The Island

"The emerald amidst the swirling waters
Of Kauvery and Kollidam
The sweet abode of the Lord
The Mystical Island"

Srirangam has forever been a fascinating place for me. There is some mystical element to this beautiful island still makes it intriguing and enchanting...Trichy and Srirangam are more than just places,they are a part of me, the only places where I feel I belong.. To describe the beauty and the glory of the magnificent temple, I can never find the right words...With great poets and artists failing to capture its splendor, I guess I will make an attempt, though weak yet heartfelt, to describe this wonderful place..
Every part of the temple or the place as such is associated with some wonderful legend...No one can point out the exact period in which this temple was built, though the popular belief is that the main idol was a gift from Lord Rama to Vibeeshana...The temple has been modified and rebuilt by so many dynasties that it has, I must say, evolved with man.. But through all these years, it has retained its soul, which still attracts thousands of tourists every year..
Srirangam leads the list of Vaishnava sthalas and it certainly deserves the honour.. The ‘Rajagopuram’ is 236 feet high with 13 tiers and is the tallest temple tower in Asia...The other gopuras though unknown are each unique and beautiful...There are innumerable sannathis but the main deity and the thayaar sanathi are the most popular...However some sanathis like the Chakarathaazhvaar, Dhanvanthri, Aandal and Kothandha Ramar are general favorites..The Dhavanthri and Kothanda Ramar sannadhi earn a special mention(not just because they are my favorites) but because the Dhanvanthri sanadhi is the most powerful and the Kothanda Ramar statue is one of the biggest and the most beautiful..There is a Desikar sanadhi and the mummified body of Ramanujar is still preserved in the temple! Some of the trivial things that have attracted me are the 'echo point' near the sanathi of the main deity (you are supposed to shout Ranga there and I love it) veral-kuzhis near the paramapadha vaasal (the goddess was believed to have peeped from there to see if her husband has returned) and ofcourse the stone tortoise near the sthala vriksham(which is where they hid the idols during the mughal invation)..There is a 'thulukka natchiyar' sanathi, which is dedicated to a Mughal princess who gave herself to the Lord..An interesting anecdote is that ummachi has chappathis for his breakfast everyday because of her!
In Srirangam there is no shortage of festivity because everyday something happens..The Ranga-Raja(king) is a lover of festivity and so any time you visit the temple there would always be some activity going on..There would be chariot festivals, vaahana valams, pallaquins and the usual stuff but the unique things about Srirangam is the "20 thirunaals" before and after Vaikunda Ekaadesi..There are Raa Pathu(festivities are mostly in the night) and Pagal Pathu(morning) and ofcourse the splendid Vaikunda Ekaadesi with the Lord in Rathanaagi(dress made of rubies!)..It would take a seperate post to describe the Thirunaals and I'll do that later..
The 600 acre island of Srirangam was formerly filled with coconut and mango groves (now they are being replaced by apartments..and I positively hate that!)..The veedhis(streets) which lie concentric to the temple(great town planning!) are filled with old-fashioned houses(even they are being replaced by apartments!) which really transfers us a couple of centuries back..
It is always a pleasing sight to watch people put kolam before the Lord comes for the veethi-ulaa(rounds), children playing in the late evening, people chatting in the thinnais(front of the house) and all the festivities drawing a huge crowd.. The sight of the Lord in a vahana coming for the veedhi-ulaa with the bright torches whose light stand in no comparison to the beauty of the Lord's face or the veena-ekaandham(its really heaven on earth) when they play veena to soothe the Lord before he sleeps are things you have to experience atleast once in a lifetime..
Srirangam is not a mere temple or a beautiful island...It is a cultural landmark and a perservator of tradition..It still binds people together, infuses in them the common love for God and their hometown and ofcourse fills them with great memories of their days there...I had wondered sometimes if how my life would have been if I had been born in a metropol...I know in that case it would have certainly been poorer,not having memories of this wonderful place, whose every aspect I love.. It is a traditional belief that Adi Sankara installed at Srirangam, a Yantra called Janakarshana Yantra to attract pilgrims to this sacred temple, but then even without that, the beauty and serenity of the Lord would have attracted millions...You will definitely see more posts about Srirangam and if you come down to Trichy, I'll be glad to take you around "The Island"!