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With the preparation of the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Monday in full swing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did a yatra of the temples linked with Lord Rama, as told in the Ramayana, in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Modi’s first stop was at the Veerabhadra temple in Lapakshi in Andhra Pradesh on December 16. In Telugu, ‘Lepakshi’ means ‘Rise, oh bird.’ The town was named after Jatayu, the giant vulture-like mythical bird that fought valiantly with Lanka King Ravan after he kidnapped Sita and took her to his island on his Pushpaka Vimana.
It is believed that Jatayu was badly injured during the fight and fell at Lepakshi. It informs Lord Rama and his brother Laxman that Ravan, the demon king of Lanka, kidnapped Sita, and that they should move southwards towards the seashore to reach the island.
Thriprayar
The next day, Prime Minister Modi visited the Thriprayar Shree Ramaswami Temple on the banks of Karuvannur river in Thrissur district of Kerala. This is one of the four temples in the Nalambala Dharshan (four-temple pilgrimage), where devotees take a pilgrimage to four temples devoted to Rama, Lakshmana, Shatrughna and Bharatha during the month of Karkidakam, also known as the month of Ramayana. The temple deity, Rama, is seen with four arms bearing a conch, a discus, a bow, and a garland.
Srirangam
After inaugurating the Kehlo India Youth Games in Chennai on Friday evening, Modi left for Srirangam on Saturday morning to visit Sri Ranganatha Temple - the most important temple for worshipping Lord Vishnu. He was given a rousing welcome at the temple town as he stepped out of his vehicle to greet the large number of people gathered in the four ‘madas’ (streets) to welcome him.
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. However, when Vibhishana passed through Srirangam, the Vimanam would not move from the island. So, he gave it to a local king called Dharmavarma, who consecrated the Vimanam to face the south cardinal direction eternally, blessing him and Lanka. Hence, the deity (in a reclining posture) faces South, his body aligned to the east-west axis.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam, in Tiruchirappalli district, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI
Elaborating on the links between Srirangam and Rama, Dushyanth Sridhar, an exponent of the religious texts of Sanatana Dharma, told a TV channel that in Ramayana, there is a reference that Rama’s mother Kausalya had worshipped her family deity Lord Ranganathar - Aradaya Jaganatham, Ikshvaku-ku- Kula Deivatham - and Rama and Sita worshipped this Lord while in Ayodhya. Valmiki Ramayana says that the couple worshipped their family deity in Ayodhya, and at the end of the Pattaishagam, the family deity was handed over to Vibhishanan, and he placed it on the banks of the river Kauvery.
Sundar Bhattar, the head priest at the Ranganatha Swamy temple, said Modi’s visit to the temple was the first by any Indian prime minister.
Rameshwaram
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple to offer prayers, in Rameswaram on Saturday. | Photo Credit: ANI
Modi’s next visit was to Ramanathaswamy Temple on Rameswaram island in Tamil Nadu. Mythological accounts depict the presiding deity, the Lingam of Ramanathaswamy (Shiva) was established and worshipped by Rama, before he crossed his bridge to Sri Lanka. It is also believed that Rama prayed to Lord Shiva here to absolve any sins he might have committed during his war against Ravan in Sri Lanka.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi performs rituals while offering prayers at Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple, in Rameswaram on Saturday. | Photo Credit: ANI
Dhanushkodi
Modi’s final stop will be at Sri Kothandarama Swamy temple in Dhanushkodi, an abandoned town at the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island of Tamil Nadu, on Sunday. The name Kothandarama means Rama with the bow. It is said that this is where Vibhishana first met Sri Rama and asked him for refuge. It is also believed that Vibhishan’s coronation was held at this place.
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