The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c32.22

v1.c32.22

3. Ramanuja himself had to fly from the Chola kingdom, and took shelter in Chandragiri, the stronghold of the Yadava Kings, whose capital was at Narayanavaram. Toya Yadava was then the ruling sovereign. He charitably entertained the exiled guru and declared himself the patron of his disciples and his doctrine 2. Under his patronage Ramanuja visited different holy places, and took from the Saivas several temples and shrines which he dedicated to the worship of different forms of Vishnu. He also founded the temple of Terunarayaria at Terunarayanapur. One of the temples that he took from the Saivas was the famous one at Tirupati 3. The Venkatesvara Mahatmya narrates that, to effect this, Ramanuja agreed with the Saiva priests of the temple to leave in the temple at night a conch and a discus, which were the insignia of Vishnu, and beside them a trident and a small drum, which were the insignia of Siva. The temple was subsequently closed for the night; and on being re-opened next morning it was found that the image had assumed the conch and the discus. Since then Tirupati has been one of the most famous Vaishnava temples in the whole of India ¹.