Swami Premananda - Life story

Swami Premananda > Life story > My youth 1/4

Swamiji in his birth place - Matale - with his mother and father

MY YOUTH

MY FAMILY BACKGROUND

My grandfather, who was called Sivasami Malavarayer, and grandmother, Seerangam, on my father's side, were born and lived in Balathamangalam in the Papanasam District of Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu in the heart of South India. My father, Somasundaram Malavarayer, was also born and brought up there. In 1924, when he was a young man, he went to Sri Lanka for business matters. He decided to stay there and he settled in Vathumoolai in the Teltheni district of Sri Lanka. He started a successful business which did well.

My grandfather on my mother's side was born in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. He was called Pakirisamy Elamudayar. He also went to Sri Lanka to do business and settled there in Matale. Matale is situated in the central mountain region of Sri Lanka. It is surrounded by a natural hill-country environment with rivers and pure springs. It is famous for its wonderful spices and its powerful temple to Mariyamma, the Divine Mother. My grandmother, Thaiyal Muthammal, was born in Changilibai in Jaffna District in northern Sri Lanka and later moved to Matale. She and Pakirisamy had one daughter, Pushpakanthi, and two sons, Mayilvaganam and Ponnuthurai. Pushpakanthi married Somasundaram in Mandandawela in the Matale District. They had four sons and three daughters. I was their third child.