Valvil Rama Temple - Where Chaturbhuj Shri Ram awaits His devotees!



I usually write about the temples of Lord Shiva on Mondays and about the temples of Lord Vishnu on Thursdays. It is a wonderful coincidence that the 9th Divya Desham of Maha Vishnu that I am going to write about today, i.e. on the eve of Ram Navami is dedicated to Shri Ram! 

The temple is called as Valvir Rama temple and is located in Pullabhoothangudi near Kumbakon in Tamil Nadu. The deity is Shri Ram in bhujanga-shayanam (reclining posture) and His consort is Devi Sita.

When Ravana was flying in his vimaan, carrying Sita with him, the brave bird Jataayu tried to rescue her by fighting with Ravana. However, Ravana mortally wounded the bird and he fell down, all the while chanting the name of Shri Ram. 

While searching for Sita, Shri Ram came across the wounded Jataayu who took his last breath in the Lord's lap. Shri Ram performed the last rites for the bird. However, a married person was required to perform the last rites with his wife. As Sita was not present, Bhooma Devi came to stand beside Shri Ram as a substitute for Sita. It is believed that this incident happened at the place where the temple is situated now.

This is one of the rare temples where Shri Ram is in Chatur-bhuj roopam (having four hands) and in a reclining posture. It is said that once Thirumangai Alvar, one of the prominent devotees of Shri Ram, came to this temple but seeing a reclining idol, he thought that this must be some other deity's temple and he left immediately. Shri Ram is said to have blessed him with a supreme vision of His effulgent form, complete with shanka - conch and chakra - wheel. Thirumangai Alwar's laments reflect in the songs that he wrote for the deity, proclaiming - 'To realise what it is, which I almost went without knowing!'

The temple is also dedicated to the planet Bhudha (Mercury). Prayers for the departed souls are considered highly effective here. Also, people facing hurdles for marriage or for growth in their jobs, pray here for the blessings of the Lord.

While Ram Navami is always special, getting this unexpected happiness of writing about a Divya Desham dedicated to Shri Ram on this special day, has made this unforgettable! Wishing you all a very happy Ram Navami.

Ram, Lakshman, Janaki,

Jai Bolo Hanuman Ki!

Comments

  1. MaheshwariMarch 30, 2023 at 9:30 AM

    Divine . Always spreads happiness listening to the Lord's name and stories

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stories From The Bhagavatham - Narasimha Avatar (Part 1)

Image
In the previous chapters of Bhagavatham, we read about how the doorkeepers of Vaikuntha, the abode of Maha Vishnu, had been cursed to take three births as the enemies of the lord. One of their births was as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, two Asuras who wreaked untold damage upon the earth and made life miserable for all the devotees of the Lord. Hiranyaksha was killed by Maha Vishnu in His form as Varaha. Angered by the killing of his brother, Hiranyakashipu issued a command to his followers. “My brother has been killed by Narayana. I must destroy him. Go to the earth and wherever you see people performing Tapas, Yajna and other spiritual activities, kill them. Narayana is said to be present at the places where people worship him. I do not want him to be worshipped! Destroy anyone who utters his name!” Eagerly following his orders, the asuras went on a rampage, destroying places of worship, obstructing spiritual activities and harming every one who proclaimed themselves to be a de...
Read more

Stories From The Bhagawatham - Prelude To An Avatar (Part 1)

Image
  While the Devas and Asuras were always rivals, once it so happened that the Devas lost all their strength and the Asuras began to conquer them. Worried about the future of the universe, the Devas approached Lord Brahma, the Creator to seek His help. Lord Brahma advised the Devas to seek Lord Narayana. The Devas, along with Lord Brahma approached Maha Vishnu and asked for His guidance. “I know what you need to win over the Asuras.” Maha Vishnu said. “First and foremost, you need to make peace with them. You need time to recover your strength and should avoid any fights. You need to obtain Amritha, the nectar of life which will grant immortality to you. To get this nectar, you need to churn the ocean using Mount Mandara as the churning staff and the serpent Vasuki as the rope. This churning will require powerful hands and you will need the assistance of the Asuras for the same.” Maha Vishnu also gave some advice to the Devas. “Whatever happens, agree with the Asuras for every...
Read more

Stories From The Bhagawatham - Gajendra Moksham

Image
  In a hill named Trikuta, there was a garden named Rituman which was a paradise in itself. One could find every kind of tree, flower, fruit and animal there. In this hill, lived an elephant with his herd. The elephant was the leader of the herd and is referred to by devotees as Gajendra, and this leela of Maha Vishnu is named as Gajendra Moksham. This story is very special. I grew up listening to this story and simply love it because for me, it stands as a validation that no cry or prayer goes unheard in the Universe. Once, feeling thirsty, Gajendra entered a lake with his herd. After drinking water, the herd bathed in the lake. Unaware to the elephants, a crocodile stealthily swam up to the herd and clutched the leg of Gajendra. The elephant trumpeted loudly in pain. But try as he might, he could not lift his leg from the jaws of the crocodile. Seeing their leader in trouble, the other elephants tried to help him, but all their efforts went in vain. The crocodile kept tryin...
Read more