PM Visits Andhra Temple With Ramayana Connect, Two Famous Kerala Temples On His Itinerary | Their History Explained

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a trip to Andhra Pradesh where he visited the Veerbhadra Temple on Tuesday. PM Modi will also be visiting Kerala, where he will pray at two major temples in Thrissur district.

The Prime Minister’s spiritual journey in the Southern states comes just days ahead of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

In Kerala, the prime minister will visit Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple and Triprayar Sree Rama Swami Temple on Wednesday.

Here is all you need to know about why these three temples hold significance ahead of the historic ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony:

Veerbhadra Temple

The Veerbhadra Temple in Lepakshi in Anantapur district was built by two brothers, chieftains Virupanna and Veeranna, who were devotees of Lord Veerabhadra between 1530 and 1545. It is set on a five-acre squat granite hill that’s shaped like a tortoise also called Kurmasaila (Tortoise Hill).

The Sri Veerabhadra Swamy temple, also known as the Lepakshi temple is dedicated to Veerabhadra, an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

The temple holds significance in Hindu epic Ramayana as it is believed that the bird Jatayu, the giant eagle, followed Goddess Sita after she was abducted by Ravan. The dying Jatayu, after conveying the information about Goddess Sita’s captivity, fell here and when Rama reached the spot, he saw the bird and granted it ‘Moksha’.

The temple has idols of Nandi, Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh and Bhadrakali and has typical Vijayanagara architectural style, which is very evident all over the temple with its inspiring sculptures and detailed paintings on walls and ceiling.

Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple

Guruvayur Temple, also known as the Dwarka of the South, is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is one of the most famous religious spots in Kerala. The centuries-old shrine, where Lord Vishnu is worshipped as Krishna, attracts thousands of people from across the country and is also among the most-visited temples in Kerala.

PM Modi on Wednesday morning will travel to Guruvayur, where he will offer prayers at the famous Lord Krishna temple.

The temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the young form of Lord Krishna, has several legends attached to it. According to a famous legend, Lord Krishna set his charioteer, Udhava, to save Vishnu idol from being worshipped by him in Dwaraka.

Udhava seeked the help of Lord Vayu and took the statue away from Kerala and installed it at Guruvayur. Since then, the place is known as ‘Guru-Vayu-ur’, according to The Times of India report.

Triprayar Sree Rama Swami Temple

PM Modi will also offer prayers at Triprayar Sree Rama Swami Temple in Thrissur district on Wednesday.

Triprayar Temple is dedicated to Lord Ram and is situated in Triprayar, Thrissur. The idol of Lord Rama resembles chaturbhuja Vishnu having four arms holding a conch, a disc, a garland, and a bow.

As per legends, the deity of Lord Rama was worshipped in Dwaraka by Lord Krishna. When Lord Krishna left his mortal body, this deity of Lord Rama was submerged in the sea and was later found by some fishermen near Chettuva region in Kerala.

The idol was installed in the temple constructed by Vakkayil Kaimal, who was the local ruler at that time.

Triprayar Sree Rama Temple is filled with wood carvings and the sanctum is circular in shape with conical covered copper roof with a crown of golden Thazhikakkudam. The temple walls are decorated with mural paintings and sculptural representation of scenes from the Ramayana, according to Kerala Tourism website.