SRĪRAIVGAM`107
closely connected. According to him, everlasting happiness was not to
be obtained by knowledge alone, however profound ; a devout observ
ance of public and private worship was likewise essential. His culture
and personal charm drew around him a host of disciples ; and in his
lifetime he founded no less than qoo colleges, and sought to secure the
permanence; of his system by establishing 8g hereditary priestships,
several of which still exist. While returning to Srļrangam from a tour,
he was confronted by an edict of the Chola king requiring tire signature
of all Brāhrnans in his dominions to a profession of the Saivite religion.
Rāmānuja resisted and fled, and found an asylum with Vittala Deva,
the Jain king of Mysore, whom he converted. After twelve years in
Mysore, the death of the Chola king enabled Rāmānuja to return to
Srirangam, where he died.
Srirāmpur.-Subdivision and town in Hooghly District, Bengal.
See SERAMPORE.
Srirangam.-Town in Trichinopoly District, Madras, situated in
ro° 5z' N. and q8° 4z' E., z miles north of Trichinopoly city, and almost
in the centre of the island formed by the bifurcation of the Cauvery
into the two branches known as the Cauvery and the Coleroon. At the
western (upper) end of the island is the Upper Anicut, and at the east-
ern end the; Grand Anicut, described in the article on the CAUVERY.
The island :is about rg miles in length, and in its widest part about r2
miles broad, the soil being alluvial and very fertile. It is, however,
subject to inundatious from the Cauvery and Coleroon, especially at its
lower (eastern) end. The trunk road to Madras runs northwards from
Trichinopoly across the island, connecting the land on either side by
fine bridges. The island (see TRICHINOPOLY DISTRICT) played a con-
siderable part in the wars of the eighteenth century.
Srirangam was made a municipality in r8gr, and comprises several
villages, of which Srirangam and Jambukeswaram are the most im-
portant. The population, which has doubled in the last thirty years,
is (rgor) z3,o3g, of whom as many as zz,834 are Hindus, Musalmāns
numbering only 4z, and Christians r63. The income and expenditure
of the municipality during the ten years ending rgoz-g averaged about
Rs. z8,ooo. In rgo3-4 the income was Rs. 33,Soo, mostly derived
from the taxes on land and houses ; and the expenditure was Rs. 35, roo.
1'he municipality maintains a hospital, which accommodates z4 in-patients
and has a maternity ward with four beds. The buildings now in use
were repaired and terraced by Rājā Sir Savalai Rāmaswāmi Mudaliyār
in x886 at a cost of Rs. ro,ooo, the former buildings having been
damaged by fire in x884. Preliminary surveys for a drainage scheme
for the place are in progress.
The town is chiefly famous for its great temple dedicated to Vishnu.
The temple and the town are indeed almost conterminous, the greater
voL, xxnl. x
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