Sosale

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Sosale| type = town| latd = 12.233| longd =76.917
locator_position = right | state_name = Karnataka
district = Mysore district
leader_title =
leader_name =
altitude = 635
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = NA| unlocode =
website =
footnotes =

Sosale, located at Latitude. 12.23°, Longitude 76.92, elevation – 648 m (2086 feet) [(http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/19/Sosale.html] is a large village, on the left bank of the Cauvery River near its confluence with the Kabini River, about 3 Km away from the Agastheswara Temple at Tirumakudlu. It is under the jurisdiction of T.Narsipur Taluk in Mysore district, Karnataka State, India.

Significance

Sosale’s fame is for the reason that it is the head quarters of Sri Vaysaraja Mutt. Sri Vyasaraya Swamy [ [http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:BkrOjSxezZcJ:in.geocities.com/vayusutha/vs5/devotee2.html+Sri+Vyasaraja+mutt,+Sosale&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=11 403 Forbidden ] ] ,the Madhva saint chose this place for his Mutt under the shade of a Banyan tree and close to the Cauvery river. It is also famous for learned seers, born here, of other religious beliefs such as Srivaishanavism and also for gifted painters, musicians and writers..

Sosale Vyasaraja Mutt and its Saints

In Madhwa lineage, there are 3 major mutts…direct following of Madhwacharya’s peetha (Seat of religious importance). After the first 5 prominent swamis, there were around 25-30 swamis and then came Sri Rajendra Thirtha, whose guru was Sri Vidyadhiraja who gave deeksha to two people which resulted in the splitting of the lineage. The famous Vyasaraja Mutt, established by Sri Rajendra Thirtha (Poorvadi Mutt) during his time, got split during Rama Thirthar’s (14th Pontiff) time into - Kundapur Vyasaraja Mutt & Sosale Vyasarja Mutt, headed by Sri Lakshmi Dhara Theertharu and Sri Lakshmi Kantha Theertharu (affectionately called Sesha Chandrikacharaya) respectively.

After Sri Brahmanya Tirtha, Sri Vyasa Tirtha became the head of the Purvadimutt in the year 1476. Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha, named Yatiraja at birth, was a follower of Sri Madwa's Dvaita School of philosophy. He was born around the year 1460 A.D. to Sri Rallanna Sumati & Smt. Akkamma of Strotriya, Kashyapa gothra family and at Bannur, a village north of Sosale in Mysore District of Karnataka.

Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha did his studies in philosophy at Kanchi and also under Sri Sripadaraja Tirtha at Mulabagal. Under the direction of Sri Sripadaraja Tirtha, the Saluva king Narasimha honored Sri Vyasa Tirtha and made him Rajaguru. Thereafter, he came to be known as Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha.

But, Sri Vyasaraya’s deekshe (sainthood) was given by Sri Brahmanya Thirtha. Sri Brahamanya Thirtha had his own lineage and Brahmanya thirtha mutt was called as Abbur Mutt. It is also called as Kundapur Vyasaraya Mutt. His works are a) Chandrika – Treatise on Nyayasudha, b) Nyamaruta and c) Tarkatandava. Purvadhimutt started being called as Vyasarayara mutt.

Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha was known as Chandrikacharya for having authored an epic “Grantha Chandrika”. Through his compositions (considered divine), which is full of love for the SriHari, Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha spread SriHari Bhakthi. Sri Purandaradasa and Sri Kanakadasa (two peripatetic saints of the Dasakuta) were disciples of Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha. During his glorious pontific beneficence, Sri Vyasaraja Tirtha constructed several temples, including 732 Hanuman temples, spread all over South India.

Vyasaraja Thirtha left for the heavenly abode on 8th of March 1539. His Brindavana (final resting place - grave) is at Nava Brindavana on river Tungabhadra, very close to Hampi.

After 214 years of attaining Brindavan of Sri Raghunatha Thirtha, Sri Vidhyapayonidhi thirtha, the 38th Pontiff, restructured the place at Tiramakudlu, close to Sosale, and made Nava Vrindavana of Saints on the lines of Hampi’s Nava brindavana, and thus making this place more holy and also known as the “Navabrindavanas” - the nine (9) Brindavanas (where saints are laid to rest) of saints Sri Sri Raghunatha Thirtha, Sri Sri Vyasaraj Thirtha, Sripathi Thirtha, Sri Payonidhi Thirtha, Sri Raghavendra Thirtha (mruthika), etc.

Legend

Legend says that this place was to be taken over as per the orders of Hyder Ali on a complaint by the Shaivaits (Worshippers of Shiva) that the Sanyasi’s Samadhi was located very close to their place of worship. But Hyder Ali had a dream on the Friday following his order in which he saw his capital Srirangapatna flooded and his son drowning at the Sangam (confluence of the two branches of the Cauvery river) and there was nobody in sight to rescue him. When he was shouting for help, he saw a Sanyasi (Saint) whom he approached to save the boy Tippu Sultan, who was five years old. The Saint threw a piece of cloth at the drowning boy and thus saved his (Tippu’s) life. Next day, disturbed by his dream, and apprehending that some calamity would befall on him, he narrated the whole dream to Divan Poorniah. The Divan prophesized that it might be Sri Seshachandrikacharya who had come in the King’s dream warning him not to disturb him from his present Samadhi place. On the advice of Dewan Poornaiah, Hyder Ali cancelled the order of taking over the place. Hyder Ali then came to T.Narsipur to offer Salam to the Saint’s Samadhi but also ordered that Brindavana be built there for worship. The place was ordered to be given to Sri Vysaraja Mutt.

Another interesting legend is that the violin maestro T Chowdiah’s mother performed “Tapa” (meditation) sitting by the side of the saint’s Brindavan to get a child, in 1893. Following that Tapas, Chowdiah was born on 1st Jan 1894.

Sosale's other saintly souls

1. Srimath Mysore Andavan, of Sosale, an elderly scholar of vidwat scholarship in Sanskrit, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi, hailed from an orthodox Srivaishnava family. He was respected for his devotion, dedication, commitment to Srivaishnavism. Srimath Andavan has contributed many works of scholarly nature. He adorned Acharya peetam as the 10th Andavan in the Andavan Periashramam Munithraya Sampradayam AchArya Lineage. [http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Srimath+Mysore+Andavan&btnG=Search]

2. Sosale Ayya Shastry was a native of Sosale noted for his musical and painting abilities and was given the titles Maha Vidwan in 1905 and Kavi Tilaka in 1912 by King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. Among his well known dramas in Kannada are Karnataka Vikramorvasheya Natakam, Karnataka Ramayana Natakam, Karnataka nala charitre and Karnataka Pratapa Simha Nataka with numerous melodious songs in them. [http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Sosale+Ayya+Shastry+&btnG=Google+Search]

3. The present (2007) senior Swamiji of Sri Vyasaraja Math (Sosale) is Sri Vidyavachaspathi Thirtha, The Swamiji has named his grandson, Sri Manohara Thirtha, as the Uttaradhikari - his successor. But this nomination has led to controversy in the community, leading to protests. [ [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IT_Madhva_Sangha/message/1316 Yahoo! Groups ] ]

Temple of Venugopalaswamy

Srimath Mysore Andavan who was famous amongst the other scholars from Sosale worked hard towards the improvement of the Sri Venugopalaswamy temple at Sosale.

Nearby Important towns

The important towns of historic and religious importance located within 5 km radius of Sosale are Talakad, Somnathpura and T.Narsipur.

Noted people

1.Dr.Sosale Chandrasekhar, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore India - specialist in stereo-electronic effects, novel strategies in asymmetric synthesis, neighbouring group effects and design of novel reactions and molecules. [ [http://www.orgchem.iisc.ernet.in/faculty/sc/sc.html Welcome to Sosale Chandrasekhar's Home Page ] ]

2.Dr. Sujatha Sosale, University of Minnesota, USA - Specialization in International Communication/ Media Globalization, with a focus on development and social change. [ [http://www.uiowa.edu/jmc/faculty/sosale.html Sujatha Sosale, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, The University of Iowa ] ]

3.Ms Shobhana Sosale, Author of several books on education policy

4.Dr Sosale Jayaram, Internal Medicine Physician, USA

References

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