Skandasramam Annamalai Swami, though little known to later devotees, played an important role during Bhagavan’s early years on the Hill. He served as a close attendant to Bhagavan and assisted Mother Alagammal, who was deeply affected by his untimely death during the bubonic plague outbreak of 1921–22.
Annamalai Swami hailed from Aarani and first visited Bhagavan at Virupaksha Cave. He later spent time at Kovilur studying Tamil scriptures before returning to Skandasramam. He composed devotional songs with strong Advaitic themes, which came to be revered and were sung annually on his death anniversary.
Tiruvannamalai had already faced plague outbreaks in 1905 and 1908, during which many residents fled the town. On those occasions, Bhagavan and his small group, assisted by Dr. Narayana Iyer, temporarily shifted to Pachaiamman Kovil. A third outbreak occurred around 1921, alongside a wider cholera epidemic across India.
When the plague returned in 1921, many at Skandasramam left the area. This time, however, the disease reached directly into the community. Bhagavan remained, along with a few devotees, even as conditions worsened.
A poignant account of this period comes from Kunju Swami, whose arrival at Skandasramam coincided with Annamalai Swami’s passing on 2nd February 1922. He later wrote:
The plague had driven away most of the inhabitants of the town and consequently visitors to Sri Bhagavan were few. I was, therefore, left alone with Sri Bhagavan.
Kunju Swami’s arrival marked the beginning of a lifelong association. Upon reaching Skandasramam, he had his first darshan of Bhagavan. Shortly thereafter, he heard wailing and learned that Annamalai Swami had died that very morning. Ramakrishna Swami and Perumal Swami had gone to arrange for the burial.
In a nearby room, an elderly woman wept. Turning toward her, Bhagavan pointed to Kunju Swami and said:
Why are you all so upset? Another son has come here to fill his place.”
Only later did Kunju Swami realise that the grieving woman was Mother Alagammal, and the man beside her was Niranjanananda Swami.
Reflecting on the day, Kunju Swami later wrote that Annamalai Swami’s passing coincided with his own “new birth,” as it marked his first darshan and total surrender at Bhagavan’s feet. Each year thereafter, he observed the day as a personal spiritual anniversary.
Annamalai Swami’s memory continued to be honoured. His brother and family members would gather at his samadhi, perform abhisheka and puja, sing his compositions, and distribute bhiksha.
The following year, Muruganar came to Bhagavan. Though he had resolved to compose only on Bhagavan, he wrote a prefatory verse for a collection of Annamalai Swami’s 36 verses—an indication of the regard in which Annamalai Swami was held. Notably, Muruganar, a strict adherent to Tamil poetic conventions, set aside such concerns in this instance.
A later recorded account from 6th February 1946 (Uttara Bhadra, Annamalai Swami’s Guru Puja day) provides further insight. After Tamil parayana, Bhagavan enquired whether food offerings had been given to Annamalai Swami’s relatives who had come for the observance. When informed they had not yet been served, he explained:
There was one Annamalai Swami when I was at Skandasramam. He died in Thai month of 1922 (Uttara Bhadra) and was buried near Esanya Math. This is his Guru Puja. His relations come every year, feed the poor, and leave offerings here. We give them our prasadam. It is usual to sing his songs on such days along with our Tamil parayana.
When asked who Annamalai Swami was, Bhagavan pointed him out in a group photograph and added:
Mother used to be very fond of him. He died in Thai. She passed away in Vaikasi. —
[Editor’s note: recitation of Annamalai’s songs on the calendar day of the above recorded discussion with Sri Bhagavan in the Hall in 1946 took place 80 years later on 6th Feb 2026 in the Ashram library auditorium.]* [1]
[1]*From Day by Day, 6th Feb 1946, Talks, §463 and Saranagati, June 2020. Video of the recent event at: <https://shorturl.at/dZpSH>.
