NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, JAN 19
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit multiple temples in Tamil Nadu, including Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Tiruchirappalli and Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram on Saturday and Sunday-January 20-21.
At Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, Modi will listen to scholars reciting verses from the Kamba Ramayanam on January 20 morning. He will reach Rameswaram in the afternoon and perform darshan and pooja at Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy temple, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
On January 21, Modi will visit Kothandaramaswamy temple in Dhanushkodi. The prime minister will also visit Arichal Munai which is believed to be the place from where the Ram Setu was built.
Modi has been visiting temples across the country ahead of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
On Wednesday, he visited the famous Guruvayoor Sri Krishna temple and Triprayar Sree Ramaswamy temple in Kerala’s Thrissur.
Modi will be the main “yajman” at the consecration ceremony. Typically, the yajman is the main host of a puja — the person on whose behalf the prayers are offered.
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 here 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 Rama 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.
Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameshwaram
The main deity worshipped in this temple is Sri Ramanathaswamy, which is a form of Bhagwan Shiva. It is a widely held belief that the main lingam in this temple was installed and worshipped by Sri Rama and Mata Sita. The temple contains one of the longest temple corridor, 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.
Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi
This temple is dedicated to Sri Kothandarama Swamy. The name Kothandarama, means Rama with the bow. It is located in a place called Dhanushkodi. It is said that this is where Vibhishana first met Sri Rama and asked him for refuge. Some legends also say that this is the place where Sri Rama conducted the coronation of Vibhishana.
