Category Archives: Srirangam

2) Thiruvellarai

Situated on Trichy- Thuraiyur road at a distance of 15 km form trichy. The name of Lord Vishnu seen here is called as pundarikasha perumal. One among 108 Divya desams of vaishnavates. An important temple.

Thiruvellarai

Thiruvellarai

• 4th temple in 108 divya-deshams
• Around 14 km from Shrirangam main temple.
• The temple is on a white rock hill of 50 feet height. Vellarai means white rock hence the name Vellarai with a prefix Thiru denoting respect.
• The beautiful deity is of Lord Pundarikaksha.
• This is the place where the famous verse “Om pavitra pavitro va…” had its origin.
• This is a very beautiful temple, built by great king Shibi 7 generations before Lord Rama.
• Pundarikan, a great devotee established a garden here and worshipped the Lord with Tulsi leaves grown here. The Lord pleased with his worship gave darshan to him and came to be known as           Pundarikaksham.
• There are 18 steps to the temple representing the 18 chapters of Bhagavad Gita. The next 4 steps to entrance represent the Four Vedas. Then after worshipping the Bali-peeta, one has to cross five steps representing the panchabhutas called earth, water, fire, air and ether.

Thiruvellarai

• Then there two entrances to view the Lord representing the two ayanas (six months of the year). One entrance would be open from Adi to Margazhi month : July-August to December-January, while the other is open in Uttarayana covering the months Thai to Ani :January-February to June-July.
• It is said that Surya and Chandra come here and performs chamara seva to the Lord.
• Legends say that the eyes of the Deity of Hanuman in the temple complex are growing bigger and wider each year. This can be known from unusually big eyes of Hanumanji compared to the size of deity.
• Another belief is that no Sri Vaishnava can achieve perfection without visiting Thiruvellarai. Hence, there is this tradition at the temple to call Thiruvellarai Kandeero- Thiruvellarai Kanden Aiyyaa (the devotees informing the Lord that they have seen Thiruvellarai and that they are now ready/eligible for going back to Godhead), a voice that is said to echo to the Lord up there in Vaikuntha. History : Once, Lord Visnu being pleased with Laxmi requested Her to ask for a boon. Being fully satisfied to get a place on Lord’s heart, She did not ask for anything. On being persistently asked by the Lord, She then requested that She be granted the leading rights at some temples, as she felt that the Lord gets priority over her in all the temples.

Thiruvellarai

Meanwhile, Markandeya was destined to die at age 16. When Yama came to take him, he clutched on to the Siva-lingam at Thirukadaiyur. Pleased with this, Lord Shiva blessed him that he will remain there forever as 16. After enjoying life to the full, Markandeya once again prayed to Lord Shiva asking for deliverance. He was guided by Siva to go to Thiruvellarai to invoke the blessing of Lord Vishnu. King Shibi (Lord Rama’s ancestor) came here with a big army with the intention of killing the Lanka King Ravana. While here, he encountered a white pig which gave the army a fight. Angered at this, Sibhi chased the white pig. After stopping at 5 places, the pig disappeared into a pit. The king soon realised that the white pig was not an ordinary one.

King shibi then approached Markandeya Rishi who was performing penance here. He asked Sibhi to pray to Lord Vishnu. The Muni told the king how lucky he was to see the lord in the form of the swine while he himself was waiting long for Lord’s darshan and so he advised the king to perform milk abishek to an anthill near the pit. The Lord in this Deity form of Pundarikaksham appeared before the Muni and the King.

Answering Shibi’s prayers, an invisible voice asked him not to pursue his quest to defeat Ravana and that he go back to his kingdom as time had not come for Ravana to be defeated yet and that he himself will be born later to defeat Ravana. A disappointed King Shibi pleaded with the Lord that he could not possibly go back empty handed, without fulfilling the purpose for which he had come. The Lord asked Shibi to fulfill the wishes of goddess Lakshmi by building a temple here that would give Her the first rights at all festivities. It is also here that Lord Vishnu then gave darshan and deliverance to Markandeya.

Only in three divya-desam temples does the Goddess get the first rights over the Lord – Nachiyar temple in Thiru Naraiyur, Aandal temple in Srivilliputhur and here at Thiruvellarai.

This temple dates back to a time much before Shrirangam temple as can be seen from the fact that Shibi, the forefather of Rama, built this temple.

As per the boon of the Lord, Mother Shenbagavalli (Lakshmi) took the premier place in the temple and comes before the lord in palanquin during the festival occasions.

Temple Timing: 9am-1pm and 3.45pm- 7.45pm

1) Gunaseelam

Ranganatham     Sri Rangam

Distance from Trichy 18- km. Situated on Trichy salem Road near a Tourist spot called Mukkambu. The deity of this temple is called ‘Prasana Venkateshwara”- who is a sculptural form of Lord Vishnu.

The God Venkateshwara Residing here is believed to have the powers of curing mentally Retarded people. So, people visit this place to have a good mental health and satisfaction. An important vaishnavate temple.

History:
In Bhavishyotra Puranam, one finds reference to the significance of this temple in Gunaseela Mahaatmiyam. Thaalpiya Maharishi along with his disciple Gunaseela Rishi once went to the Himalayas. On his way back, Gunaseela Rishi stayed back at Tirupathi and was so attracted to Lord Venkatachalapathy that he wanted the Lord to appear in Gunaseelam and bless the devotees. He came back, bathed in the Cauvery and undertook severe penance here in his ashram in Gunaseelam. Impressed with his sincerity, the Lord appeared before him along with Goddess and promised to remain here till the end of Kali Yugam. Pleased with the darshan of Prasanna Venkatachalapathy, Gunaseela Maharishi continued to offer his daily poojas to the lord from his ashram here. At the end of the Dwapara Yugam, the Gunaseela Maharishi’s Guru wanted him to go to Naimisaaranyam. Gunaseela Rishi designated his young disciple to continue the daily poojas. However, floods in the Cauvery and dangerous animals in the forest led the disciple to flee the place and thus the poojas came to an abrupt end. The Lord decided to hide himself in a pit. After several years, Chola king Nyana Varma, who ruled this place with Uraiyur as the capital, used to visit Gunaseelam regularly. Every day, cowherds would milk the cows from near the pit and carry the milk all the way back to his court.

One day, to everyone’s shock, the milk that was filled to the brim of the pot vanished all of a sudden. An invisible voice wanted the king to dissolve the pit by pouring milk. The king brought in his army and used thousands of litres of milk to complete this exercise. Once dissolved, Vaikunta Vasudevan is said to have appeared before the king as Prasanna Venkatesan. As per the king’s wishes, the Lord agreed to remain here till the end of Kali Yugam and help fulfil all the prayers of the devotees, who visit this temple. Delighted at the darshan of Prasanna Venkatachalapathy, the king shifted from Uraiyur to Kallur, (this place was then called ‘Badra Chakra Pattinam’) near Gunaseelam and built the beautiful Gunaseelam temple and laid down the process of the daily poojas as directed by Prasanna Venkatesan. He also allocated a lot of land for the temple as well as funds to undertake the daily pooja formalities

Festivals in Srirangam

Srirangam is place which celebrates festivals all over the year. Some times Lord Ranganath use to come across the streets of srirangam like how kings use to meet his people (this ritual is called as the “perumal purapadu”). Under here a list of festivals all over the months is given(Tamil year starts with chithirai month and ends with Panguni month).

Festivals in the Chitra Month :
In this month car festival is celebrated, large number of people from all over the country visit the holy place srirangam and celebrate this festival in a grand manner.Especially Village people come in large number.

Festivals in the Vaikasi Month:
In this month Vasanthotsava(The spring festival) is celebrated for nine days before the vaikasi Full Moon day. This Festival is celebrated in the garden which is situated to the north of the chakarathalvar (lord perumal has two weapons each in his both hands. One called “chakra” and the another one is called “shanka” Chakarathalwar is considered to be the god who is in the form of chakra.) sanathee.

Festivals in the Aani Month:
The holy water brought in gold and silver pots from the rivers “Cauvery” and “kollidam” is used for thirumanjana abishekam”), next day of thiru manjana a maha naivaden(offering to the god) is conducted using large number of steamed rice(called “thiruppavadai”).And then the rice is distributed to the devotees as a prasadam .

Festivals in the Aady Month :
Aady 18 is one of famous festival in srirangam (also in many parts of tamilnadu in situated in the banks of river “Cauvery”). On that day lord Ranganatha goes to Amma Mandapam situated on banks of river kaveri (as said earlier as “purappadu”).

Festivals in the Avani Month:
Pavithrotsava is celebrated to the Lord Ranganatha for nine days following that Krishna jayanthi is celebrated . Uri-Adi (a pot filled with water is suspended over a rope.and the milk grocer community people ,after covering their eyes .use to hit it. This is a ritual which reminds that lord Krishna performed this pastime takes place at the south gate near Patala(under ground) Krishna Temple.

Festivals in the Puratasi Month:
Navarathri (9 days) Utsava takes place at Sri Renga Nachiyar Sannathi. The Elephant called “andal” of srirangam temple will play tricks like dancing with one leg lifted and plays Mouth organ. Sri renganatha goes to Kattu Alagia Singaperumal koil in remembrance of Killing Vaniyasura and comes out in a Horse Vahana.

Festivals in the Aipasi Month:
Unjal Utsava (9 days) is celebrated in this month. In this entire month the holy water from river Cauvery will be taken for renganathar’s abishegam (holy bath) using golden pot (normally copper pots will be used. Some times silver pots also)

Festivals in the Karthikai Month:
Like other places of tamil nadu light festival (arrangement of small lamps inside and out side the house in a beautiful fleet) is celebrated also here. Pearumal takes a special thirumanjanam and comes out through the streets of srirangam in a carriage decorated with beautiful flowers. Blaze-fire or chockpanai is the important festival at the end of the day after perumal hears the annual account read by kanakku pillai(treasurer).

Festivals in the Margali Month:
The important festival of this month is the recital of thiru pavai (the poems composed by “Andal” an important lady devotee of lord perumal). Next to this comes the vaikunda ekadasi festival in which perumal use to be seen in dasavathara alangaram (symbolizing the ten incarnations of the lord Vishnu).

Festivals in the Thai Month:
The thai car festival is the important festival of this month. Also the pongal festival called as the festival of tamilians (Mainly farmers) is celebrated in this month.

Festivals in the Masi Month:
Teppotsava is important in this month. Which is a Festival where lord perumal is floated on a teppam (boat) in the tank situated to the west of the temple. Festivals in the Panguni Month: Adhi brahmotsava is conducted in this month and also the panguni uthra day is observed. Next to that lord enjoys the chariot festival (called as “Rathasaptami”).

Special Things Associated With Sri Rangam Temple

1) Asia's tallest Gopuram.

2) The only place which received maximum number of Alwar's mangala saasanam (Pasurams) ( By 10 Alwar and Andal)

3) Birth place of Shree Periya nambhigal (Ramanujacharya's guru), Battar vadakku thiru veedhi pillai and Pillai Lokaachaariyar.

4) Moksha Sthalam of Kulashekar Alwar , Thondaradippodi Alwar, Andal, Thiruppaanai Alwar, Thuluka/Bibi Nachiyar, and Ramanujacharya.

5) The whole 7 Prahaarams (Walls) are built by Thirumangai alwar alone and this pleased Lord Ranganath so much that he gave darshan to him.

6) This was the place where Thondaradippodi alwar built his famous Garden in service for Shree Ranganath..