Fw: Why ROTIS FOR LORD RANGANATHA OF SRIRANGAM...!!!

[shreekant kelkar]

  SRIRANGAM.................

 

ROTIS FOR LORD RANGANATHA OF SRIRANGAM...!!!

Most of us at least once would have visited Sri Rangam and worshipped  Lord Ranganatha.  Here is a small narration of why Rotis are cooked and offered to Lord Ranganatha  which many may not be aware of.

 

Ours is the only country where Hindus and Muslims happily lived  for centuries.Many Hindus visit Dargahs in the city and in the various states for cure of illness, blessings of Divine souls and saints.  Religious fusion does not stop with saints and their devotees. There are  shrines where the pantheon of Hindu gods and goddesses make room for Muslim consorts and companions.

 

At the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam, a small sannidhi stands almost unnoticed in the corridor bordering the sanctum sanctorum. You might not even know that it houses the sannidhi of  Thulukka Nachiyar. She was the Muslim princess who became the divine consort of Lord Ranganatha. In Srirangam temple, the presiding deity, Ranganatha, a form of Vishnu, receives a daily offering of rotis, sweet with a heady scent of  ghee  – made with wheat (in contrast to the orthodox rice meal) and even wears colored lungis (not the white cloth worn by Hindus) to please a Muslim princess. This shows how  beloved the Thulukka Nachiyar or Bibi Nachiyar  is to Ranga  A small painting of the princess hangs in the temple complex.

 

 

 

(in the above picture of Lord Thirunarayanan at Melkote you will find the Beebi nachiyar idol  between his legs).She is worshipped as an idol, ever serving His Thiru paadham. Her face is covered by a purdhah (every respectable muslim woman wears a purdah) To commemorate Saint Ramanuja’s successful visit to Delhi to bring back the uthsava vigraham of Peruma, the Uthsavar is named SELVA PILLAI, the name given to the idol at Sultan’s place by Beebi nachiyar.

 

Who is this Beebi Nachiar??

 

When Malik Kafur invaded South India,(during 1310-1311),  news reached the temple authorities in Srirangam that Kafur was planning to plunder the temple. Srirangam was captured and the riches were looted.

The invaders did not want to accept the rituals of  Hinduism. They took off the statue of Alagiyamanavalar Perumal and plundered the treasures, jewels and ornaments which belonged to Srirangam temple. The statue of Alagiyamanavalar Perumal was sent to Delhi.Most of the plundered and looted golden idols were melted and added to the treasury of the Sultan. 

The princess of Delhi, the daughter of Sultan, was much attracted by the beauty of Azhagiya Manavalan that she begged her father, the Sultan, not to melt Him and give it to her for playing with as a toy.  He gifted the golden idol of Azhagiya Manavalan, to her, to play with. She became quite attached to it!. She was so much magnetized by the beauty of Azhagiya Manavalan, that she became inseparable from Him and  fell in love with Perumal. She never left Perumal  even a moment. The Sultan didn't expect this.

 

When Ramanujar, the Vaishnavite saint, went to retrieve the idol and the princess wouldn't part with it.  The Sultan however, happily, surrendered the statue of Alagiyamanavalar Perumal back to Guru Ramanujar. The Daughter of Sultan could not bear this. Ultimately she followed it back to Srirangam.  At Srirangam the princess became Ranaganatha's consort. She is worshipped as Thulukka Nachiyar. Now there is a separate temple for Her near Ranganathar temple next to Arjuna Mantapam,near the sanctum sanctorum.Every year Kalyana uthsavam with Arangan is celebrated in a grand manner, when Butter Rotis and Sugar, cooked Mughalai style are first offered to the Naachiyaar and then only offered to Rangan.

 

The origin of the temple srirangam history is entirely mythological and acceptable evidences are there, that its first architectural from is traditionally attributed to Chola kings . References to this temple is  in Silappdigaram, a Sangam Work(Tamil sangam ) In Nalayara thivyaPrabhantham  praises  god of Srirangam lord Sri ranganatha, Vishnu reposing (Tharisanam in tamil) with the goddess Lakshmi on the coach of the thousand – hooded serpent (in tamil aayeram thalai nagam),known as Ranganatha  in its southern form , or as the Seshasayanamurti or the Anantasyasna of the Vishnu- Narayana of Classical northern Vishnuism; a cosmic god who is one of the specific figures of the cult of Vaishnava Bhakti, a concept of which goes back to the Rig veda period. 

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[Raj Shrotriya]

Interesting Shreekant.

Raj Shrotriya

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From: shreekant kelkar <sbkelk...@yahoo.co.in>

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Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:41:45 -0700

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Subject: Fw: Why ROTIS FOR LORD RANGANATHA OF SRIRANGAM...!!!

[harash kapoor]

Great story. Where exactly is this place? I have visited Tamil Nadu & Kerala but did not learn about it.
 
Harash
 

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Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:41:45 +0800
From: sbkelk...@yahoo.co.in
Subject: Fw: Why ROTIS FOR LORD RANGANATHA OF SRIRANGAM...!!!
CC: afmc-a...@googlegroups.com

[KADAMBI VARADARAJ RAGHURAM]

The place Srirangam is a small island temple surrounded by a river near Trichy,Those interested in temple architecture/devotees may visit this.When there do not miss out the tour on the temple roof top;its very interesting.About 9 years ago my wife and I toured by taxi most temples towns in Tamil nadu with Thanjavur as the base it took us 5 days.We got guidance from the local TN tourism dept in Bangalore.
Raghu

[harash kapoor]

Thanks, Raghu.
 
Harash
 

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Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:57:22 +0530
Subject: Re: Why ROTIS FOR LORD RANGANATHA OF SRIRANGAM...!!!
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