“The world, even the smallest parts of it, is filled with things you don’t know”: Vaishnava philosopher Guru Ramanujacharya's original body preserved in Sri Ranganathaswamy temple with sandalwood paste-saffron for 900 years, no other chemicals added

Hindu religion is one of the world’s oldest religions, which beliefs in the circle of birth and death which happens again and again until one attains Mukti. Where the body is a gift from nature that is made up of five principles ‘bhutas’; fire, water, earth, ether, and air. It is hence believed that all the five principle elements acquired by the body should be given back to nature after death. Thus, Hindus cremate the body of the dead unlike Christians and Muslims, who bury them.

Nevertheless, there are many practices in many cultures around the world for the funeral of the dead. Apart from burring and cremating the dead, there is also a culture of preserving a dead body by various means, the mummies of Egypt is a prominent example of it. This is not a practice that is followed by many. However, it is astonishing to know that this practice has also happened in the history of Hindus.

Vaishnava philosopher and guru Ramanujacharya's original body preserved inside Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam, Tiruchinarpalli since 1137 CE.

Sri Ramajunacharya was an exponent of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism.

Ramanuja’s thiruvarasu (sacred burial shrine) is the Ramanuja shrine (sannidhi) located inside the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple.

Sandalwood paste and saffron are used to maintain the body and no other chemicals are added.

Twice a year, a coat of camphor is mixed with saffron, which produces an ochre/orange tint on the preserved body and this tradition has been practiced for more than 878 years.

His body is placed behind his idol and is open for darshan to all devotees.

One can notice nails on the fingers, which indicate that it is actually a human body.

His physical body is placed in the southwest corner on the fifth round within the Srirangam temple as ordered by Lord Ranganatha himself.

Even many Srivaishnavas are not aware that in Srirangam, their holiest place hailed as ‘Bhuloka Vaikuntam‘ ( Heaven on Earth) lies preserved the body of Sri Ramanuja in all its pristine state unostentatiously, without any fanfare or publicity, and without using any of the chemical preservatives used for the Egyptian and Goan mummies.

When it was time for Sri Ramanuja to leave this World, he informed his disciples about it. The disciples requested Acharya to live with them for some more days. Ramanuja told them that he will live with them for three more days but the disciples were not satisfied, so Yathiraj told them to get a deity made. Then after duly sanctifying the statue, he transferred all his power to it. Then with his head on the lap of Embar and his feet on the lap of Vaduga Nambi, Ramanuja breathed his last in 1137 AD listening to the recitation of the Divya Prabhandam and looking at the Sri Padukas of Yamunacharya.

It is amazing that the body of Sri Ramanuja is mummified in all its pristine state unostentatiously, without any fanfare or publicity, and without even using any of the chemical preservatives used for the Egyptian mummies. The Egyptian mummies are kept in a sleeping position and wrapped in cloth after applying several layers of chemicals but Ramanujacharya's original body is kept in a normal sitting position and open to all for viewing. Twice a year, a coat of Pachai Karpuram (Camphor) mixed with Kumkum (Vermillion), produces an ochre/orange tint on the preserved body and this tradition has been practiced for almost 900 years.

The biggest miracle is that it is said that the actual physical body of Sri Ramanuja has solidified just as it is. The eyes are clearly visible and on a closer look nails also can be noted. There is no Abhishek performed and twice annually the deity is cleaned with certain herbs mentioned above. There is numerous evidence to indicate that it is the actual body – the paintings around the shrine, the temple history, and the look itself.

This is the only instance where an actual human body is kept inside a Hindu temple for so many years.

Ramanujacharya's original body is preserved in Srirangam Temple

In the year 1017 A.D., Ramanuja was born in the village of Perumbudur, about twenty-five miles west of Madras. His father was Kesava Somayaji and his mother was Kantimathi, a very pious and virtuous lady. Ramanuja’s Tamil name was Ilaya Perumal. Quite early in life, Ramanuja lost his father.
Then he came to Kancheepuram to prosecute his study of the Vedas under one Yadavaprakasha, a teacher of Advaita philosophy.

Ramanuja had re-installed the Govindaraja idol in Tirupati, which was initially thrown into the sea by Kulotthunga Chola, a Saivaite.

He attained his Acharyan Thiruvadi (the lotus foot of his Acharya) in Lord Ranganatha temple at Srirangam and ever since, Ramanujacharya's original body was mummified and preserved there.

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