Skanda Dia Foundation was founded in 2025 at Pranavagiri, in the village of Yellanhalli, high in the Nilgiri hills of Tamil Nadu — the same upland country where Sri Sarguru Nadha Mahamuni once gave voice to the Thiruppadattirattu. That overlap of landscape isn't incidental; it's why this work feels less like starting something new, and more like continuing something already begun.
That work began, fittingly, with a book. Our first undertaking was a complete English commentary edition of the Thiruppadattirattu, prepared with the guidance and verification of the lineage's living custodians — so that its teaching could reach readers who might otherwise never encounter it in the original Tamil.
"When Poverty Ends, Love Begins."
Skanda Dia Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to empowering communities through education, sustainable development, and holistic wellbeing — rooted in compassion, innovation, and inclusivity, and reaching into education, healthcare, rural upliftment, environmental conservation, and women's empowerment.
Skill-based education activities for students and young people, including a goal-setting journal we distribute directly into schools.
Helping entrepreneurs grow, and building our own community ventures — starting with Dia, a grocery brand launching in the Nilgiris.
Preserving the Tamil Siddhar teaching of Sri Sarguru Nadha Mahamuni, and keeping the sung tradition of Thiruppugazh alive through weekly satsang.
The Foundation's oldest work — and the one with the deepest roots — is the Enlightenment pillar. Here's how it operates day to day:
Safeguard Sri Sarguru Nadha Mahamuni's verses, and the doctrinal, yogic, and devotional meaning layered inside them, for the generations who come after us.
Prepare commentary, verse by verse, that opens that layered meaning to any sincere reader, whatever their background.
Keep the sung tradition alive through weekly Thiruppugazh chanting, carried both in person and online.
Turn spiritual practice outward, into practical service for the community around Pranavagiri.
The Thiruppadattirattu is the sacred utterance of Sri Sarguru Nadha Mahamuni, received and preserved through the twentieth century by the Sri Sarguru Sarva Samarasa Sangam at Gandhi Nagar, Coonoor. Its teaching flows through Tirumūlar, Maṇikkavāsakar, Vallalār, and the wider Tamil Siddhar canon — one river with many named tributaries, of which this Foundation's work is one small, deliberate contribution.
B Manihatty, The Nilgiris
Holds the lineage of Sri Sarguru Nadha Mahamuni in its Nilgiri home, and reviewed and verified the Tamil source-text behind the Foundation's publications.
Sai Nivas Seva Trust, Iyadiyar Palayam, Coimbatore
Brought pastoral guidance and comparative scholarly insight that shaped both the doctrinal and devotional voice of the Foundation's commentary work.
The Foundation is guided day to day by a small committee:
| Office | Name | Place |
|---|---|---|
| President | Mr K Yeswanth | Yellanhalli, The Nilgiris |
| Secretary | Mr B Karthikeyan | — |
| Treasurer | Mrs B Saraswathi | — |