Srirangam Temple
It is purely a co incidence and quirk of fate that i find myself at Tirumalai on our Independence day and at Srirangam on the Republic day.
The hotel we are lodged in, is right in front of the Rajagopuram which is visible from the windows and balcony.
The image of Sri ranganathar in the Central niche of the first tier of this huge and aesthetic gopuram that towers over 20 other gopurams erected in the vast complex since ancient times ,calmed my nerves frayed by the ear splitting noise and unbelievable violence indulged by both hero's and villains of Tamil films played on the late noon video bus to Srirangam from Chennai .
The calm radiated by Sri ranga was also in direct contrast to the noisy town bustling with activities in and around the temple .
Srirangam is the very place that was touched by the sacred feets of all the 12 aazhwars from 5 th cent AD onwards as also by noble column of acharyas with Ramanujar in 11 th AD down to Desikan 14 th AD and several other saints till date.
That each aazhwar has sung hymns in praise of the deity testifies to the fact of their visit and the great importance accorded to Sri ranga and the unstaunchable springing of a flood of bhakthi.As per even more ancient traditions ,the deity was personally handed over to Vibheeshan by Rama ,in his own memory at his coronation ,who refused to budge when vibeeshan placed the deity, at a stop over at this place on his return to Lanka.Since then it has been consecrated and worshipped with the lankan king extracting a promise that Sri ranga would face southwards, towards his realm.
The poetic description of Sri rangam by aazwars of the swans swimming in placid lakes and rivers with sweet chants of vedas floating in the air and the atmosphere submerged in thick layers of bhakthi came to my mind and was startled back to reality by the acrid smoke spewing from chimneys of nearby hotels that spread rapidly and lay thick and hovering, over the place.
This idyllic island did have moments of horror when Turkish invaders from north wrought death and destruction in 14 th AD when a wall was raised to hide the main deity from the marauders and the processional deity parcelled off for safe keeping at Tirumala and Sri Desikan who lost several of his friends and disciples was forced into exile in a forested area of Karnataka[ Satyakala and melkote].
Things were back to normal when the invaders withdrew after few decades and the ghastly memories overcome by reviving the temple activities as once before and it is continuing till date uninterrupted.
A very sacred and a historic place .
The Raja gopuram.
The hotel we are lodged in, is right in front of the Rajagopuram which is visible from the windows and balcony.
The image of Sri ranganathar in the Central niche of the first tier of this huge and aesthetic gopuram that towers over 20 other gopurams erected in the vast complex since ancient times ,calmed my nerves frayed by the ear splitting noise and unbelievable violence indulged by both hero's and villains of Tamil films played on the late noon video bus to Srirangam from Chennai .
The calm radiated by Sri ranga was also in direct contrast to the noisy town bustling with activities in and around the temple .
Srirangam is the very place that was touched by the sacred feets of all the 12 aazhwars from 5 th cent AD onwards as also by noble column of acharyas with Ramanujar in 11 th AD down to Desikan 14 th AD and several other saints till date.
That each aazhwar has sung hymns in praise of the deity testifies to the fact of their visit and the great importance accorded to Sri ranga and the unstaunchable springing of a flood of bhakthi.As per even more ancient traditions ,the deity was personally handed over to Vibheeshan by Rama ,in his own memory at his coronation ,who refused to budge when vibeeshan placed the deity, at a stop over at this place on his return to Lanka.Since then it has been consecrated and worshipped with the lankan king extracting a promise that Sri ranga would face southwards, towards his realm.
The poetic description of Sri rangam by aazwars of the swans swimming in placid lakes and rivers with sweet chants of vedas floating in the air and the atmosphere submerged in thick layers of bhakthi came to my mind and was startled back to reality by the acrid smoke spewing from chimneys of nearby hotels that spread rapidly and lay thick and hovering, over the place.
This idyllic island did have moments of horror when Turkish invaders from north wrought death and destruction in 14 th AD when a wall was raised to hide the main deity from the marauders and the processional deity parcelled off for safe keeping at Tirumala and Sri Desikan who lost several of his friends and disciples was forced into exile in a forested area of Karnataka[ Satyakala and melkote].
Things were back to normal when the invaders withdrew after few decades and the ghastly memories overcome by reviving the temple activities as once before and it is continuing till date uninterrupted.
A very sacred and a historic place .
Labels: pilgrimage
posted by K.C. Sujata at
8:57 PM
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