years preserved body of BHAGAVAT RAMANUJA

BHAGAVAT RAMANUJA

wonder of srirengam

The 1000 Years old preserved body of Sri Ramanujacharya preserved in Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple.

Sri Ramanujacharya is also known as Ramanuja. He was an exponent of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism and there is a separate shrine dedicated to him in Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple.

Also known as Srirangam temple or Thiruvarangam is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha, a reclining form of the Hindu deity Vishnu, located in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. Constructed in the Tamil style of architecture, this temple is glorified in the Thiviya Pirabandham, the early medieval Tamil literature canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th to 9th centuries AD and is counted among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu. The temple follows Thenkalai tradition of worship. It is one of the most illustrious Vaishnava temples in South India rich in legend and history. The temple follows Thenkalai tradition of worship. It is one of the most illustrious Vaishnava temples in South India rich in legend and history.

In the year 1017 A.D., Sri Ramanuja was born in the village of Perumbudur, about twenty-five miles west of Madras. His father was Kesava Somayaji and his mother was Kantimathi, a very pious and virtuous lady. Ramanuja’s Tamil name was Ilaya Perumal. Quite early in life, Ramanuja lost his father. Then he came to Kancheepuram to prosecute his study of the Vedas under one Yadavaprakasha, a teacher of Advaita philosophy. He spent 80 of his 120 years at Srirangam and for twenty years he was the chief priest of the temple of Srirangam.

Sri Ramanujacarya made the temple his headquarters. His samadhi is within the premises of the Srirangam Temple.The deity seen is the actual body of Sri Ramanuja at Udayavar/Yadhirajar/Ramanujar shrine inside Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam. His physical body is placed in the southwest corner in the fifth round within the Srirangam temple as ordered by Lord Ranganatha himself.When it was time for Sri Ramanuja to leave this World, he informed his disciples about it. Disciples requested Acharya to live with them for some more days. Ramanuja told he will live with them for three more days but the disciples were not satisfied, so Yathiraj told to get a deity made. Then after duly sanctifying the statue, he transferred all his power into it. Then with his head on the lap of Embar and his feet on the lap of Vaduga Nambi, Ramanuja breathed his last in 1137 AD listening to the recitation of the Divya Prabhandam and looking at the Sri Padukas of Yamunacharya.

A preserved body of Sri Ramanuja 

It is amazing that the body of Sri Ramanuja is mummified in all its pristine state unostentatiously, without any fanfare or publicity and without even using any of the chemical preservatives used for the Egyptian mummies. The Egyptian mummies are kept in sleeping position and wrapped in cloth after applying several layers of chemicals but Ramanujacharya original body is kept in normal sitting position and open to all for viewing. Twice a year, a coat of Pachai Karpuram (Camphor) mixed with Kumkum (Vermillion), which produces ochre/orange tint on the preserved body and this tradition has been practiced for almost 880 years.The biggest miracle is that it is said that the actual physical body of Sri Ramanuja has solidified just at it is. The eyes are clearly visible and on a closer look nails also can be noted. There is no Abhishek performed and twice annually the deity is cleaned with certain herbs mentioned above. There is numerous evidence to indicate that it is the actual body – the paintings around the shrine, the temple history, the look itself.

Sri Ramanujas home at vadaku chithirai veethi @srirengam

indian biggest temple in trichy srirengam

BOOLOGA VAIKUNDAM

Srirangam is the foremost of the eight self-manifested shrines (Swayam Vyakta Kshetras) of Lord Vishnu as Sri Renganathaswamy @ peria perumal (moolavar),(uthsavar) Sri Alagiyamanavalan @ namperumal  and the goddess Sri renganayagi thayar she was a wife of sri renganathar. It is also considered the first, foremost and the most important of the 108 main Vishnu temples (Divyadesams). This temple is also known as Thiruvaranga Tirupati, Periyakoil, Bhoologa Vaikundam, Bhogamandabam. In the Vaishnava parlance the term “KOIL” signifies this temple only. The temple is enormous in size. The temple complex is 156 acres in extent. It has seven prakaras or enclosures. These enclosures are formed by thick and huge rampart walls which run round the sanctum. There are 21 magnificent towers in all prakaras providing a unique sight to any visitor. this temple lies on an islet formed by the twin rivers Cauvery and Coleroon.

sri renganachiyar

ARCHITECTURE:

The srirengam temple is india biggest temple. The srirengam was an island  in the center of city trichirapalli the srirengam is in between the rivers of cauvery and kollidam.The temple occupies an area of 155 acres (63 ha) with 50 shrines, 21 towers, 39 pavilions,many mandapas and most important mandapa is 1000 pillar mandapam. The lord srirenganatha stay in 1000 pillars mandapam at vaikunda ekadasi festival 10 days. and many water tanks integrated into the complex making it the world's largest functioning Hindu temple.^[12][3] The temple town is a significant archaeological and epigraphical site, providing a historic window into the early and mid medieval South Indian society and culture. Numerous inscriptions suggest that this Hindu temple served not only as a spiritual center, but also a major economic and charitable institution that operated education and hospital facilities, ran a free kitchen, and financed regional infrastructure projects from the gifts and donations it received.

History:

Lord Rama performed aradhanam (pooja) to Vishnu's idol (deity in a reclining posture). As a symbol of love he gifted the idol to Vibishana (brother of Ravana of the Hindu epic Ramayana) to take back with him to Lanka. There was a condition that he could not set the idol on earth and if he did it would seat itself permanently. Vibishana took this idol and while travelling towards Lanka, came upon the banks of the river Kaveri. He placed the idol on banks of river Kaveri, while an utsavam was in progress. When the utsavam got over, the Lord refused to move as he loved the place (Srirangam). When Vibhishana requested him to come along with him, the lord refused but promised to bless Vibhishana by always facing South (the direction of Lanka, home to Vibhishana) Hence it is that the deity (in a reclining posture) faces South. Then Chola kings Dharmavarcholan and Killivalavan developed the shrine into the big temple seen now. They built the basic foundations and main buildings. Another history lord uchi pilayar can been landed the renganatar at srirengam.

Viswaroopam seva:

The Viswaroopa Seva in the morning is one of the most Amazing things one can witness in temples. The Lord is woken up with the sounds of Veena, Hymns, Cow, Horse and the Elephant trumpeting "Ranga! Ranga!”. 

Important Festivals:

In srirengam only the temple have 12 months of festivals. the most important  car festivals are   at the tamil months of thai, panguni and chithirai. theppam festival at maasi in this festival time only lord renganatha comes in silver garuda sevai. in other festivals are golden garuda sevai.

The most important festival at tamil month of marghazi “ The vaikunda ekadesi “ the 20 days of grand festival  is divided by pagalpathu(mrng10) and rapathu(night10). The most important  thought of festival is pride to be tamil dhivya prabandam. Which was written by 12 aalwars.