[S.T.D.]

Good Start.

[Lt_Apple]

3) Sri Rangam - Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple (Part 3)

Sri Rangam and the golden era of Vaisnavism

Vijayanagar Empire - 14th to 17th Century

From 1331 to 1371 Sri Rangam was under the jurisdistion on the Madurai Sultanate. The temple was used as a garrison, thus disrupting the religious activities.

The temple was restored after 1371 , when the Vijayanagar conquered the South. Considering the massive damage caused to the temple, the Vijayanagar kings must be credited for restoring the temple to its pristine glory. They were assisted by the Uttama nambis of Sri Rangam (families associated with the temple administration).

Krishna Deva Raya a frequent visitor to Sri Rangam, was formally initiated into the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, by Panchamata Bhanjanam Tathacarya. He wrote the Amuktamalyada in Telugu, which beautifully describes Andal's separation from Her Lover, Lord Vishnu.

During the reign of the Vijayanagar Empire, the Haridasa bhakti movement spread through Karnataka

Haridasa Vaisnavism (Karnataka) - 15th to 16th Century

Lakshmi Narayana Muni (Sri Sripadaraja)

Lakshmi Narayana Muni stayed in Sri Rangam and worshiped Sri Ranganatha. While in Sri Rangam, he was attracted to the Sri Vaisnavas' devotional mode of worship . He was impressed with the arayar sevai and the recitation of the Tamil Prabandam. So impressed that he decided to translate the dvaita acaryas works in Kannada.

Sripadaraja, composed hundreds of devotional hymns in Kannada, which is considered the dawn of Kannada Vaisnava literature (dasa sahitya). He incorporated elements of arayar sevai , singing and dancing to classical music with bells tied to his ankles. He started the Haridasa tradition, his prominent disciples were Purandara dasa and Kanaka dasa, who were closely associated with the Vijayanagar Empire.

Sripadaraja paved the way for Karnataka bhakti tradition, which later spread its influence to Maharastra and finally reached Orissa and Bengal.

Chaitanya's Vaisnavism (Bengal) - 16th Century

Chaitanya, the founder of the Gaudiya Vaisnava Tradition (aka Iskcon) spent most of his time in Puri (Orissa), while on a pilgrimage to South India, he stayed in Sri Rangam for 4 months.

Influenced by Sri Vaisnavism, he incorporated some of its devotional elements into his brand of Vaisnavism.

[MannoFr]

Sir,

Can any one list the pasurams per divyadesams.. I mean a list containing:-

1. Name of divyadesam
2. Name of the book containg pasurams on the desam.
3. Name of the alwar (author)
4. Serial Numbers of the pasurams out of 4000.

Thanking You

Ravi

[S.T.D.]

Divya Desam

These are the Sri Vaishnava temples that the Alvars (saints) have sung praises (mangalasasanam). There are 108 divya desams and only 106 are in this material world.

As there are a many online sites providing information and images of the divya desams. This topic attempts to provide some rare information on these temples and also explore the less known divya desams.

1) Thiruppullam Boothankudi - Sri Valvil Ramar Perumal Temple, Kumbakonam



This divya desam is situated in Tanjore district Tamil Nadu. 3 miles away from Swami Malai (famous Murugan Temple).

This is where Sri Rama performed the final funeral rites for Jadayu (the Eagle bird). This sthalam takes its name "Pull" from the Eagle clan of Jatayu.

1 and 1/2 Km. from here, is a small village, Mandanggudi which is the birth place of Thondar Adi Podi Alwar.

Mangalasasanam:

Thirumangai Alwar - 10 Paasurams.

More information on this Divya Desam refer

http://www.divyadesamonline.com/hind...udi-temple.asp

[Beerinkol]

nice information. I had seen a detailed map in Sri Oppiliappan koil, Kumbakonam. I was also told few of the Divya Desams are in the interiors in and around Kumbakonam. This will be really useful.

[Raj_Copi_Jin]

Jimano, you could have started with Srirangam The 1st of 108

[MannoFr]

Divya Desam

These are the Sri Vaishnava temples that the Alvars (saints) have sung praises (mangalasasanam). There are 108 divya desams and only 106 are in this material world.

There are 108 divya desams in total and two of them are not in this material world. They are Parama padam and ThiruppaRkadal. Other 105 temples are located in India and 1 divya desam is located in Nepal (SaLagramam)

http://www.srivaishnavam.com/divyadesam108/index.html

[Peptobismol]

nice information. I had seen a detailed map in Sri Oppiliappan koil, Kumbakonam. I was also told few of the Divya Desams are in the interiors in and around Kumbakonam. This will be really useful.

Hi Shankar.

I made the trip a few weeks back.

Thiru Adhanoor
Thiru veLLiyangudi
ThiruchchErai
nAchchiyAr kOyil
Nandhipura viNNagaram (a) NathankOvil
Thiru puLLamboothangudi
Thiru kabiththalam
Of course Oppiliappan in Kumbakonam and SarangapAni/ChakrapANi

Will let Jimano proceed with the organized posts...

Apart from that some Siva temples in and around Kumbakonam:
KumbEswarar
Thiruveezhimizhalai
ThirunAgEswaram

[NeroASERCH]

2) Thiruppullanni - Sri Kalyana Jaganatha Perumal Temple


(Temple 4.00 onwards)

This divya desam is located on the Keela Karai Road and on the banks of river Sethu (SethuKarai, Ramanathapuram district).

King Dasaratha is believed to have performed a yagna (fire sacrifice) at this sthalam to beget his four sons. Lord Rama, on His way to Lanka, stopped and worshipped the presiding deity - Adi Jaganatha.

It was here, where Vibhishana (brother of Ravana) took refuge and surrendered to Lord Rama, Who preached saranagati - the doctrine of self surrender.

In the Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya, this episode - Vibhisana's surrender to Lord Rama is held just as important as Arjuna's surrender to Lord Krishna.

Mangalasasanam: Thirumangai alvar - 21 Pasurams

More information on this Divya Desam refer
http://www.divyadesamonline.com/hind...ani-temple.asp

[tgs]

Originally Posted by wrap07 nice information. I had seen a detailed map in Sri Oppiliappan koil, Kumbakonam. I was also told few of the Divya Desams are in the interiors in and around Kumbakonam. This will be really useful.

Hi Shankar.

I made the trip a few weeks back.

Thiru Adhanoor
Thiru veLLiyangudi
ThiruchchErai
nAchchiyAr kOyil
Nandhipura viNNagaram (a) NathankOvil
Thiru puLLamboothangudi
Thiru kabiththalam
Of course Oppiliappan in Kumbakonam and SarangapAni/ChakrapANi

Will let Jimano proceed with the organized posts...

Apart from that some Siva temples in and around Kumbakonam:
KumbEswarar
Thiruveezhimizhalai
ThirunAgEswaram hi Prabhuram

nice to know about your trip. great. I had visited some of the temples.

[MannoFr]

3) Sri Rangam - Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple (Part 1)

Situated in Trichy on the banks of Kaveri River, this temple played a very significant role in the history and development of Sri Vaisnavism. Of all the 4000 hymns of the Divya Prabandham, Lord Ranganatha has the most hymns dedicated to Him.

About the Temple

Sri Rangam is the largest temple in India. It is the most sacred of all the divya desams. The presiding deity is Lord Ranganatha who is also known as - Nam Perumal (Our Lord) Azhagiya Manavalan (The Handsome Groom).

Sthala Purana from Sri Ranga Mahathmiyam (Legendary History)

The Ranganatha deity was worshipped by Lord Rama. After the war, the deity was gifted to Vibhisana. While on his way back to Lanka, Vibhisana rested on the banks of the Kaveri with the deity. The Lord appeared before Vibhisana saying He had decided to make the place His abode and Vibhisana could come and worship the deity daily. It is said that Vibhisana worships the Lord daily at midnight.

Over time due to disuse, the deity was covered by thick overgrowth in a deep forest. After a long time, a Chola king, accidently discovered the deity and established the Ranganatha temple.

Alvars directly associated with the temple

1) Thondaradippodi Alvar

He maintained a flower garden for making garlands for the Lord in Sri Rangam and composed 55 pasurams on Lord Ranganatha.

2) Thirupana Alvar

Sung exclusively on Lord Ranganatha and later merged with the deity.

3) Kulashekara Alvar

A Chera king, he spent his final days in Sri Rangam. He composed 31 pasurams on Lord Ranganatha and wrote his famous work Mukunda-mala-stotra in Sri Rangam.

4) Thirumangai Alvar

He was responsible for renovating Sri Rangam and erecting the temple walls.

5) Andal, brought up by Peria alvar, She later married Lord Ranganatha. Her composition Varanam Ayiram describes Her marriage to the Lord.

[S.T.D.]

3) Sri Rangam - Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple (Part 2)

Sri Rangam and the evolution of Sri Vaisnavism

After the Alvars came the acaryas, who were responsible for the developing and safeguarding the Sri Vaisnava tradition. The task undertaken by them were :

a) Collectiong and desseminating the Alvars’ hymns
b) Institutionalising the tradition into a theological system
c) Establishing monasteries and propagating the tradition
b) Countering and defending Sri Vaisnava theology against rivals schools e.g Jains, Buddhists , Advaitins etc.
e) Defending the tradition from destructive forces.

Nathamuni - 9th Century

Nathamuni was a siddha (mystic) and great exponent in yoga. He established the Sri Vaisnava guru parampara (disciplic succession) tradition with Sri Rangam as its spiritual capital.

He codified the Alvars devotional hymns into the Nalayira Divya Prabandam (regarded as Tamil veda). He institutionalised the tradition of reciting the Divya Prabandam in the temples and initiated the Arayar Sevai tradition for the Lord .

Ramanuja - 11th Century

Ramanuja spent most of his life time in Sri Rangam. He further developed Sri Vaisnava theology by writing the Sri Bhasya, commentary of the vedanta sutra refuting Sankara's advaita vedanta.

His other notable task was in the regulation of temple rituals for which Lord Ranganatha honoured him as "udaiyavar" (Who is Ours). He appointed 74 pontiffs (simhathipathis) to propagate the vaisnava faith without any caste or gender based discrimination.

Vedanta Desikan - 13th - 14th Century

Vedanta Desikan period in Sri Rangam was a crucial moment in the history of Sri Vaisnavism. It was during his time that Sri Rangam was attacked by Malik Kafur from the Delhi Sultanate. (1311-1312).

Vedanta Desikan played a key role in saving the deities and the Sri Vaisnava religious texts from destruction.

He saved the "mula" deities in the sanctum sanctorum by covering them with a brick wall. He organised a group under Plllia Lokacarya to bring the "utsava" (ceremonial) deities to a safe location.

Although Sudarsana Suri died during the attack, Vedanta Desikan manage to save Sudarsana Suri's magnum opus - sruta prakasika and his 2 young sons.

Depressed by the destruction caused to Sri Rangam, he composed abhithi sthava praying to Lord Ranganatha to restore the glory of Sri Rangam.

Manavala Mamuni - 15th Century

Like Pillai Lokacarya, Manavala Mamuni too wrote many treatises in Tamil, on the doctrines of Sri Vaisnavism. It was during his time that Sri Rangam once again re-established its primacy as the spiritual capital of Sri Vaisnavism.

To hear Manavala Mamuni's discourse on Namalvar's Tiruvaymoli Lord Ranganatha had all festivals stopped for a year. And at the end of discourse Lord Ranganatha appeared as a young boy and placed the following verse at Manavala Mamuni's feet.

sri sailesa daya paatram dhi-bhaktyaadi gunarnavam
yatindra-pravanam vande ramya-jamatram munim

[Paul Bunyan]

Nice work Jimano.

Thiruppullani is also famous - even the name comes from - Darbhasayana Rama. Rama is said to have lain on a bed of darba grass for three days and nights while meditating on how to cross the ocean to vanquish Ravana. Hence Pull = grass/darba and aanai is bed.

Also, while listing prominent people from Srirangam, one must make mention of Kamban and his arangetram of Ramayanam in the Srirangam Temple in the Naalu Kaal Mandapam near the North Gopuram outside Thayar Sannadhi and adjacent to the Mettu Azhagiyasingar sannidhi.

[Lillie_Steins]

.
Dear "Jimano"

Well-done.!..

3) Sri Rangam - Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple (Part 1)

About the Temple

... The presiding deity is Lord Ranganatha who is also known as - Nam Perumal (Our Lord) Azhagiya Manavalan (The Handsome Groom).

Sri Ranganatha Moolavar is called PERIA-PERUMAL...

..because He was the Kula-Dheywam of the Lord Rama... the PERUMAL HIMSELF.!

...and so Sri-Ranganatha.. then at Ayodhya.. was worshipped by that Perumal.!!!

Whereas the Uthsavar is called NAM-PERUMAL..!
.

[Fegasderty]

wow nice thread

[Ifroham4]

There is a book by name "Thiruvaranga Ula" written by Venu Goplan. It is a 4 volumes book which describes how Desikar and others fought against the muslim invasion in Srirangam and saved sri Ranganathar and srirangam.


Very interesting indeed!!!

[HedgeYourBets]

Dear Jimano,

Thanks for writing about Thirupullani. It is also known as Adhi Jagannathar Thirukovil. It was not just a Yagna by Dasaratha but it was the Puthira Kaamesti Yaagam and the mythology is he got the Paayasam after the Yaagam, which he gave it to all his three wives. That's why people who are not blessed with children come here and pray.

Perumal's name is Adhi Jgannathar and Thaayaar is Padmasani.

Sethu Karai is to Vaishanavites what Rameswaram is to Saivaites. The temple is 15 kms from Ramnad town from where buses operate. The Sethukarai is 5 kms from the temple and you can get Autos.

Badri,

Is it not Rama lying on the Dharba sayana happened after Raavana's annihilation?

Regards

[Raj_Copi_Jin]

3) Sri Rangam - Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple (Final Part)

Sri Rangam - Colonial History - 18th to 19th Century

Sri Rangam Temple was under French control for 6 years. Nawab Chanda Saheb (1736-1740) alllied with the French and established his rule in Sri Rangam. Constantly harrassing the temple the Nawab managed to extracted huge tributes from the temple.

Ananda Ranga Pillai, a courtier of Dupleix (French Commander), writes in his dairy that the French intended to destroy Sri Rangam temple just as they destroyed the nearby Jambukesvaram temple; the residents had the temple saved by paying a ransom of Rs. 60,000 and the grains.

Later, when the British invaded the Srirangam, the Rajputs who served under the Nawab put up a strong resistence to protect the temple from the British, who had to abandoned their plans to attack the temple.

Before 1987, Sri Rangam's south gopuram (tower) remain incomplete. Many Kings and devotees had tried to complete its construction but their attempts failed and fell to pieces. In 1980, the 44th pontiff of the Ahobila Mutt - Azhagiyasingar, undertook the work for constructing the 236 feet tall Raja gopuram which was consecrated in 1987.

[softy54534]

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[MannoFr]

Sudhaama and Jimano

Yes this does have the potential to hurt sentiments. I know Jimano has quoted this as being just a belief amongst some people and by no means established as any thing else.

Still, in the interests of public sentiment, Jimano, you may want to revisit your post and edit it.

Sudhaama: By quoting it you have further brought people's attention to it!!! Now even if Jimano removes or edits that bit, it will still remain because you have quoted it. Could you please also remove your post, or edit it so that the very thing you are trying to get removed does not still remain as part of your own posting?