Sri Ranganatha - The One Who Resides in Srirangam

From time to time, India has been blessed with the presence of saints who brought in a spiritual revolution in the country, enticing people into the path of devotion with wonderful songs and prayers. 

The Alvars were a group of 12 saints who carved a niche for themselves in the spiritual world with their unsurpassable Bhakti and dedication to the Divine. One of their magnanimous works consists of 4000 verses, referred in Tamil as Naalaaiyaram Divya Prabhandham (Collection of 4000 divine verses). In these verses, they have mentioned about 108 Divya Desham (Divine abode) of Shri Maha Vishnu. Of these, 105 are in India, 1 is in Nepal and 2 of these divine abodes are believed to be outside the earthly realm.

Every week, I will be covering one Divya Desham in my blogs. In this article, we will be reading about the first Divya Desham - Srirangam.

This magnificent temple needs no introduction. Situated in Tiruchirapally (Trichy) in South India, Srirangam houses the largest temple-complex in India and is considered as one of the largest functioning Hindu temples in the world. The temple complex has been nominated as UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The temple has 21 majestic Gopurams (towers) of which the Rajagopuram (in the above picture) is the tallest temple Gopuram in Asia. The temple is situated beside the beautiful Kaveri river and its tributary Kollidam. The main deity of the temple is Shri Ranganatha reclining atop Adisesha. His consort is Devi Ranganaayaki who has a seperate shrine for Herself inside the temple. 

Legends:

Many legends are associated with this beautiful temple. It is said that Lord Rama performed puja to a reclining idol of Shri Maha Vishnu and as a token of brotherhood and love, offered it to Vibhishana to take it with him to Lanka. There was however a condition that the idol should not be placed anywhere on the ground as nobody would be able to move it once it was placed. As Vibhishana was passing by the river Kaveri, he saw an Utsavam (divine celebration) and placed the idol on the ground. Once the Utsavam got over, he tried to pick it up but he could not. Aggrieved by this, he accepted that the idol would not travel with him to Lanka. However, Sri Ranganatha granted him this blessing that His idol would always look towards Lanka, more specifically, Vibhishana. The deity of Sri Ranganatha in the Srirangam temple thus faces south, always in view of His beloved devotee Vibhishana. 

There is another legend that Lord Ganpati conspired with Maha Vishnu to stop Vibhishana from carrying the idol to Lanka and tricked him into keeping the idol on the ground beside Kaveri. When Vibhishana realised this, he sought out Lord Ganpati in anger but the Lord sought shelter atop a huge rock where, now, He has a temple for Himself named Ucchipulayar, also called as Rockfort temple. This temple is visible throughout the town of Trichy, having been placed atop a huge hill. 

Another legend states that during the Samudra Manthan, the Srirangam Vimanam emerged from the ocean and stayed in the Sathya Loka for ages until it was brought down to the earth by the ancestor Ikshvaku, the ancestor of Lord Rama. 

When the later offered it to Vibhishana, the vimanam got stuck beside the banks of the river Kaveri. Lord Vibhishana then pleaded to the reigning king of the town, named Dharmavarma, to build a temple around the idol in such a way that the idol would always face his kingdom of Lanka. 

It's a fact that the temple has been looted again and again by enemies from time to time. During one such attack, it is speculated that the main priests of the temple took away the moola-vigraham (the main deity in smaller form, to whom every pooja or offering is made) and ran with their lives to save it. When they were pursued, they jumped from a cliff, one person holding the idol tightly to his chest. These brave priests lost their lives instantly, but the idol remained unscathed! It was found years later, but there was a doubt whether it was the same idol of Srirangam. And an aged washerman who had served the temple in the prime of his life, saved the day. Years of washing the deity's garments helped when with just a sniff of the clothes wrapped around the idol, he confirmed it with just few words in Tamil - Ivar daan namma perumal.(Indeed He is our Lord).

There are seven gateways or entrances to the temple, each and every tower, a gigantic pillar of painstakingly acute idols of various Gods and Goddesses. One cannot help wonder at the precision and beauty of each tower. The workers behind these are lost somewhere in the remote pages of history. But these monuments are a standing tribute to their immaculate artwork and craftsmanship.

It takes almost two hours to completely see the interior of the temple. There are many small temples within the complex dedicated to the Devi Lakshmi, the various incarnations of Shri Maha Vishnu as well as His devotees, including the Alvars. There are various Mandapas, including a 1000-pillared hall as well as several water tanks around the temple.

Shri Ramanuja, one of the greatest Vaishnav saints to have ever graced the earth, wrote his work Sri Bhashyam in the temple complex of Srirangam. He is believed to have attained divinity at this temple. There is a shrine for Shri Ramanuja in the temple, believed to contain his mortal remains.

By the grace of Shri Ranganatha, I got the opportunity to visit this temple a few number of times. Every visit leaves me stunned with the grandeur and the majesty of the towering gopurams, the vast complex, the deity of Shri Ranganatha, reclining on Adisesha with gold leaves as His eyes, the divine aura surrounding the temple and the lingering devotion and dedication of the artisans who built this magnanimous tribute to Shri Maha Vishnu, as well as the various saints who showered their devotion to Shri Ranganatha here. This temple is a must-visit for every one seeking the spiritual treasure of India and wanting to breathe in the air of divinity and purity.

आनन्दरूपे निजबोधरूपे ब्रह्मस्वरूपे श्रुतिमूर्तिरूपे ।

शशाङ्करूपे रमणीयरूपे श्रीरङ्गरूपे रमतां मनो मे ॥१॥

My mind bows to the divine form of Shri Ranganatha resting on the Adisesha, absorbed in bliss, and immersed in His own self; that form, embodying the essence of brahman and the essence of all the Shrutis; that form, cool like the moon and having exquisite beauty; My mind delights in the divine form of Shri Ranga, the form that fills my being with bliss!