M K Stalin, DMK Treasurer, paid a surprise visit to an ancient Vaishnavite temple here during his ongoing state-wide tour to connect with people ahead of next year’s assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.

Stalin, accompanied by his wife Durga, was welcomed with “poornakumbha mariyathai” (temple honours) by priests and officials at the entrance of the famous Sri Sowmya Narayanaswamy temple here in Sivaganga District.

It was from the top of this temple tower that the 11th century revolutionary Vaishnavite saint Sri Ramanuja delivered the sacred “Ashtakshara” mantra - “Ohm Namo Narayanaya” - to the entire people of the village, defying his guru’s direction not to reveal it to anyone.

Incidentally, Stalin’s father and DMK chief M Karunanidhi has written the script for a serial on Sri Ramanuja which is being telecast on ‘Kalaignar TV’

Stalin was taken to the tower from which Saint Ramanuja preached the important mantra to all the people so that they could get the blessings of Lord Narayana.

This was the first time that a top level leader of DMK openly visited the temple, its officials said.

Temple’s traditional priest for reciting Tamil hymns Tirukoshtiyur Madhavan told PTI that Stalin sought to know about Saint Ramanuja’s visit to the temple and the saint’s gesture in revealing the mantra and its meaning to all people irrespective of caste.

The priest also said Stalin visited the shrines of Sri Ramanuja and his guru (Thirukoshtiyur Nambi).

Stalin asked “whether is it not Saint Ramanuja who named the Dalits as “Thirukulathaar” (son’s of Goddess Lakshmi), thousand years before Gandhi called them “Harijan“(People of Lord Vishnu)“.

The DMK Treasurer, considered political heir apparent to Karunanidhi, has been meeting various sections of people and hearing their grievances in his campaign which he launched on September 20 to cover all 234 assembly constituencies in the state.

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