The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli and the Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram are among the two prominent places of worship Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit in Tamil Nadu on January 20 and 21.
The PM’s visit to these temples comes ahead of the Ram Temple ‘Pran Pratishtha’ (consecration) ceremony in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya on January 22 which will be attended by him and a host of other dignitaries.
On January 20, Prime Minister Modi will participate in a programme at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli at around 11am. Thereafter, he will reach Rameswaram at around 2pm and perform ‘darshan’ and ‘pooja’ in Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
Located in Srirangam, Trichy, the temple is one of the most ancient temple complexes in the country and finds mention in various ancient texts, including the Puranas and the Sangam era texts. It is famous for its architectural grandeur and its numerous iconic gopurams.
The main deity worshipped at the temple is Sri Ranganatha Swamy, a reclining form of Bhagwaan Vishnu. Vaishnava scriptures mention the connection between the idol worshipped in this temple and Ayodhya.
It is believed that the image of Vishnu which used to be worshipped by Sri Ram and his ancestors was given by him to Vibhishana to take it to Lanka. On the way, this idol was fixed in Srirangam.
Sri Ramanujacharya, the great philosopher and saint, is also deeply associated with this temple’s history. Moreover, there are various important places in this temple – for example, the famous Kamba Ramayanam was first presented publicly by the Tamil poet Kamban in a particular place in this complex.
At the Ranganathaswamy Temple, the PM will also listen to various scholars reciting verses from the Kamba Ramayanam.
Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameshwaram
The main deity worshipped at the temple is Sri Ramanathaswamy, a form of Bhagwan Shiva. It is a widely held belief that the main lingam in this temple was installed and worshipped by Lord Ram and Sita. The temple contains one of the longest temple corridors, which is also famous for its beautiful architecture. It is one among the Char Dhams – Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameshwaram. It is also one among the 12 Jyotirlingas.
Here too, the Prime Minister will participate in Bhajan Sandhya, where multiple devotional songs would be sung at the temple complex in the evening.
Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi
On January 21, PM Modi will perform ‘darshan and pooja’ at Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi. He will also visit Arichal Munai, which is said to be the place from where the Ram Setu was built.
This temple is dedicated to Sri Kothandarama Swamy. The name Kothandarama, means Lord Ram with the bow. It is said that this is where Vibhishana first met Lord Ram and sought refuge. Some legends also say that this is the place where Lord Ram conducted the coronation of Vibhishana.
Comments
0 comment