Ramalinga Swamigal

Thiruvarutprakasa Vallalār Chidambaram Ramalingam (5 October 1823 – 30 January 1874), also known as Vallalār, Ramalinga Swamigal and Ramalinga Adigal, was a Tamil saint who preached the philosophy of Jeevakarunyam. Some aspects of these encompassed feed the hungry and also seeing the existence of God in all things, living or non-living. He is a renowned thinker of the 19th century who teaches deathlessness. He belongs to a line of Tamil saints who speaks about Siddhi meaning getting merged with the supreme God known as Arulperumjothi gnana siddhars" (gnana means 'higher wisdom').

Ramalinga ventured to eliminate the caste system in India. To that end, he founded a group known as Samarasa Suddha Sanmarga Sathiya Sangam, which spread not only due to his theoretical teachings also due to his practiced lifestyle, which was an inspiration for his followers. According to Suddha Sanmarga, the prime aspects of human life should be love connected with charity and divine practice leading to achievement of pure knowledge.

Ramalinga espoused the veneration of the radiant flame emanating from a lit lamp, not as a deity unto itself, but rather as a symbol representing the enduring omnipotence of the Divine, as opposed to the adoration of statues within a monotheistic framework.