapadigal has been happy to be residing in this remote location spending time with these young kids passing on his Vedic Knowledge to them.