History knows Sir Thomas Munro (1761 -1827) as a Scottish soldier and a colonial administrator who had taken part in the Mysore and Maratha war. He was also the Collector of Bellary in the year 1800 during which time he was deputed by the Government of the Madras Presidency to proceed to Mantralayam to collect the income procured by the mutt as the local officials did not comply with the earlier orders.

When Monroe entered the mutt premises after leaving his footwear outside, he and others were in for a shock. He was received by none other than Saint Raghavendra Himself, who emerged from his Brindavan.

The Saint told Monroe that they both were classmates when Sri Raghavendra had incarnated as Bhakta Prahalada and then blessed the soldier with the ‘mantrakshatha’.

Munro got back to his duty and then sent an order in favour of the mutt that is still being preserved in Mantralayam and at Fort. St. George, Chennai.

It is interesting to learn that it was the same Thomas Monroe who was in charge of the Bara Mahal region after it was acquired from Tipu Sultan. A Maharashtrian Brahmin, Govinda Rao, helped Monroe and his officials in understanding the principles of land survey and revenue distribution that was later applied throughout the Madras Presidency when Monroe was the Governor (1820-27).

Even after that Govinda Rao continued his exemplary work for the Madras Government and at Thanjavur that earned him laurels from his superiors. Govinda Rao was granted the Myleripalayam Jagir in Coimbatore in the year 1829 in recognition for his work.

Pleased with his work, Monroe too gifted a fruit garden at Raja Street to Govinda Rao. The garden, located near the Theppakulam and the Ananthaiyan Kinaru, had orange and date trees. It also had trees that had umbrella palm leaves with which they make umbrellas in Kerala.

Govinda Rao later constructed a temple for Lord Hanuman in the garden where there is a Brindavan for Swami Raghavendra too.!