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PUNNASSERI NAMPI NEELAKANTHA SARMA (1858-1935)

 

Sree Neelakanta Government Sanskrit College, Pattambi is a monument to the pioneering Sanskrit scholar Panditharajan Punnasseri Nampi Neelakanta Sharma, who founded the Institution in 1889 as a Sanskrit school called `Saraswathodyothini' at Perumudiyoor, near Pattambi.The Sanskrit school was once famous as the `Nalanda on the banks of the Nila' (Bharathapuzha), attracting students of all castes from far and near at a time when learning Sanskrit was a monopoly of the upper castes. Born in the year 1858 and brought up in an Orthodox Brahmin atmosphere Nampi later become a towering figure in the cultural renaissance of Kerala through his activities to promote Sanskrit Education.

NAMPI A PROFILE

Birth 17.06.1858
Father Narayana Sarma
Mother Pappimanayamma
Grand father Sreedharan Nampi, Litterateur.
Nampi’s teachers Arangottur Variyar, Govinda Marar, Kulukkallur Unnikkantha Variyar, Chelur Keralavarma Unithiri, Appusastri, Kunjunni Moosad etc.
1871 Nampi's initiation into learning (Upanayana)
1873 Samavartana
1873 Undertook the task to publish the Pattambi Panchanga the Ganitha or calculation of which was done by Nampi himself.
1883 Started publishing Vijnanacintamani with the help of Vellanasseri Vasunni Moosad
1876-1888 Gurukulavasa at the residence of his preceptor, Kunjunni Moosad
1888 Death of Kunjunni Moosad
Sept,1889 Established the Sarasvatodyotini Samskrita Pathasala
1889 Pilgrimage to various temples.
1890 Nampi composed his first poem on Engayur Bhagavati
1892 Nampi's great two-hour-long oration in Sanskrit at Kottayam in the first meeting of the Bhashaposhini Sabha
1893 Death of mother
1895 Journey to places like bhavani, Sriranga etc.
1895-98 Participation in the First, second, third and fourth Sahridayasamagama at Kozhikode
1898 Collection of the Sanskrit letters of Ettan Tampuran of Kozhikide and their publication in Vijnanacintamani with an introduction.
1906-07 Govt. of Madras accorded sanction for an annual maintenance grant of Rs.130/- to the Sarasvatodyotini Samskrita Pathasala
1910 University of Madras recognized Sarasvatodyotini Pathasala as a model Samkrita Pathasala.
11.06.1911 The model Samdkrita Pathasa was transformed into Mahapathasala by name Central Sanskrit College, Pattambi. The function was inaugurated by Vidyanidhi Krishnamacharyar
1911 The College had 12 teachers on the staff
June,1912 First Annual Day Celebration s of the College.
1913 Publication of the 2nd edition of the Sanskrit letters of Ettan Tampuran with more letters.
1915 The first batch of 5 students appeared for the Sanskrit Vidwan examination under the University of Madras all of which passed.
1915 A.R.Rajarajavarma inaugurated the Annual Day Celebrations
1917 42 non-caste Hindu students from the south joined the College
1918 Kuttikrishna Marar passed out as the first Sahityasiromani of the institution.
1922 Introduction of Malayalam vidwan course in the college
1926-27 The College Library had 770 books
1927 Mahakavi Ullur presided over the Annual Day Celebrations
Dec, 6th to13th, 1929 First six-day-long Raghuvamsa Prabhashana
Jan 16th to 23rd 1930 2nd six-day-long Raghuvamsaprabhashana at Ernakulam Thiruvananthapuram
1932 Briant, the then Malabar Collector inaugurated the Annual Day Celebrations
1933 Nampi appointed as a member of the commission to submit a report on Temple entry to the Non-caste-Hindus. The other two members of the commission were Mahakavi Ullur and Subramaniam Potti.
1935 The College Library had 1500 books
14.09.1935 Nampi’s demise.

  

Works  by Nampi  :

  1. Ihapuraryastava
  2. Ghoshapuramaharajnicaritra
  3. Sailabdhiswarasataka
  4. Dipastambasataka
  5. Pattabhishekaprabandha
  6. Sringaramanjarimandana
  7. Visakhavijayollasanumodana
  8. Buddhashtaka
  9. Jyotissastrasubodhini(two parts)
  10. Prasnamargavyakhyana(for Uttarardha & Purvardha)
  11. Panchabodha(commentary)
  12. Chamalkarachintamani(commentary)
  13. Aasauchadeepika (commentary)
  14. Commentary for Mahishamangalabhana
  15. Commentary for Sreekrishnavilasa (for the first four cantos)
  16. Raghuvamsaprabhashana
  17. Several articles in Sanskrit and Malayalam and Slokas
  18. Publication of Vijnanachintamani for 28 years & 2 months

 

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