CHENNAI: The 473rd Annual Day of the Raja Veda Patasala will be held at the patasala’s premises in Kumbakonam on May 10. Sri Sarma Sastrigal, author of ‘The Great Hindu Tradition’, will be the chief guest at the event and deliver a special address.
The patasala was founded in 1542 by Sri Govinda Deekshithar, a Vedic scholar and chief minister for three Nayak kings of Thanjavur. Well known as a centre for learning Vedas and allied subjects, the then Kanchi Sage Jagadguru Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal directed in 1972 to form a Society to manage and nurture the ancient institution. This society was named as ‘Advaitha Vidyacharya Maharaja Saheb Sri Govinda Deekshithar Punya Smarana Samithi’ and registered under the Societies Act in 1972.
The samithi is in charge of maintenance of the patasala building, food, clothing, medical, travelling expenses of the students, examination, seed money for students who completed the course by way of accumulated stipend, awards, etc.
Perhaps the biggest donor to this institution was the renowned Carnatic music exponent M S Subbulakshmi and her husband T Sadasivam. She offered one-third of the cash component of her 1974 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service to this institution.
Since over four centuries, students in hundreds study various branches of the Vedas, including Rig Veda, Sukla Yajur Veda, Krishna Yajur Veda and Sama Veda in the ancient ‘gurukulam’ pattern in this patasala under the able guidance of several Vedic scholars.