- Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sri Ranganathaswamy Mandir in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu on Saturday.
- He worshiped Lord Vishnu in the Mandir and took blessings from the temple priests.
- He also took blessings from the elephant ‘Andal’ situated in the mandir premises.
- Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Sri Ranganathaswamy Mandir.
Ayodhya: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sri Ranganathaswamy Mandir in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu on Saturday. He worshiped Lord Vishnu in the mandir and took blessings from the Mandir priests.
Modi was dressed in traditional Tamil attire, where he wore a ‘veshti’ (dhoti) and an angavastram (a shawl). He also took blessings from the elephant ‘Andal’ located in the temple premises, who also played the mouth organ.
When Modi arrived, the mandir priests welcomed him by writing welcome slogans in Sanskrit on the road. Modi, who is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Sri Ranganathaswamy Mandir, was presented with a ‘Sadri’ (crown, symbolizing the blessings of Lord Vishnu) by the mandir priests.
He also prayed in ‘sannadhis’ (separate enclosures for the deities), including Vaishnava saint-gurus Sri Ramanjucharya and Sri Chakrathazvar, and listened to various scholars reciting verses from the Kamba Ramayanam in the Mandir.
Mandir chief priest Sundar Bhattar told news agency ANI, “All the devotees of India are very happy that our PM is visiting Srirangam. Lord Ranganath is also happy with the PM’s visit. Our PM cares about everyone’s welfare.” And Ranganath too, so it is blessed. This is an opportunity for Srirangam. No Prime Minister had visited Srirangam before, this is the first time that a Prime Minister is visiting here. We all are very proud of his visit. ”
Sri Ranganathaswamy Mandir is an ancient Vaishnava temple dedicated to Sri Ranganathar. Located on an island at the confluence of the Kaveri and Kollidam rivers, the mandir is believed to have been built during the Vijayanagara period.
The Mandir is also known as ‘Bolooga Vaikuntham’ or ‘Vaikuntham on Earth’, the eternal abode of Lord Vishnu.
Modi has been on a tour of iconic Mandir including Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Mandir in Rameshwaram and Kothandaramaswamy Mandir in Dhanushkodi for the past few days. After Srirangam, PM Modi will reach Rameshwaram at around 2 pm and will have darshan and worship at Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Mandir.
This visit of PM Modi assumes great significance before the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22.
