Annamayya to Annamacharya - His Guru

Ghana Vishnu was a devotee of Lord Venkateswara. He was a Vaishnavite and was living in Tirumala. One day Lord Venkateswara appeared in his dream and told him about a dark complexioned boy named Annamayya who can be found singing His glory. Lord Venkateswara instructed Ghana Vishnu to take the boy into the fold of Vaishnavism. To help with the ritual, He gave him the metal marks ofShanka and Chakra. Ghana Vishnu found Annamayya at the Yaga Sala just the way the Lord had described; Annamayya was completely immersed in singing a composition on Lord Venkateswara. Ghana Vishnu approached Annamayya and told him about the dream he had. Annamayya happily agreed to convert. There were no second thoughts. The ritual of conversion was conducted and from the time of that conversion Annamayya came to be known as Annamacharya. His entire lineage since then retained Vaishnavism as their form of life and philosophy.