Indelible impressions about Sri ranga Sri

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

This posting from a sister list (SrI Ranga SrI)

by SrIman Ram Krishnan is most interesting to read

for SrI RanganAtha BhakthAs.

 

The information on Tulukka NaacchiyAr

is still sketchy in my mind. We are all familiar with

the travel of Melkote Uthsava Moorthy to Delhi

Sultan's daughter's inner chambers and retrieval by

AchArya RaamAnujA . Any additional information

on Tulukka NaacchiyAr would be welcome .

 

V.Sadagopan

 

 

 

 

-

"RAM KRISHNAN" <sr_krsna

"Baktha 1" <krishnahare>; "BAKTHI 3"

<bakthi-indonesia>; "bakthi 2" <>

Monday, December 22, 2003 6:04 AM

Indelible impressions about Sri ranga Sri

 

 

> Indelible impressions

>

> The temple of Srirangam is steeped in history and

> culture. Its walls, towering gopurams and intricate

> architecture tell a story of astounding genius... of

> an era long gone.

>

>

>

> The temple town of Srirangam brings to mind the

> bedtime story our grandmother would tell us. When

> Malik Kafur invaded South India (1310-1311 A.D), the

> town of Srirangam was ransacked and the treasures of

> the temple, including the idol of Lord Ranganatha

> (Azhagiyamanavalar Perumal), looted and transported to

> Delhi. The minute she caught sight of the idol, the

> daughter of the sultan, fell in love with it and

> started worshipping it.

>

> Later, a determined group of the deity's devotees

> disguised as singers and dancers, went to the palace

> of the sultan in Delhi, deceived him and brought the

> idol back to Srirangam. The princess tried desperately

> to retrieve it, but in vain, and, soon, she died of

> despair. To honour her devotion, the temple

> authorities, named her Tulukka Nachiyaar and provided

> a place of worship for her within the temple's

> premises.

>

> And so the story goes. Only, it's more real and

> fascinating as you behold the brilliant engineering

> and craftsmanship of an era gone by. A good 13-km from

> the city of Tiruchirapalli, Srirangam is encompassed

> by two arms of the river Cauvery, possibly created to

> protect the temple town from the annual river floods.

> (It's another story, though, that the river is dry at

> the moment).

>

> The town and the temple are inseparable, comprising

> seven concentric rectangular enclosures, covering a

> vast area of 156 acres. Monumental gates (gopurams)

> cut into the giant, walls (prakarams), which enclose

> the area giving it the aura and appearance of a

> fortress. In fact, the chronicle of the temple states

> that it was used as a fortress several times. For

> instance, Chanda Sahib (1751 A.D) and the French

> Troops fought against the Nawab of Arcot and the

> English by shutting themselves up inside the temple.

> Though, later, in 1752 A.D, he was forced to abandon

> his positions and the French had to surrender. The

> chronicle says that notwithstanding these events the

> temple continued to prosper.

>

> The moment you enter the temple town, the skilled

> workmanship and sheer brilliance of its architecture

> captures your imagination. Everything, from the famous

> Sesharayar Mandapam ? the eight pillars of its facade

> decorated with a cohort of raring horses, at whose

> feet fearless hunters struggle with wild beasts ? to

> the Aayirankal Mandapam or the Hall of Thousand

> Pillars (953 actually), stand mute testimony to the

> unrestrained genius of their creators.

>

> Legend has it that the Srirangam temple was founded by

> Vibishana (the brother of Rama's chief enemy Ravana,

> but devoted to Rama). In fact, it is the only place in

> India where you can find a temple for Vibishna. Up to

> the 10th century, literary sources (Silapadikaram,

> probably dating back to the third century and

> Nalayiradivyapirabandam) alone testify to the temple's

> existence. With the rise of the late Cholas (Parantaka

> 907 - 953 AD) in the 10th century inscriptions began

> to appear, some of which are dated.

>

> The reign of the late Cholas and the Pandyas seem to

> have benefited the temple a great deal, with the kings

> and royals of that era endowing it with costly

> embellishments and princely gifts. One such generous

> gift-giver was the famous Jatavarma Sundara Pandya I

> (1251-1268 A.D). The temple also enjoyed the patronage

> of the Hoysalas, the Vijayanagar Empire and the

> Nayaks. The kings presented the temple with land,

> villages, gold and diamond ornaments and other such

> munificent endowments. The British were not far behind

> in the embellishing spree. For instance, in 1875, the

> Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) donated a

> large gold crown to the temple of Srirangam, which is

> still part of its treasure.

>

> Whenever we talk about Srirangam,we cannot ignore the

> contributions made by Sri Ramanuja (1017-1137 A.D).

> One of the greatest teachers of Vedanta philosophy, he

> taught theology and was also the head of temple's

> school. His doctrine, Vishishtatdvaita, which deeply

> influenced the whole of India and produced countless

> schools of thought, is till today the basis of

> Vaishanava theology. The chronicle of the temple also

> attributes to Ramanuja, the complete recasting of the

> temple's administration. He not only changed the way

> things were administered but was also the one to break

> narrow, traditional shackles by appointing

> non-brahmans to perform the temple's work.

>

> For the residents of Srirangam, Lord Ranganatha is

> more than just a God. He is their `Raja', their reason

> for existence and their lifeline. For quite a few

> residents of the town, a life sans Srirangam cannot be

> imagined. Theirs is almost a belief based on blind

> faith and implicit trust. And it is this attitude of

> unquestioning fervour combined with timeless artistry

> that has left an indelible impression on us.

>

>

> Sri Sri Rangan perumai

>

> Ramkrishnan

>

>

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