Following his weekend visit to historically important temples in Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured that South India had ample symbolic representation at the Ram temple ‘Pran Pratisthan’ (consecration ceremony) in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh on Monday.
The Prime Minister handed over a wicker basket filled with wearable items for the idols to the Ayodhya Ram temple on behalf of the presiding deity at the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu. This basket was presented to the PM to take to Ayodhya during his visit to Tamil Nadu on January 20. During the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony on Monday, PM Modi presented a basket to the priests at the Ayodhya temple.
During his visit to Tamil Nadu, the PM visited and worshiped at Sri Ranganathaswamy and Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy temples in Srirangam and Rameshwaram respectively. He also visited the Sri Kothandaramaswamy temple, which is on the way to Dhanushkodi and Arichal Munai, which is said to be the place from where the Rama Setu was built.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple also has a deep connection with Lord Rama. The deity worshiped at Srirangam is Sri Ranganathaswamy, a form of Lord Vishnu. Legend has it that the idol worshiped in the temple is the same one that Lord Rama and his ancestors once prayed to. The scriptures say that it was given by Lord Brahma to the ancestors of Lord Rama.
It is said in some religious texts that when Vibhishana asked for a priceless gift from Lord Rama, he gave this idol to Vibhishana and asked him to worship it. The idol was installed in Srirangam when Vibhishana was traveling to Lanka.
Prime Minister’s visit to Ranganathaswamy Temple
During his visit to this ancient temple in Tamil Nadu on Saturday, PM ModiVeshti‘(dhoti) and one angavastram (a shawl) and prayed with folded hands in the temple of Lord Vishnu. He took blessings by feeding the temple elephant.
Modi prayed to Sri Ranganathaswamy and ‘got his blessings’Sadri‘ (crown, symbolizing the blessings of Lord Vishnu) by the temple priests. PM prayed at many placesSanadhis‘ (separate enclosures for the deities), including those dedicated to the Vaishnava saint-guru Sri Ramanjucharya and Sri Chakrathazvar.
The presiding deity is known as Ranganathar in Tamil. Srirangam Temple is an ancient Vaishnava temple in Tamil Nadu and dates back to the Sangam era and was built and expanded by various dynasties over the ages.
The early and later Chola, Pandya, Hoysala and Vijayanagara empires have all contributed to the construction of grand temples.
The temple is also known as ‘Bolooga Vaikuntham’ or ‘Vaikuntham on Earth’. Vaikuntam is the eternal abode of Lord Vishnu.
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