On Wednesday evening, Ayodhya witnessed a symbolic coming together of North and South India as statues of three renowned musicians and saints from the southern region — Purandara Dasa, Tyagaraja Swami, and Arunachala Kavi — were unveiled by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
“Poore Dakshin bharat mein Sri Ram ka kuch na kuch asar jaroor hai… Ram Ayodhya mein reh sakte hain, magar Dakshin Bharat mein har ghar mein Ram hai (In the whole of South India, Sri Ram is present in some form or the other. Lord Ram is in Ayodhya but he is also present in every household in South India),” said Sitharaman.
With a large number of pilgrims from the South visiting Ayodhya to offer prayers at the Ram Mandir every month, the initiative aims to establish a deeper connection between the two regions of India.
The move is also significant — each of these musicians played a key role in the founding and evolution of Carnatic music in South Indian languages between the 15th and 18th century and were devoted to Lord Ram.
Sitharaman went on to cite examples from Kerala and Tamil Nadu to show how Ram Bhakti is woven into the cultural essence of South India.
“Ram Bhakta aur Ram Bhakti, Hindi, Maithli, Bhojpuri, ya Braj Bhasha bolne wale ke hi Ram hai aisa nahi hai (It is not like Lord Ram belongs to only those who speak Hindi, Maithli, Bhojpuri or Braj languages),” she said.
She added that in Kerala, too, every member of the household lights a diya before Ram and reads the Valmiki Ramayana for a month.
The minister said before the Ram Mandir consecration, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had first visited every place associated with Lord Ram in South India.
Thanking CM Adityanath for facilitating the installation of the statues, Sitharaman said “Uttar ho, Dakshin ho humari bhawana ek hi hai (Be it North or South, our sentiments are one).”
Officials said Sitharaman played a significant role in the installation. Her parents were also present at the ceremony.
Adityanath said as “Bhaktas (devotees)” of Ram, it is their duty to respect all followers of Lord Ram equally like these saints, who, against all odds, spread “Ram Bhakti” to different parts of the country.
Referring to the installation of these idols as the true symbol of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat”, the CM said the excitement in Ayodhya during the Ram Temple movement was equally seen in Tamil Nadu.
He also said the four entry gates to Ayodhya are to be named after saints Shankracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya and Ramanandacharya.
He added that Lord Ram had installed the first “Jyotirlinga” in Tamil Nadu.
Chairman of the temple construction committee, Nripendra Mishra, and other officials of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust were also present at the event at the Ram Mandir.
Officials of the Trust said the “ancient Brihaspati Kund will become a cultural bridge between the North and South as statues of these three great devotional musicians, who dedicated their entire lives to singing and writing in praise of the Lord, are being installed.
The saints, their lives
According to officials, Tyagaraja Swamigal was a great composer, saint, and devotional poet of Carnatic music.
Born on May 4, 1767, in Tiruvarur, in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district, he belonged to the Telugu Brahmin community. He composed hundreds of devotional songs in praise of Lord Ram, including the famous ‘Pancharatna Kritis’ — an integral part of Carnatic music.
Purandara Dasa was a wealthy merchant from Karnataka but renounced all material possessions to become a Haridasa (servant of Krishna).
Officials said Dasa created the foundational texts for teaching Carnatic music by structuring hierarchical exercises known as swaravali and alankara. His Carnatic music compositions are mostly in Kannada, although some are in Sanskrit as well.
Officials said Arunachala Kavi, who lived from 1711 to 1779, was a renowned Tamil poet and Carnatic musician who composed the famous Rama Natakam. Born in Thanjavur, he made significant contributions to the development of Tamil music.
Addressing the gathering at the Ram Mandir, after the unveiling ceremony at Brihaspati Kund in Tehri crossing, the CM and the Finance Minister drew parallels between the North and the South through Lord Ram. (Source: @myogiadityanath/X) 
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