Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit various significant temples in Tamil Nadu on 20-21 January, 2024.
On 20th January, at around 11 AM, Prime Minister will participate in a programme at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. Prime Minister will also listen to various scholars reciting verses from the Kamba Ramayanam in this temple.
Thereafter, Prime Minister will reach Rameswaram at around 2 PM and perform Darshan and Pooja in Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple. Continuing the practice being observed during Prime Minister’s visit to multiple temples in the last few days, wherein he attends Ramayana chanting in various languages (such as Marathi, Malayalam and Telugu), in this temple, he will attend a programme – ‘Shri Ramayana Paryana’. In the programme, eight different traditional Mandalis will recite the Sanskrit, Awadhi, Kashmiri, Gurumukhi, Assamese, Bengali, Maithili, and Gujarati Ramkathas (recounting the episode of Shri Rama’s return to Ayodhya). This is in line with Bharatiya cultural ethos & bonding, which is at the core of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’. In Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple, Prime Minister will also participate in Bhajan Sandhya, where multiple devotional songs would be sung at the temple complex in the evening.
On 21st January, Prime Minister will perform Darshan and Pooja at Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi. Near Dhanushkodi, Prime Minister will also visit Arichal Munai, which is said to be the place from where the Ram Setu was built.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
Located in Srirangam, Trichy, the temple is one of the most ancient temple complexes in the country and finds mention in various ancient texts including the Puranas and the Sangam era texts. It is famous for its architectural grandeur and its numerous iconic gopurams. The main deity worshipped here is Sri Ranganatha Swamy, a reclining form of Bhagwaan Vishnu. Vaishnava scriptures mention the connection between the idol worshipped in this temple and Ayodhya. It is believed that the image of Vishnu which used to be worshipped by Sri Rama and his ancestors was given by him to Vibhishana to take it to Lanka. On the way, this idol was fixed in Srirangam.
Sri Ramanujacharya, the great philosopher and saint, is also deeply associated with this temple’s history. Moreover, there are various important places in this temple – for example, the famous Kamba Ramayanam was first presented publicly by the Tamil poet Kamban in a particular place in this complex.
Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameshwaram
The main deity worshipped in this temple is Sri Ramanathaswamy, which is a form of Bhagwan Shiva. It is a widely held belief that the main lingam in this temple was installed and worshipped by Sri Rama and Mata Sita. The temple contains one of the longest temple corridor, which is also famous for its beautiful architecture. It is one among the Char Dhams – Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameshwaram. It is also one among the 12 Jyotirlingas.
Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi
This temple is dedicated to Sri Kothandarama Swamy. The name Kothandarama, means Rama with the bow. It is located in a place called Dhanushkodi. It is said that this is where Vibhishana first met Sri Rama and asked him for refuge. Some legends also say that this is the place where Sri Rama conducted the coronation of Vibhishana.
