PM Modi Gets Gift For Ayodhya Ram Mandir From Srirangam Temple, Listens To Tamil Ramayana

PM Modi then listened to a scholar who recited verses from the ‘Kambaramayanam’, a 12th-century Tamil epic written by poet Kambar. ‘Kambaramayanam’ is one of the oldest versions of the Ramayana.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday visited the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli, where he was presented with a gift by the priests to be taken to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The Prime Minister, who was dressed in a traditional veshti and angavastram, offered prayers at the ancient temple, which is dedicated to Lord Ranganatha, a reclining form of Lord Vishnu. He also fed and blessed an elephant named ‘Andal’ in the temple premises.

PM Modi then listened to a scholar who recited verses from the ‘Kambaramayanam’, a 12th-century Tamil epic written by poet Kambar. The ‘Kambaramayanam’ is one of the oldest versions of the Ramayana, and it is believed that Kambar had first publicly narrated his work at the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, winning the admiration of the people.

The Prime Minister sat in the same platform or mantapa in the temple, where Kambar had sung the Tamil Ramayana, highlighting the strong bond between Tamil Nadu and Sri Ram.

The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is one of the largest and most revered Hindu temples in the world. It is also known as Srirangam Temple, and it houses the deity of Nam Perumal or Azahagiya Manavaalan, meaning “our god” or “beautiful groom” in Tamil. The temple is said to have been built during the Vijayanagara period (1336-1565).

After Srirangam, the Prime Minister will travel to Rameswaram and perform darshan and pooja at the Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple. He will also attend a programme called ‘Shri Ramayana Paryana’, where he will hear the Ramayana chanted in different languages, such as Marathi, Malayalam and Telugu. This is part of the Prime Minister’s practice of visiting multiple temples and listening to the Ramayana in various languages in the last few days.