Kirupanandha Variyar
{{Short description|Shaivite spiritual teacher (1906–1993)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = Isai Perarignar
| name = Kirubanandha Variyar
| image = Kirupanandha Variyar 2006 stamp of India.jpg
| caption = Kirupanandha Variyar on a 2006 stamp of India
| other_names = Variyar Swamigal, 64th nayanmar
| parents = Father : Mallayadasan
Mother : Kanagavalli
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1906|8|25}}
| birth_place = Kangeyanallur,
North Arcot District,
Madras Presidency, British India (now Vellore district,
Tamil Nadu, India)
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1993|11|07|1906|8|25}}
| death_place = Airspace between
Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh and Tiruttani, Tamil Nadu, India
}}
{{Kaumaram}}
File:REMEMBERING CEREMONY OFKirupanandha Variyar at vellore.JPG
Thirumuruga Kirupanandha Variyar (1906–1993) was a Shaivite spiritual teacher from Tamil Nadu, India. He is known for his discourses on various Shaivite legends.
Early life
File:Kirupanandha Variyar Swamy statue.JPG
He was born at 4:37 IST{{Cite web |date=7 November 2016 |title=இவரும் ஒரு நாயன்மாரே! - கிருபானந்த வாரியார் நினைவு தினப் பகிர்வு ! |url=https://www.vikatan.com/spiritual/temples/71570-sri-kirupanandha-variyar---memorial-day-special- |access-date=2019-07-30 |website=Vikatan |language=ta}} on 25 August 1906, in a Sengunthar family at Kangeyanallur, a hamlet on the bank of the Palar river, neat Katpadi in present-day Vellore district, Tamil Nadu.
Spiritual work
He was a Murugan devotee who helped rebuild and complete the works on many of the temples across Tamil Nadu.
At the time when the atheist movement swept Tamil Nadu, he sought to re-establish Hinduism and Theism in the State.{{Cite web |title=Kripananda Variar |url=https://murugan.org/bhaktas/variar.htm |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=murugan.org}} He has also scripted a movie, Siva Kavi. He used all possible mediums to spread Hinduism. He did not consider one as inferior and another as superior.{{cn|date=July 2020}} In his Detroit discourse on Murugan's kindness, he proposed that women's name should also be added as an initial to the child's name.{{Citation |title=Part-1 - கிருபானந்த வாரியார் - டெட்ராய்ட் - 1986 - Detroit - Kripananda Variyar |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUNMi5syq2o |access-date=2019-07-30 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/XUNMi5syq2o |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live |language=en}}{{cbignore}} He insisted on discipline being as important to devotion saying one without the other would be fruitless.{{Cite web |date=10 February 2017 |title=வாழ்க்கைத் தரம் உயர்த்தும் கிருபானந்த வாரியாரின் பொன்மொழிகள்..! #InspirationalQuotes |url=https://www.vikatan.com/spiritual/temples/80301-golden-words-of-kirupanandha-variyar |access-date=2019-07-30 |website=Vikatan |language=ta}}
He is considered to be 64th Nayanar (Shaivite saint).
Awards
Variyar Swamigal received the award Isai Perarignar in 1967,{{Cite web|url=http://www.tamilisaisangam.in/virudhukal.html|title=Welcome to Tamil Isai Sangam – Virudhugal|website=www.tamilisaisangam.in|access-date=21 May 2017|archive-date=12 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212161602/http://www.tamilisaisangam.in/virudhukal.html|url-status=dead}} given to Tamil musicians every year by the Tamil Isai Sangam.
Death
On 19 October 1993, Variyar flew to London for a series of spiritual lectures. Later, he fell ill and so flew back to India, arriving in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra on the early morning of 7 November. From there, he took a homeward flight for Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu. Near the end of this journey, he asked an accompanying devotee "Have we crossed [over] Tirupati?". When the devotee confirmed it, Variyar asked "It is Tiruttani next, right?". Shortly after this conversation, Variyar died, chanting Murugan's name.{{cite web|url=https://www.vikatan.com/spiritual/news/special-day-article-about-kirupanandha-variyar-swami|title=எனக்கு 'சொல்லின் செல்வர்' பட்டம் ஏன்? கிருபானந்த வாரியார் கலகல! - நினைவுநாள் சிறப்புப் பதிவு|date=7 November 2019 }}{{Cite web |last=Viaktakavi |title=வாரியாரும்... வாரி வழங்கிய நகைச்சுவைகளும்!! - ஆரூர் சுந்தரசேகர். |url=https://www.vikatakavi.in/magazines/183/6450/Variyar-nagaichuvaiaroorsundarashekar.php |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=www.vikatakavi.in |language=en}} He was aged 87 then. After the plane arrived in Madras Airport, his body was taken to Kangeyanallur and cremated there.
Memorial
In 2000, a memorial to Variyar, named Variyar Swamigal Gnana Thiruvalagam, was established in the village by P. Rajagopal (1947-2019), the founder of the Saravana Bhavan chain of restaurants based in Chennai.
References
{{Commons category|Kirupanandha Variyar}}
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Category:Indian Hindu spiritual teachers
Category:People from Vellore district