Leelawathy Ramanathan

Leelawathy Ramanathan (née R. L. Harrison in 1870) was the Australia-born wife of Ponnambalam Ramanathan.Lady Ramanathan was an Englishwoman who was born in Australia where her father was into gold mining. All references to her maiden name record her only as R.L. Harrison. She, as a young woman, had been attracted by the Theosophical Movement in Australia and, searching for further spiritual enlightenment, arrived in Ceylon where Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan became her guru.^[1] Later she married Ramanathan who had been a widower for many years. She became a Hindu and took the name Leelavathi. After the reformed Council years, they spent much of their time in Kodaikanal where they had three houses, Ammanadi, Sivanadi, and Muruganadi . When Sir Ramanathan died in 1924, she took to wearing the white of a Hindu widow, built the Kurinji Andavar temple in her husband’s memory, overlooking the Palani shrine of Lord Muruga and the slopes that would be covered with kurinji flowers, and would worship there every afternoon.

Kurinji Andavar (Murugan) temple built by Lady Ramanathan (R.L.Harrison) of Australia^[1]

Hinduism

She studied Hindu scriptures, and converted to Hinduism upon marrying Ponnambalam Ramanathan in 1906.^[2] She wrote many Hindu books, including a version of the Ramayana in English. She also published many of Ponnambalam's lectures on Hinduism.^[3]

References