1. Ponnambalam Ramanathan was the son of Gate Mudaliyar A Ponnambalam, a leading government functionary, and Sellachi Ammai.
19 Facts About Ponnambalam Ramanathan
1. 2.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan was the brother of P Coomaraswamy and P Arunachalam.
3.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan became an advocate of the Colombo bar in 1874.
4.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan was responsible for editing law reports for the previous 36 years and later served as editor of the official law reports for ten years.
5.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan stopped practising law in 1886 to concentrate on politics and his interest religious studies and philosophy.
6.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan was appointed to the Legislative Council of Ceylon in 1879 as the unofficial member representing Tamils, replacing his maternal uncle Muthu Coomaraswamy.
7.
Allan Bennett served as a tutor to the younger sons of the yogi and Ponnambalam Ramanathan went on to be Bennett's teacher in yogic practices.
8.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan wrote a book during this period, published under his Shaivite holy name of Sri Parananda and titled An Eastern Exposition of the Gospel of Jesus according to St John, in which he argued that the teachings of Christ could be understood as instructions in yoga.
9.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan contested the 1911 legislative council election as a candidate for the Educated Ceylonese seat and was elected to the Legislative Council, defeating physician Marcus Fernando.
10.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan was responsible for the release of the Sinhalese leaders who had been arrested following the 1915 Ceylonese riots, travelling to the UK to make their case.
11.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan was appointed as an unofficial member of the Legislative Council in 1921.
12.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan contested the 1924 legislative council election as a candidate for the Northern Province North seat and was re-elected to the Legislative Council.
13.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1889 Birthday Honours.
14.
In 1907 Ponnambalam Ramanathan rebuilt the Sri Ponnambala Vaneswara Temple at Sea Street in Kochchikade, founded by his father.
15.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan helped establish the Hindu Education Board in 1923 and served as its president and manager of schools.
16.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan was president of the Thiruvalluvar Maha Sabai in Madras.
17.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan was president of the Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club from 1917 to 1930.
18.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan opposed extending voting rights to the people and urged reservation of franchise only to men of the Vellalar caste.
19.
Ponnambalam Ramanathan died on 26 November 1930 at his home Sukhastan on Ward Place, Colombo.