Srirangam Temple, Specialities

 ஸ்ரீரங்கம் --- Thiruvarangam

SPECIALITIES OF THE TEMPLE

1. Thiruvarangam is the only Divya Desam about which eleven Azhwars have composed Pasurams.

2.“Kovil” by itself refers only to Thiruvarangam Temple.

3. Periya Kovil, Periya Perumal, Pirattiyar, Periya Mandapam, Periya Jeeyar are the names exclusively associated with Thiruvarangam Temple.

4. The tallest and the biggest Moolavar Vigraham of Garudalzhwar(Periya Thiruvadi is in the midst of a grand Mandapam popularly known as Garuda Mandapam.

5. Dhanvanthri, the physician-incarnation of Srimannarayana, has a separate Sannidhi only in Thiruvarangam Temple.

6. There is a Annamoorthi, God for Food, present in the entrance of Thirumadappalli(The Divine Kitchen).

7. There is a practice of offering Roti and Dhal to Lord Ranganatha during Morning Thiruvaaraadhanam, perhaps as a reverence to Thulukka Nachiayar, a moghul prince and a dedicated devotee of Lord Ranganatha.

8. There is a “Five Pits and Three Ways”(Aindhu Kuzhi Moondru Vasal) nearer to Thayar Sannidhi. While the Five Pits represent the Pancha Bhuthams, the Three Ways represent the paths to Salvation. This unique feature symbolizes the attainment of Salvation by controlling the mechanism of Pancha Bhuthams in our body and taking any of the three modes, Bhakthi,Gnaanam and Vairaaghyam. The way leading to Paramapadhavasal(supposed to have had 1 step) represents Bhakthi; the way leading to Thayar Sannidhi(supposed to have had 2 steps) represents Gnanam; the way leading to Thirumaamani Mandapam(supposed to have had 7 steps) represents Vairaghyam.

9. It is in Thayar Sannidhi, on the day of Panguni Uththiram, Bhashyakarar recited Gadhya Thrayam comprising of Charanagathi Gadyam, Sriranga Gadyam and Srivaikunda Gadyam in front of Thayar and Perumal(Serthi) invoking their Grace for Moksha.

10. It is in Thiruvarangam Temple, the leading acharyas of both the subsects of Vaishnavism had the divine grace of having a fitting title for their contributions for the development of Vaishnava Sampradhayam. While Swamy Desikan was titled as “Sarvathanthra Swathanthrar” by Periya Pirattiyar, Lord Ranganatha graced Manavala Mamunigal with “Srisailesa Dhayapathram........”.

11. It is in this temple, Swamy Desikan composed overnight “Padhuka Sahasram" comprising of 1008 Slokas in Praise of Padhuka Devi (Sandals of Lord Ranganatha). Swamy Bhashyakarar’s Thirumeni, reverentially referred to as “Thaanana Thirumeni” (physical form) is being preserved in the Vasantha Mandapam of Namperumal as ordained by Lord Ranganatha. A paste of saffron and pachaikarpooram is being applied over the Thirumeni of Bhashyakarar in the month of Chiththirai and Aippasi during the Thirunakshathiram festival.

12. The Thousand Pillar Mandapam with Thirumaamani Mandapam in its center, an architectural wonder, is the replica of Paramapadham.

13. Just opposite to Periya Pirattiyar Sannidhi, we have Karuththurai Mandapam, from where it is believed that Lord Ranganatha exchanges views(karuththu) with Thayar on all the happenings.It is also in this Mandapam the Sthalaththars, who manage the functioning of the temple routine, exchange views and ideas about maintenance of the temple.

14. The Rajagopuram of Thiruvarangam built by the 44th Pontiff of Sri Ahobila Mutt is the tallest tower in Asia.

(from the net)

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R.Vijayaraghavan