P.R. Subramanian Iyer

P.R. Subramanian Iyer, known to friends as Mani and often identified as P.R.S. Mani, worked as a photographer for a movie studio in Tamil Nadu. He married the daughter of Ganapati Muni and died at 33. I think (but I’m not sure) that he is the man in the lower left corner of the photo above, wearing glasses, sitting behind the two children.

The same man seems to be on the right side in the following photo (ashram catalog number gro_06), and he may have photographic equipment slung on straps over his shoulders.

Edit: No, I was wrong. According to V. Ganesan in Ramana Periya Puranam (p. 298) the man in the next photo is T.P. Ramachandra Iyer.

Here are some of his photos. The first two below are sometimes called the “Mani Busts.”

Notes about the photo at the top of the page from Saranagati, June 2015:

GRO 65 (from P.R. Subramanian) dates to 1st June,1935: 1st Row, Sitting (left to right): 1. Ramani; 2. Gomati; 3. (Immediately behind children): P.R. Subramanian; 4. Niranjananda Swami; 5. Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi; 6. Vishwanatha Swami; 7. Venkataraman, son of Manamadurai Sundaram Iyer; 8. (Undentified); 9. Seramban Venkittu; 2nd Row, Standing (left to right): 1. Vakil Sundaram Iyer; T.N. Venkataram carrying V. S. Ramanan; 3. (Young boy – not identified); 4. Chellam Iyer; 5. Pitchu Iyer, husband of Alamelu Ammal (sister of Bhagavan); 6. Vaidyanathan; 7. Easwaran; 8. Sholavandan Swami Iyer; 9. P.R. Nagasundaram Iyer, Kandanur Rajulu Iyer; 3rd Row, Standing, (left to right): 1. Anandam; 2. (Behind Chellam Iyer) Lakshmi; 3. Annammal; 4. Lakshmi; 5. Athai (Alamelu Ammal) sister of Bhagavan; 6; Lakshmi Ammal sister of Nagalakshmi Ammal; 7.Angachi Ammal; 8.Nagalakshmi Ammal.

Further reading

P.R.S. Mani on Ekalokam Trust’s site

Article about the Sri Ramanasramam photo archive

Article about Modern Theaters Ltd., P.R.S. Mani’s employer

One thought to “P.R. Subramanian Iyer”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *