R. Ramachandran Nair

Ramakrishna Pillai Ramachandran Nair (born 23 April 1939) is a retired Indian Administrative Service officer from Kottayam, Kerala, who served as collector of Kannur and Kollam districts, managing director of Travancore-Cochin Chemicals, secretary to various departments, and finally as the Chief Secretary of Kerala state in different intervals. He was also the founding Vice Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady. A prolific writer, he has also written many poems and essays in Sanskrit (under the pseudonym Thulaseevanam), Malayalam and English. His Sanskrit compositions, most of them being Carnatic kritis, praise more on the deities of Kerala temples, especially around Thiruvananthapuram and Kottayam. Nair is credited with popularising many temples in Kerala.

Early life Nair was born on the 10th of Medam 1115 (Malayalam calendar), 23 April 1939, in Mangombil house (his ancestral home) in Kottayam, Kerala as the fifth of the nine children of Thumbunkal Ramakrishna Pillai, a mathematics teacher by profession, and Mangombil Bharathi Amma. His ancestors originally hailed from Thirunavaya in the present-day Malappuram district, and migrated to Travancore following Tipu Sultan's invasion. He has seven brothers and a sister, among which one died at a very young age. He spent his childhood in Poonjar in the eastern side of Kottayam district. He was a brilliant student in his school, and passed SSLC with distinction in 1955. From a very young age itself, he learnt Sanskrit from noted scholars. After his education, he served as a teacher at University college in Thiruvananthapuram for a short time. He joined IAS in 1961.

Personal life Nair is married to Lakshmi R. Nair, the daughter of the late V. R. Pillai from Haripad, Alappuzha district. Their marriage happened on 8 December 1965, when Nair was 26 and Lakshmi was 19. The couple has two sons and a daughter. Their eldest son, Prof. R. Hemanth Kumar is the principal of Ettumanoorappan College, Ettumanoor, Kottayam district. The second son Dr. R. Ajay Kumar is a cardiologist by profession. The third child and only daughter, Anjali R. Mohan is a school teacher by profession in Chennai. Their son-in-law is a nephew of E. K. Nayanar, former Chief Minister of Kerala. Nair is a devotee of the noted Hindu saint and social reformer Chattambi Swamikal, and is a member of numerous organisations related to his ideologies.

As a writer Nair is well-known for Carnatic compositions, written under the pseudonym Thulaseevanam. His compositions usually feature the deities in Kerala temples, especially around Kottayam, his native place, and Thiruvananthapuram, where he finally settled. He is well-credited for popularising numerous temples in Kerala, like Pazhavangadi Ganapathi Temple, Sreekanteswaram Mahadeva Temple, Attukal Bhagavathi Temple, Kidangoor Subramanya Temple, Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple, etc. He also wrote songs on Chattambi Swamikal, the noted social reformer of Kerala, whom he idolises most. Most of his songs were written in Sanskrit. Though he has immense poetic talent, he lacks musical proficiency, and thus he had to seek outside help for tuning his songs, just like Arunachala Kavirayar and Periyasamy Thooran. His songs have been composed and sung by numerous popular musicians like Maharajapuram Santhanam, T. V. Sankaranarayanan, T. N. Seshagopalan, R. K. Srikantan, Rajkumar Bharathi, Prince Rama Varma, Perumbavoor G. Raveendranath and numerous others. His most popular composition is Bhaja Manasa Vighneshwaram Anisham in the raga Bahudari.

Composition Raga Tala Praising Temple Akhilānda Nāyakā अखिलाण्डनायका Madhyamavati Adi Shiva N/A Āmaya Karunāvāhini आमयकरुणावाहिनी Poorvi Kalyani Adi Parvati N/A Āmaya Nāśana आमयनाशन Kalyani Adi Venkateswara Tirupati Anagha Śambhō अनघशंभो Yadukulakamboji Roopakam Shiva Ettumanoor Ātma Nivedanaṁ आत्मनिवेदनम् Vrindavana Saaranga Adi Krishna N/A Bhāvaye Sādaraṁ भावये सादरम् Keeravani Adi Sastha Sabarimala Bhaja Mānasa Vighneshwaramanisham भज मानस विघ्नेश्वरमनिशम् Bahudari Adi Ganesha Pazhavanagdi Bhajāmahē Śrī Vināyakaṁ भजामहे श्री विनायकम् Hamsadhwani Adi Ganesha Pazhavanagdi Bhajarē Cētaha भजरे चेतः Arabhi Adi Ganesha Pazhavanagdi Bhajarē Mānasa Śāstāraṁ भजरे मानस शास्तारम् Sindhu Bhairavi Adi Sastha N/A Bhajarē Śrīkaṇțeśvaraṁ भजरे श्रीकण्ठेश्वरम् Kamboji Adi Shiva Sreekanteswaram Bhajē Surēśaṁ भजे सुरेशम् Shriranjini Adi Venkateswara Tirupati Bhūtanātha Māṁ Pāhi भूतनाथ मांं पाहि Saveri Adi Sastha Sabarimala Caraņayuga Smaraṇaṁ चरणयुगस्मरणम् Malayamarutham Adi Krishna Guruvayur Dāsamimaṃ Pāhi दासमिमं पाहि Begada Adi Shiva Thirunakkara Dainyāpahaṃ Bhāvaye दैन्यापहं भावये Shriranjini/Thodi Adi Parvati Kanyakumari Dāsosmyahaṃ Danuja Śāsaka दासोस्म्यहं दनुजशासक Mukhari Adi Krishna Guruvayur Dēvā Namō Namō देवा नमो नमो Khamas Adi Chattambi Swamikal N/A Dēvā Vidyādhirājā देवा विद्याधिराजा Kedara Gowla Adi Chattambi Swamikal N/A Dharmasthalēśvara धर्मसथलेश्वर Ananda Bhairavi Adi Shiva Dharmasthala Duritāpahaṃ Aniśaṃ दुरितापहमनिशम् Shriranjini Adi Sastha Sabarimala Duritāraṇya Kṛṣanmō दुरितारण्य कृषन्मो Neelambari Chappu Krishna Thirumala Ēkaradanam Vāraṇa Vadanam एकरदनं वारणवदनम् Hindolam Adi Ganesha Pazhavangadi Gajānana Mām Pālaya गजानन मां पालय Mohanam Adi Ganesha Pazhavangadi Gajamukha Māmava गजमुख मामव Reethigowla Adi Ganesha Pazhavangadi Gajānanam Bhaje गजाननं भजे Kamalamanohari Adi Ganesha Pazhavangadi Gāyāmi Tava Nāma गायामि तव नाम Huseni Chappu Krishna Guruvayur Girivara Putrīṃ गिरिवर पुत्रीम् Dwijavanthi Sanskrit Parvati Shankhumukham Guruvāyupurēsha Surēsha गुरुवायुपुरेश सुरेश Shaama Adi Krishna Guruvayur Hara Hara Shiva Pālaya हर हर शिव पालय Shahana Adi Shiva Ettumanoor Harihara Tanūja Devā हरिहरतनूज देवा Begada Chappu Sastha Sabarimala Indirā Mandiraṃ इन्दिरामन्दिरम् Surutti Adi Venkateswara Tirupati Kāma Madāpaha काममदापह Poorvikalyani Adi Shiva Ettumanoor Kāma Nishūdanam कामनिषूदनम् Yadukulakamboji Adi Shiva Dharmasthala Karuņākaram Śrīkaram कऱुणाकरं श्रीकरम् Pantuvarali Roopakam Krishna Guruvayur Kērala Bhūtalapālā केरळ भूतलपाला Devagandhari Adi Sastha Sabarimala Kuru Śubham Adhunā कुरु शुभम् अधुना Shaama Adi Sastha Sabarimala Laṃbōdaram Bhāvayē लम्बोदरं भावये Kamboji Adi Ganesha N/A Mādhava Harē माधव हरे Todi Adi Vishnu Thiruvananthapuram Mahishī Madahara महिषीमदहर Poorvikalyani Adi Sastha Sabarimala Māmava Mādhava मामव माधव Behag Adi Venkateswara Tirupati Māmava Mahēśvarī मामव महेश्वरी Bhairavi Adi Parvati Shankhumukham Māmava Māmava मामव मामव Dhanyasi Adi Venkateswara Tirupati Māmava Vidyādhirājā मामव विद्याधिराजा Abhogi Adi Chattambi Swamikal N/A Maňgaľa Guņārņava मङ्गळ गुणार्णव Kalyani Roopakam Chattambi Swamikal N/A Maranda Bhāshiņī मरन्दभाषिणी Chakravakam Adi Saraswati Panachikkadu Māyā Mānusha Hare मायामानुष हरे Mukhari Roopakam Krishna Guruvayur Mūkāmbikām Āśrayē मूकांबिकाम् आश्रये Dhanyasi Adi Mookambika Kollur Namāmi Vijayām नमामि विजयाम् Charukesi Adi Parvati Kumaranalloor Nīlāmbara Sōdarā नीलांबरसोदरा Surutti Adi Krishna Guruvayur Pāhimām Śrī Varāhamūrtē पाहिमां श्रीवराहमूर्ते Ananda Bhairavi Roopakam Varaha Sreevaraham Paňkaja Dalanayanē पङ्कजदलनयने Kanada Adi Parvati Shankhumukham Paramēśvara Pāhi परमेश्वर पाहि Kedaram Roopakam Shiva Sreekanteswaram Paripāhi Dayākarā परिपाहि दयाकरा Simhendramadhyamam Roopakam Murugan Kidangoor Pāvana Tīrthapādā पावन तीर्थपादा Nattakurinji Adi Chattambi Swamikal N/A Sadā Namōstutē सदा नमोस्तुते Mohanam Adi Ganesha Pazhavangadi Sādhaka Kalpalatē साधक कल्पलते Mayamalavagowla Adi Saraswati Panachikkadu Śabarīśvaram Bhāvayē शबरीश्वरं भावये Kharaharapriya Adi Sastha Sabarimala Śaraņāgata Vidhēyē शरणागतविधेये Todi Roopakam Parvati Shankhumukham Sarvam Samāśrayē सर्वं समाश्रये Suddha Dhanyasi Roopakam Shiva Sreekanteswaram Śata Ravi Śōbha शतरविशोभ Kalyani Misrachappu Vishnu Thiruvananthapuram Śivakāminīm Bhāvayē शिवकामिनीं भावये Mukhari Adi Parvati Shankhumukham Śivaśaňkara Pāhi शिवशङ्ककर पाहि Shaama Misrachappu Shiva Thirunakkara Śrīharē Padmanābhā श्रीहरे पद्मनाभा Devamanohari Roopakam Vishnu Thiruvananthapuram Śrī Padmanābha Harē श्रीपद्मनाभ हरे Huseni Misrachappu Vishnu Thiruvananthapuram Śrīvallabham Bhajē श्रीवल्लभं भजे Darbar Roopakam Vishnu Thiruvalla Śrīkara Māmava श्रीकर मामव Poornachandrika Khandachappu Shiva Sreekanteswaram Śyāma Kalēbara श्यामकळेबर Behag Adi Krishna Guruvayur Śyāma Kalēbaram श्यामकळेबरम् Hindolam Adi Sastha Sabarimala Uragēndra Bhūshaņam उरगेन्द्रभूषणम् Shankarabharanam Roopakam Shiva Ettumanoor Vandē Sadāham वन्दे सदाहम् Saaranga Adi Krishna Guruvayur Vāraņavadanam Bhajām वारणवदनं भजम् Gaula Adi Ganesha Pazhavangadi Venkatēśa Harē वेङ्कटेश हरे Bageshri Jhampa Venkateswara Tirupati Vighnanāśana Prabhō विघ्ननाशन प्रभो Madhyamavathi Adi Tishra gati Ganesha N/A Vighnēśvarā Kumarā विघ्नेश्वरा कुमारा Arabhi Roopakam Ganesha Pazhavangadi Vighnēśvara Śubhakara विघ्नेश्वर शुभकर Arabhi Roopakam Ganesha Pazhavangadi

Malayalam and English works -->

Controversies Corruption related to Sanskrit University Though Nair was instrumental in the formation of Sri Sankaracharya Sanskrit University, he caught up in corruption allegations on its matter. It was in the matter of purchasing land for sub-centres for the University that he was accused of. Due to this matter, he was suspended from service on 10 January 1997, when he was under a long leave. After his retirement, he was also arrested on the same matter, and became the first former Chief Secretary of Kerala, and probably in India itself, to be arrested on corruption allegations. But, he was later acquitted by the High Court of Kerala due to lack of evidence, and his time period under suspension, which lasted till his retirement on 30 April 1997, was regularised, thereby enabling him to enjoy full pension.

The case was that Nair caused a loss of ₹3.4 Million to the University by purchasing 75 cents of land from a private organisation named Sree Vidyadhiraja Vidya Samajam, which was founded by him, and was headed by R. Kumaran Nair, his elder brother, as the President, and his close friend named V. N. Krishna Pillai as the Secretary when this incident happened. The vigilance charge sheet said that Nair brought the land for an exorbitant amount of ₹50,000, while its price was just ₹5,650 in market rate. The Samajam had bought it just six months before this incident, at the rate of ₹3,000. Krishna Pillai was also arrested on its matter, while Kumaran Nair was acquitted due to lack of evidence earlier.

Nair accused his immediate successor C. P. Nair, a 1962 Batch IAS officer, and himself a noted writer, on this case. His accusation was that despite being a year junior to him in both birth and service, C. P. Nair was trying to topple him to get to the post of Chief Secretary earlier, but still the then-government appointed him, and enraged by this incident, C. P. Nair tied with the opposition parties, which came to power in 1996, and by considering this as an opportunity, framed him in the cases, which led to his suspension, and also prevented from him being appointed as the Cabinet Secretary of India, despite being the senior-most serving IAS officer at that time.

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