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Published: December 29th 2019
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, SrirangamI am staying at Tanjore. Today wanted to visit temples of Trichi. Tanjore to Trichi driving distance by road is 58 Km and expected to take around one and quarter hours.
I started my travel today from Tanjore new bus stand at 8 am. Got down at Palpannai by 9.15 am before reaching Trichi bus stand.I got a connection bus to Chatram bus stand Trichi within no time. Reached Chatram bus stand in 10 minutes. In 5 minutes I got a bus to Srirangam and Island in Kavery. This island is formed by the bifurcation of the river Kollidam and the Cauvery. The mainland and the Island is connected by a long bridge. You don't get a feeling that Srirangam is an Island. There was a huge queue for the darshan of the Ranganatha Swamy temple. I paid Rs 250 for a prioritized queue ticket. Still, that queue was also long with some waiting time. You can book AC Double Bedroom ar Rs.750 with Yatri Nivas online. Please visit the official website as below for further details
Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam (https://srirangam.org/)
This is a Vishnu/Perumal Kovil, so only Tulsi/Holy Basil is
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam given by Poojaris
The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple or Thiruvarangam is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha, a reclining form of the Hindu deity Maha Vishnu, located in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. Constructed in the Dravidian Architecture, this temple is glorified by Alvars in their Divya Prabhanda and has the unique distinction of being not only being the foremost among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu.
it is also the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world. It is one of the most illustrious Vaishnava temples in South India rich in legend and history. The temple has played an important role in Vaishnavism history starting with the 11th-century career of Ramanuja and his predecessors Nathamuni and Yamunacharya in Srirangam. Its location, on an island between the Kollidam and Kaveri rivers, has rendered it vulnerable to flooding as well as the rampaging of invading armies which repeatedly commandeered the site for military encampment. The temple was looted and destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate armies in a broad plunder raid on various cities of the Pandyan kingdom in the early 14th century. The temple was rebuilt in the late 14th century, the site fortified and expanded with many
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam more gopurams in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was one of the hubs of the early Bhakti movement with a devotional singing and dance tradition, but this tradition stopped during the 14th century and was revived in a limited way much later.
The temple occupies an area of 155 acres with 81 shrines, 21 towers, 39 pavilions, and many water tanks integrated into the complex making it the world's largest functioning Hindu temple. The temple town is a significant archaeological and epigraphical site, providing a historic window into the early and mid medieval South Indian society and culture. Numerous inscriptions suggest that this Hindu temple served not only as a spiritual center, but also a major economic and charitable institution that operated education and hospital facilities, ran a free kitchen, and financed regional infrastructure projects from the gifts and donations it received.
The Srirangam temple is the largest temple compound in India and one of the largest religious complexes in the world. Some of these structures have been renovated, expanded and rebuilt over the centuries as a living temple. The latest addition is the outer tower that is 220 ft tall, completed in 1987. Srirangam temple is
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam often listed as one of the largest functioning Hindu temples in the world, the still larger Angkor Wat being the largest existing temple. The temple is an active Hindu house of worship and follows the Thenkalai tradition of Sri Vaishnavism. The annual 21-day festival conducted during the Tamil month of Margazhi (December–January) attracts 1 million visitors. The temple complex has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is in UNESCO's tentative list.
A temple at Srirangam is mentioned in Tamil literature of the Sangam era (6th century BC to the 4th century AD), including the epic Silapadikaram
Beyond the ancient textual history, archaeological evidence such as inscriptions refer to this temple, but these stone inscriptions are from late 1st millennium AD. The inscriptions in the temple belong to the Chola, Pandya, Hoysala, and Vijayanagar dynasties who ruled over the region. These inscriptions range in date between the 9th and 16th centuries.
During the period of invasion and plunder by the Ala ud Din Khilji's Muslim general Malik Kafur and his Delhi Sultanate forces in 1311, the Arabic texts of the period state that he raided a "golden temple" on river "Kanobari" (Kaveri), destroyed the temple
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam and took the plunder with the golden icon of the deity to Delhi. According to Steven P. Hopkins, this is believed to be the Ranganathaswamy Temple.
The Tamil texts that followed offer various inconsistent legends on how the temple regained the Vishnu icon. According to one found in Koil Oluku, a young girl had vowed to fast till she had seen the icon. She followed the Muslim army as it returned with the loot back to Delhi. There she sneaked into the palace and saw that the Sultan's daughter had fallen in love with the image. The young girl returned to Srirangam and told the priests about what she had seen in Delhi. The priests went with musicians to Delhi, found the icon in capriciously playful possession of the Sultan's daughter, day and night. They sang and danced before the Sultan to return the icon, and he gave it back which upset his daughter. To console the daughter, the Sultan sent in his army again to bring it back, but this time they were not successful. According to other versions, the Muslim daughter followed the icon from Delhi to Srirangam on a horse, symbolizing that love brought back the
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam icon after the war had taken it away.
Beyond these legends, there was a more severe second invasion of South India including Srirangam in 1323 AD. The sanctum's Vishnu image with its jewelry was pre-emptively removed by the Hindus before the Delhi Sultanate troops reached Srirangam by a group led by the Vaishnavite Acharaya Pillai Lokacharyar to Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. The Goddess Ranganayaki (Lakshmi) was also taken away to another location by a separate group. The temple was defended and according to the Tamil tradition some 13,000 Sri Vaishnavas devotees of Srirangam, died in the fierce battle.
After nearly six decades when Madurai Sultanate ruled after the Chola rulers were ousted after the repeated Delhi Sultanate's invasions, the Vijayanagara Empire ousted the Madurai Sultanate in 1378. Thereafter, the Vishnu and Lakshmi images were brought back to Srirangam by Swami Vedanta Desika. Before then, for decades the deity and the priestly wardens wandered and secretly carried the temple's icon through villages of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. They finally went to the hills of Tirumala Tirupati, where they remained until the temple was rebuilt in 1371. The icon was consecrated again according to the legends. This time, in
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam memory of the first Sultan's daughter which tradition calls Thulukha Nachiyar, a niche in the temple was built for her. The niche shows her as a girl sitting on a horse that carried her to Delhi. Her legend is still remembered. During contemporary processions when the icon is taken out of sanctum and then returned to it after its journey, Thulukha Nachiyar is dressed in Muslim garments and food offerings are made to her in the form of butter and Chappathis
Thereafter, under the Vijayanagara Empire, the temple site saw over 200 years of stability, repairs, the first round of fortifications, and the addition of mandapas. The Vishnu and Lakshmi images were reinstalled and the site became a Hindu temple again in 1371 CE under Kumara Kampana, a Vijayanagara commander and the son of Bukka I. In the last decade of the 14th century, a pillared antechamber was gifted by the Vijayanagara rulers. In the 15th century, they coated the apsidal roofs with solid-gold sheets, followed by financing the addition of a series of new shrines, mandapas, and gopuras to the temple, according to George Michell.
After the destruction of the Vijayanagara in the late 16th century, geo-political
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam instability returned. The site became the focus of bitter wars between the Hindu Nayakas and the Muslim Mughals in the 17th century. The Nayakas fortified the temple town and the seven prakaras. It was taken over by Muslim Nawabs of Arcot as a lucrative source of revenues, and thereafter attracted a contest between the French and British military powers. Srirangam temple site and the neighboring city of Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) became an intense center of Christian and Muslim missionary activity during the 18th and 19th centuries. With the establishment of the Madras Presidency within the British Empire, geo-political stability returned and the Ranganathaswamy Temple site attracted interest in archeological and historical studies.
Ucchi Pillayar Temple, Rockfort (http://www.trichyrockfort.tnhrce.in/)
There are 417 Steps to reach the temple, so it is not for light-hearted people/devotees. Please take extra care, rest enough and take your own time to climb the temple. The temple is always open
Ucchi Pillayar Temple is a 7th century Hindu temple, one dedicated to Lord Ganesha located a top of Rockfort, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India. According to legend, this rock is the place where Lord Ganesha ran from King Vibishana, after establishing the Ranganathaswamy deity in
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam Srirangam.
The Rock Fort temple stands 83m tall perched atop the rock. The smooth rock was first cut by the Pallavas but it was the Nayaks of Madurai who completed both the temples under the Vijayanagara empire.
The temple is situated at the top of the rock. The temple is mystic in its nature with an awe-inspiring rock architecture. The Ganesha temple is much smaller with an access through steep steps carved on the rock and provides a stunning view of Trichy, Srirangam and the rivers Kaveri and Kollidam. Due to its ancient and impressive architecture created by the Pallavas, the temple is maintained by the Archaeological department of India.
Vibhishana was the younger brother of the Asura King Ravana who ruled Lanka. Lord Rama in the epic of Ramayana rescues his wife Sita, who was kidnapped and held by Ravana, with the help of Sugriva and Hanuman defeated him. In this war, the moral and truth-abiding brother of Ravana, Vibishana aids Rama in his battle against his brother. Ultimately Rama wins the war and as a token of love, he gives Vibishana a Vigraham (idol for worship) of Lord Ranganatha, a form of Vishnu.
Vibhishana,
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam though he supported Rama, was basically an Asura, hence the Devas (who are arch-rivals to Asuras as per Hindu mythology) wanted to stop this idea of an Asura taking Lord's supreme form to his Kingdom. They request the help of the Remover of Obstacles and God of learning, Lord Vinayaka and the Lord accepts the plan. Vibhishana, while on his back to his Kingdom, goes through Trichi, and wanted to take his bath in the river Kaveri and do his daily rituals. However, he is perplexed as the deity, once kept in the land, can never be removed and has to be in that place forever.
As a solution, Vibishana tries to find someone to hold the deity while he was taking a bath. He finds the Lord Vinayaka under the disguise of a cowherd boy. As per the plan, when Vibishana is fully into water, Vinayaka takes the deity and keeps it firmly in the sand, in the banks of Kaveri. On seeing this, the angry Vibhishana chases the boy, to punish him, and the boy keeps running and climbs over the rock near the Kaveri bank. Vibhishana finally reaches the boy and hits him on the forehead.
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam One can see a pit in the forehead of the idol even today. The little boy then reveals himself to be Vinayaka. Vibishana immediately apologizes and the Lord gives him his blessings, reveals that the idol is destined to remain in Srirangam and sends him off to Lanka. This is similar in many regards to the story Of Lord Ganesha in Gokarna with Ravana in the same Ramayana period.
The place in which the Ranganathan deity was kept was later covered in deep forests, due to disuse and after a very long time, it was discovered when a Chola king chasing a parrot found the deity accidentally. He then established the Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam as the largest temple complex in the world. Meanwhile, the Pallavas built the Vinayaka temple and the Thayumanaswamy temple, in the rock which Vinayaka used to escape Vibishana.
Uchi Pillayar is always associated with Manicka Vinayagar at the foothills. It is a general worship practice to pray obeisance with Manicak Vinayagar before visiting Uchi Pillayar.
Samayapuram Mariamman Temple (http://www.samayapurammariammantemple.in/)
Samayapuram Mariamman Temple is a Hindu temple in Samayapuram in Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, India. The main deity, Samayapurathal or Mariamman,
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam a form of supreme mother goddess Durga or Maha Kali or Aadi Shakthi, is made of sand and clay like many of the traditional Mariamman deities is considered as most powerful Goddess, and hence unlike many other Hindu deities there are no abhishekams (sacred washing) conducted to the main deity, but instead, the "abishekam" is done to the small stone statue in front of it.
It is believed by the devotees that the Goddess has enormous powers over curing illnesses and hence, it is a ritual to buy small metallic replicas, made with silver or steel, of various body parts that need to be cured, and these are deposited in the donation box.
Devotees also offer mavilakku, ( a sweet dish made of jaggery, rice flour and ghee) Offerings of raw salt is also made to the Goddess by the rural devotees.
The temple attracts thousands of devotees on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays, the holy days for Mariamman.
Samayapuram is the second most wealthy (in terms of cash flows) temple in Tamil Nadu after Palani. The history of the temple is unclear. In the early 18th century, King Vijayaraya Chakkaravarthi built the present-day form of the
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam temple. There is a scant history of the period before that though it is believed that the locals worship the Goddess for many centuries before building the current temple. One legend says that the present deity was at the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam, and one of the chief priests of the temple believed that the idol caused him illness and hence asked it to be removed from the temple. It is a common belief in that part of the region that such local Gods have immense powers and they must always be satisfied by proper offerings and sacrifices. The idol was moved outside Srirangam and later found by some of the passersby who built a temple named the Kannanur Mariamman temple.
During that period (around the 17th century AD), Trichi was ruled by the Vijayanagar kings and the area was used as an army base. It is believed that they made a commitment to build the temple if they win the war and after attaining success they built a shrine for the Goddess. Originally it was under the management of the Thiruvanaikaval temple, a popular one in the region. Later, the control was split and currently, Samayapuram is under
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam an independent trust monitored by the Government of Tamil Nadu, which also monitors the annadanam distribution (an act of offering food to the devotees).
The new urchavar panchaloga idol was donated to the temple in the year 1991
Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval (http://www.thiruvanaikavaltemple.tnhrce.in/)
Actually, this temple is very near to Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam. But as soon as I prayed at Ranganatha Swamy temple, I wanted to go to Rock fort -Ucchi Pillayar Temple
From Samayapuram took a bus to Chatram bus stand, after 15 minutes, before 3 km to Chatram bus stand got down Thiruvanaikaval. From bus stop Jumbukeswar temple is not far.
Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval is a famous Shiva temple in Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) district, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The temple was built by Kocengannan (Kochenga Chola), one of the Early Cholas, around 1,800 years ago. It is located in the Srirangam island, which has the famous Ranganathaswamy temple.
Thiruvanaikal is one of the five major Shiva Temples of Tamil Nadu
(Pancha Bhoota Stalam) representing the Mahābhūta or five great elements; this temple represents the element of
WATER or neer in Tamil.
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam and in spite of pumping water out, it is always filled with water.
It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where all the four most revered Nayanars (Saivite Saints) have sung glories of the deity in this temple. The temple has inscriptions from the Chola period.
Legend Once Parvati mocked Shiva's penance for the betterment of the world. Shiva wanted to condemn her act and directed her to go to the earth from Kailasam (Shiva's abode) to do penance. Parvathi in the form of Akilandeswari as per Shiva's wish found Jambu forest (Thiruvanaikoil) to conduct her penance. She made a lingam out of water of river Cauvery (also called as river Ponni) under the Venn Naaval tree (the Venn Naaval tree on top of the saint Jambu) and commenced her worship. The lingam is known as Appu Lingam (Water Lingam). Siva, at last, gave darshan to Akilandeswari and taught her Siva Gnana. Akilandeswari took Upadesa (lessons) facing East from Shiva, who stood facing west
There were two Siva Ganas (Siva's disciples who live in Kailash): 'Malyavan' and 'Pushpadanta'. Though they are Siva Ganas they always quarrel with each other and fight for one thing
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam or another. In one fight 'Malyavan' cursed 'Pushpadanta' to become an elephant on earth and the latter cursed the former to become a spider on earth. The elephant and the spider came to Jambukeswaram and continued their Siva worship. The elephant collected water from river Cauvery and conducted ablution to the lingam under the Jambu tree (Eugenia jambolana, the rose-apple tree) daily. The spider constructed his web over the lingam to prevent dry leaves from dropping on it and prevent sunlight directly falling on it. When the elephant saw the web and thought it was dust on the lingam. The elephant tore them and cleaned the lingam by pouring water and the practice continued daily. The spider became angry one day and crawled into the trunk of the elephant and bit the elephant to death, killing itself. Siva, in the form of Jambukeswara, moved by the deep devotion of the two, relieved them from the curse. As an elephant worshipped Siva here, this place came to be known as Thiru Aanai Kaa (thiru means holy, aanai is elephant, kaa (kaadu) means forest). Later the name 'Thiruaanaikaa' becomes 'Thiruvanaikaval' and 'Thiruvanaikoil'.
As an outcome of having committed a sin by
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam killing the elephant, in the next birth, the spider was born as the King Kochengot Chola (kotchengannan cholan meaning red-eyed king) and built 70 temples and this temple is the one among them. The account of the Chola building seventy temples along with this temple is mentioned in Nalayira Divya Prabandham. Remembering his enmity with the elephant in his previous birth, he built the Siva Sannathi (Sanctorum) such that not even a small elephant can enter. The entrance on the Sanctorum of Jambukeswara is only 4 feet high and 2.5 foot wide.
Goddess Akilandeshwari's shrine (Within Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval) The temple's idols are installed opposite to each other - Such temples are known as Upadesa Sthalams. As the Devi was like a student and Jambukeswara like a Guru (teacher) in this temple, there is no Thiru Kalyanam (marriage) conducted in this temple for Shiva and Parvathi, unlike the other Shiva temples. The sannathy of the goddess Akilandeshwari and the sannathy of Prasanna Vinayaka are in the shape of the Pranava mantra called "Om". It is believed that the Amman in the temple was in deep anger hence during one of Adi Sankara's visits he installed the Prasanna Ganapathy
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam idol right opposite to her Sannathy and installed a pair of Sri Chakra thaatankas (ear-rings) to reduce her anger.
The sculpture of Ekapada Trimurti, an aspect of Shiva with the deities Vishnu and Brahma emerging from it, is present in the temple, which can be seen only in Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvottiyur.
There are lot of inscriptions from various Chola kings from 11th - 12th century indicating grants to the temple. The temple was widely expanded by Hoysala king, Someswara, the son of Vira Narasimha. During 1236-37 CE, he built a lot of shrines namely Vallaliswara, Padumalisvara, Vira Narasingeswara and Somleswara evidently named after his grandfather Ballalla II, grandmother Padmaladevei, father Vira Narasimha and aunt Somala Devi. The 7-tiered rajagopuram is also believed to have constructed by the Hoysala king. There are separate shrines beyond the temple compound namely Aadhi having a typical structure as the main shrines. The temple and its pagodas were subject to frequent conquest between French and English forces between 1751 and 1755 CE. The temple is being widely maintained by Vellalars and the Nattukottai Chettiars during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
There was a story behind the king's red eyes - When
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam he was in his mother's womb the palace astrologer predicted a sacred time to give birth to enable the newborn's well being. The queen went into labor early, before the time predicted by the astrologer. The queen hence told the servant to hang her upside down for the time to come so that she could have a wise and virtuous son who could head the kingdom righteously. This waiting time inside the womb made the baby's eyes red. After becoming the king, he built the temple for Siva and Goddess Akilandeswari in the name of Aanaikka (elephant protected) later days it changed to Thiruvanaikovil
Erumbeeswarar Temple Returned to Chatram bus stand from Srirangam island. Got the bus goes via BHEL Trichi. This bus goes to Tuthukudi. Got down at T Nagar near to Tiramboor, Malakkil. 40 minutes bus ride.
Erumbeeswarar Temple in Thiruverumbur, Tamil Nadu, India, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva. Built on a 60-foot tall hill, it is accessible via a flight of steps. The temple's main shrines and its two prakarams (outer courtyards) are on top of the hill, while a hall and the temple tank are located at the foothills.
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam Shiva is believed to have transformed himself into an ant hill and tilted his head at this place to enable ants to climb up and worship him. Erumbeeswarar is revered in the canonical 7th-century Tamil Saiva work the Tevaram, written by Tamil saint poets known as nayanmars and classified as Paadal Petra Sthalam.
The temple is one in a series built by Aditya Chola (871-907 CE) along the banks of river Cauvery, to commemorate his victory in the Tirupurambiyam Battle. It has several inscriptions from the Chola Empire dating back to the 10th century. The temple has been declared a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India and is locally referred to as "Kailash of South India". The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 am to 8:00 pm, and three yearly festivals in its calendar. The annual Brahmotsavam (prime festival) is attended by thousands of devotees from far and near. Every full moon, tens of thousands of pilgrims worship Erumbeeswarar by circumambulating the hill barefoot in a practice called girivalam. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Etymology
According to
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam Hindu legend, there lived a demon (asura) Tharukasuran, who conquered Prithvi (earth) and Svarga (heaven). Indra, the leader of celestial deities and other gods suffered at the hands of Tharukasuran and sought the help of the creator-god Brahma, who asked them to worship Shiva in Thiruverumbur. In order to deceive Tharukasuran, the devas transformed into ants and reached the temple. Since the surface of the lingam (aniconic form of Shiva) was slippery, the ants found it difficult to climb up and worship. Shiva transformed himself into an ant hill and slid his head, which enabled the ants to climb and worship. Hence the name Erumbeeswarar is derived from Erumbu meaning ant and Easwaran referring to Shiva. This is one of the three places where Shiva slid his head for his worshippers, the other two being the temples at Virinjipuram and Thiruppanandal. The temple is also referred as Rathinakoodam, Thirverumbipuram, Erumbeesam, Brahmapuram, Laskhmipuram, Madhuvanam, Rathnakoodapuram, Manikoodapuram and Kumarapuram in various religious literature.The temple is locally called as Kailash (the abode of Shiva) of South India.
History
Erumbeeswarar temple in its current form was built by the Chola king Aditya I (871-907 CE). Aditya won a battle in Tirupurambiyam and
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam to commemorate the victory, he built a series of temples along the banks of the river Cauvery. The temple has 49 inscriptions from the Chola period (850-1280 CE). The inscriptions numbered 101, 104, 105, 127, 130 and 133 of 1914 are believed to be inscribed during the 5th to 7th year of the reign of Aditya and hence believed to be between 882 and 885 AD. Another set of inscriptions from the Sundara Chola (957-970 CE) period indicate gift of land to maintain four signs of Tirupadigam. One another inscription indicates the donation of ten kalanchu (a measure) of gold to the deity by a temple woman in the year 875 AD. A king by name Siruthavur Sembian Veithi Velan from Kiliyurnadu is believed to have constructed the vimana (structure over the sanctum). The temple was the only temple that Malik Kafur (1296-1316 CE) could not conquer in 1311 AD, during his South Indian expedition. The temple is a declared monument of the Archaeological Survey of India on account of the inscriptions in the temple. During the war between British and French during 1752, the temple acted as an infantry for the French troops. In modern times, the temple is
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Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
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