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 Having visited Srirangam twice before
(for the engagement and wedding of a friend) I decided that my mother was long due the
blessings of the Lord there. So there we were last weekend, boarding the Rockfort Express
from Egmore station at 10 PM.
We reached exactly at 5.30 AM (Srirangam
station is appropriately designed like a temple) and took an auto to our host's house.
After a luxurious bath and food, it was a 5-minute walk to the temple (the place is full
of houses which allow you to stay for a small sum of even Rs.50/day, especially if you are
a poonal).
The magnificent temple complex of Srirangam
is well worth a visit for everyone. For every devotee of Lord Vishnu, its the `Periya
koil' (the most important of the 108 divyadesams of the Vaishnavites), it is a part of
his life and one needs no excuse to land there as many times as possible. For tourists and
others, it is an architectural marvel of breathtakingly perfect proportions, true-to-life
stone sculpture and intricate carvings. The unique feature here is the sevenfold enclosure
with huge dividing ramparts. The first four ramparts have entrances surmounted with tall
towers.
The 156-acre temple with 21 prakaras
(entrances) is built in a concentric circle while there are 7 main gopurams (towers). The
Rajagopuram along with the basic structure and kalasams stands an amazing 236 ft. tall,
the tallest in Asia. This temple takes the pride of place as the largest temple in the
country.
Srirangam is one of the most sacred shrines
in India (when other Vaishnavite temples have doubts in rituals, they refer to this
temple) where the Lord Ranganatha is reclining on an island in the middle of the sacred
river Cauvery. The huge form of the moolavar (deity in the sanctum sanctorum), resplendent
in his silk dhoti, a silver crown adorning his head, silver hands and feet with huge
anklets is a sight to behold. The entrance has intricate carvings in dazzling silver, the
silver door with cute bells, the top is gold plated, black granite posts supporting the
ceiling.
But while you are there, take time to
admire the 1000-pillared mandapam, the Sesharaya mandapam with the exquisite 8 monolithic
pillars and most important the golden Ranga Vimana (right on top of the sanctum sanctorum)
in the shape of a flower basket. This design has been made by pressing gold sheets into
the structure with heated mercury, claimed to be a special process.
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REACHING SRIRANGAM
This town is just 8 kms. from Trichy and is
well connected by train and bus. Buses ply frequently from Trichy and vehicles stop right
in front of the Rajagopuram. The temple is half-a-km west of the railway station..
The complex also houses little shrines for other gods - beautiful big statues of Lord Rama
flanked by Sita and Lakshmana with ardent devotee Hanuman at his feet; Lord
Venkateswara, Andal, Hanuman, Krishna, the Lord's weapon, Chakra worshipped as
Chakrattazhwar, a number
of alwars or saints and a separate big one for his consort Thayar
sannidhi. It is believed
that one should visit the goddess before seeing the Lord.
Going back in history, the temple finds
mention in that great epic, Ramayana. But literary references fix the date as 3rd
century AD. References abound in the Tamil classic Silappadigaram and the Nalayira
Divyaprabandam (4000 songs in praise of the Lord).
The structure in its present form was built
in stages at various periods by the ancient kings of Chola, Pandya, Hoysala, Vijayanagar
kingdoms and the Nayaks. Marco Polo had Srirangam after which came the invasions by
Muhamad Bin Tukhlaq and Malik Kafur who looted the treasures and precious jewels. The
fort-like temple was also used for war maneuvers during British rule.
Even today, the rites and rituals follow
the orthodox regimen set up by Sri Ramanuja, the great saint, 900 years ago. Every day the
Lord is washed by Cauvery water brought by the temple elephant.
 After having darshan of the Lord, we
decided to pay our respects to his sister, the Goddess of Samayapuram, a few kilometers
away (buses ply regularly between the two places) by hiring a rickshaw. Since it was one
of those auspicious days (when the sister goes halfway till the river to meet her brother
and collect some gifts) we saw her on the way, all decked and being carried in a colourful
palanquin. After that, we went to the temple. The temple was full of people (the irony
being that brahmins hardly visit her, because she is supposed to be too powerful and
aggressive) so we got the special ticket.
In the evening, we decided to again visit the
Lord before boarding the train at 10 PM.
Padma Subiah |
