When I was going through the book "Theivaththin Kural" I got an interesting info,
In the period of Rajendra Chazhan, Srimath Ramanuja started a propaganda that all the poojas has to be given to Vishnu only and not to the Shiva and other gods.
Siva sarana sekaran Raajendran got wild and organised a sathas meeting at Gangai Konda Chozhapuram.
A disciple of Sri.Ramanuja called Kooraththazhval reached the sathas in the costume of Sri.Ramanuja [ as photography and media was not there at the time no one would've doubted him ]
Finally, he got a punishment from H.H.Rajendran that his eyes should be impaird [ I think they would had some kind of technique that, only to impare the eyes and not to cause death. Because piercing may cause death. ]. I think he would've been reduced the punishment from sentence to death.
It shows the high emotional status of our elders of that era. Sri.Ramanujar, Kooraththazhvar and H.H.Rajendra Chozhan all are lived with high emotions.
Ref: pg.65-66 of Vol.3 of Theivaththin Kural,Vanathi Pathippagam.
Why high emotions in that age? I think tamilians are one of the most emotional people around. Even in these days, we always find something or someone to feel emotional about don't we? I don't think the basic nature of people has changed all that much in the intervening 1000 odd years.
I would rather say 'No' they are not emotional people. To the issue that they face with other Indian communities and neibhouring states. They still keep quite in most of the cases.
It continues further that, as per the request of kooraththazhvar Srimath. Ramanuja wore white veshti and moved out of Chozhadesam and moved to a place called Malekoottai @ Thirunarayanapuram of Karnataka.
Still there a celebration is conducted in the name of "Vellai Saththuppadi" for Sri.Ramanujar.
as per the words of Maha Periyava.
Pg. 66-67 of the same book.
Regards.
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Sri Ramanuja Acharya (lived upto 1137 AD)
so great a man in the company of the cholas.
well the disciple and the guru had a change of dress ramanuja usually wore ochre and the disciple white.
so on one particular day in the year in all temples ramanuja idols are given a costume change to white ( perhaps in tribute to the poor disciple)
the exception is madurathakam eri katha ramar where he wears white thro out the year