Adjacent to the Sangeeta Bhandara in
the northern corridor of the Vimana Pradakshinam is the shrine of Sri
Ramanuja, the great Vaishnava Acharya. It is also called the Bhashyakara
Sannidhi.
Ramanuja
was the architect of Tirupati and the father of the Sri Vaishnava community
there. He designed the Nandanavanams or flower gardens of the temple. He was
mainly responsible for managing the worship procedures and other affairs of
the Sri Venkateswara temple.
The
shrine was built around the 13th century. It overlooks the western end of the
Tirumamani Mandapam. The Pandyan emblem of two fish and a hook is carved on
the wall next to the entrance.
The
right hand of the stone image of Ramanuja is held in the gesture of
exposition (vyakhyana mudra), and the left hand in the form of boon
bestowal (varada hasta), or of holding a book (pustaka hasta).
The
shrine figures prominently during the festival of Adhyayanotsavam, which is a
typical Pancharatra observance. Special worship is conducted in this shrine
during Gandhapodi Utsavam and Bhashyakara Utsavam. The utsava murthi of
Ramanuja is taken in a grand procession to meet Malayappa near the Padi
Kavali
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