Pranava Manthiram - Vaikasi Visakam

Lord Murugan is believed to have manifested from the Third Eye of Lord Shiva & Parvathi in the solar month of Vaikasi with the Nakshatra of Vishakha visible in the skies and when the full moon (Pournima) was in operation. He is connected especially to the number 6 since he was incarnated as 6 divine sparks to destroy the three demon brothers Soorapadman, Singamuhan & Tarakan thus bringing balance and restoring parity to motherland. The 6 faces of the Lord represent mastery over Anger, Attachment, Desire, Ego, Greed and Jealousy. Thus prayers offered to the Lord help sharpen the mind and control the senses. There are also 6 famous abodes dedicated to Lord Arumugam at Thiruparankundram, Tiruchendur, Palani, Swamimalai, Tiruttani and Pazhamudircholai. Adding further, the sacred mantra of Sage Agasthya 'Sa Ra Va Na Ba Va' also comprises of six syllables known for curing illnesses and granting positive health.

Other than Vishakha or Visagam which is considered to be his birth star ruled by Indragni ('Indra+Agni') he is strongly affiliated to Krithika (Karthigai) star ruled by the God of Fire 'Agni' and also Pushya (Poosam) star ruled by the God of Wisdom 'Guru'. The Krithika star also has reference because it is believed that the Lord as an infant was nurtured by the 6 Krithika Maidens thus also garnering him the moniker of 'Kartikeya'. Skanda is also connected to the star of Uttara Phalguni (Uthiram) as that was the Nakshatra which was in occurence during his divine marriage to 'Deivanai', the daughter of the Chief of Gods 'Indra'.

The Navagraha Mars is also associated with Deva Senapathi and so is the Vara of Tuesday (Chevva Kizhamai) which is specifically ruled by the planet Mars. Mars is known for the significations of Victory & War and hence appeasing Lord Kumara helps in overcoming and winning your battles both inwardly and outwardly. For those afflicted with Mars Dosha, seeking refuge to Subramanya can act as a great counter relieving measure. The symbol 'Vel' or spear is used as his primary divine weapon to conquer and emerge victorious in tandem with also denoting wisdom and being wise.

As alluded earlier about #6, the sixth Tithi of both the waxing & waning phase viz 'Shasti' is connected to Lord Shanmuga. Also the Karana 'Vishti' linked with the animal cock is ruled by Saravana. The other animal connected largely to the Lord is the Peacock which he rides known as 'Paravani' symbolising destruction of pride & ego. The Yoga of 'Siddha' formed in association of the combined degree longitude of the Sun & Moon is also ruled by Velava.

On this divine birthday of the 'Lord of Everything' on Vaigasi Visagam, playing a small portion of a lullaby 'Pranava Manthiram' associated with Lord Guhan denoting the softer side of our all encompassing almighty Tamil Kadavul. May his name be ever chanted and get resonated with pride. Let the belief be steadfast and ever faithful.

Margazhi Musings - Mystical and Magical!

There is something serene about 'Margazhi' which makes it both mystical and magical. It almost feels like everything comes to life during this window of approximately about 30 days.

Lord Krishna mentions in the Bhagawad Gita "māsānāṁ mārga-śhīrṣhoham" - translating as "Of all the months I'm Margazhi". This Dhanur month is venerated towards Lord Vishnu and believed to be of steadfast spiritual significance. It is a time in which devotion reigns foremost with traditions in full force uniting and representing culture in an embellished elan. This is especially true if you're from the South of India and more so from Tamil Nadu belonging to the city of Chennai and for more pin pointed precision live in the by lanes or in and around the neck of the woods of the evergreen area of 'Mylapore'.

Margazhi month ignites with the ingress of the Sun into the sign of Sagittarius or more specifically Moola Nakshatra thus ushering the awakening of Dhanur Masa or the month of the morning dawn. Incidentally this month is not known for auspicious events such as purchasing of material acquisitions, starting new ventures, conducting marriage / engagement functions etc. This is because this month is dedicated exclusively for worship towards the divine with the focus solely being on religious activities. It makes great sense from an astrological perspective also as Sagittarius or Dhanur is the 9th sign of the Kalapurusha and denotes significations such as Religion, Faith, Blessings, Dharma, Temples, Gurus etc. It also indicates 'Father' and interestingly the other month where ceremonies like marriage are avoided happens to be Aadi Maasam equating to Sun's entry into Cancer zodiac which is the 4th sign of the Kalapurusha portraying 'Mother'. Thus both in the sign of Mother (Cancer/Aadi) and Father (Sagittarius/Dhanur), events like marriage are not considered auspicious perhaps indirectly hinting that these months are for respecting the elders and getting more closer to the divine perfectly symbolising with the statement of "Mata Pita Guru Deivam". Also another pointer one could think of is that the beginning Nakshatra of Dhanur that Sun enters into viz Moola is anything but materialistic. It is ruled by "Nirriti", the goddess of destruction embodying dissolution needed for renewal and is associated with a deep spiritual impulse. Shri Anjaneya is believed to be born in the constellation of Moola Nakshatra and everyone is aware of the Bhakti and deep devotion that he had towards Lord Rama. Also Moola aligns with the Galactic Milky way center and is said to be linked with a super massive black hole in line with its symbol of roots, creation and transformation. All these factors can perhaps be interpreted to give a solid reasoning as to why this month is anything but connected to material pursuits.

Many associate the 'Margashira' month as directly akin to 'Margazhi' which is not always correct. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala especially, the solar months are considered prominent based on the Sun's entry in to a zodiac sign whereas in other parts of India, its the Lunar calendar based on the Tithi which holds sacrosanct. In Tamil Nadu, the solar month of Sagittarius is termed as 'Margazhi' and in Kerala it is referred as 'Dhanu'. For those following the Lunar calendar, there are two traditions viz Amanta and Pournimanta with the former indicating the start of a new month at the end of Ammavasya Tithi and the latter calls the start of a new month at the end of Poornima Tithi. Thus it can be inferred that a portion of the lunar month of Margashira may be intermingled as part of Margazhi but not exclusively. 

The period which roughly runs from mid December till mid January is a phase in which the divine reigns supreme, music & dance takes centerstage, delectable delicacies get devoured, symmetrical eye gazing art in the form of Kolams get depicted invoking and inviting God. There is a a chillness in the air that is felt from underneath. Even offices provide a leeway to their employees by making this their festive time with holidays granted in the form of Xmas & New Year and additionally many companies even have the policy of Golden Week allowing their work force to enjoy that one week time of December last week all for themselves. Some events taking place may just be a minor coincidence but that festival atmosphere buzzing during the Margazhi interval is simply unmatchable. Incidentally even the NRI folks largely uses this zone of time to book their holidays to head over to Bharat Mata to soak in the brilliance that's Margazhi. It almost appears like everything congregates and comes together to make this spell of time truly special.

It's also the month uniting Vaishnavite & Shaivite traditions with Arudra Darshan following closely on the heels of Vaikunta Ekadashi. In fact it also blends with the Western World of Spirituality as Christmas - the day commemorating with the birth of Jesus Christ also occurring only during Margazhi. Also in present day time, January 1st is universally acknowledged to be the start of the calendar year in almost every part of the world which also inevitable falls always during Margazhi.  

Known as the Dawn of the Devas, this month is specially revered for Goddess Andal. Sri Andal - the only female saint among the 12 Alwars whose selfless devotion and love is eulogised to be unparalleled composed the 'Thiruppavai' - a set of 30 verses which are recited as hymns by devotees on each day of the month. The 18 day Kurukshetra War in Mahabharata supposedly also took place in Margazhi. Temples are said to open an hour in advance ensuring to bring the spiritual fervour vibrating all through the month.

Music Kutcheris predominantly in the form of Carnatic Music will be in full swing all through the first half of Margazhi leading upto December 31st. From January onwards its the dance season primarily in the mode of Bharatanatyam carrying the baton for the rest part. Margazhi is a month where the confluence of Music and Dance blends together in its most splendid aura. And to give it company are the canteens doling out all kinds of lip smacking foodie delicacies full of vibrancy and variety with the aroma smearing across from all directions. Speaking about Music, the grand Thyagaraja Aradhanai in honour of one of the greatest classical composers Saint Thyagaraja also at times tends to get scheduled during the Margazhi Month.

Music, Dance, Art, Food, Temples, Religion, Festivals all unite and merge together to make this month of Margazhi as truly one of a kind. When the reverberating sounds of music converges with the tingling of dance steps and geometry of morning rangolis amidst the whiff of divine air circulating and aroma of freshly cooked food, spirituality awakens and Margazhi truly comes to life. Margazhi also acts as the bridge between the end of the calendar year and beginning of the next one. Wishing everyone a blessed Margazhi month. May the divine forces help in being deeply connected and tiding us through in all our endeavours. Sharing some important dates & events to keep note for the benefit of everyone during this holy spiritual time span known as 'Margazhi'

- *Margazhi Masa Aarambam - Dec 16th 2025*
Ingress of the Sun into the sign of Dhanur and Moola Nakshatra signalling the ushering of Margazhi Month 

- *Kanchi Sri Mahaperiyava Aaradhanai - Dec 16th 2025*
In commemoration of attaining samadhi of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham - Jagadguru Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Mahaswamigal that took place on the day after Ekadashi Tithi in Krishna Dwadashi Tithi when Anusham (Anuradha) Nakshatra was in operation.

- *Kuchela Dinam - Dec 17th 2025*
Celebrated on the first Wednesday of Dhanur month as per Malayalam calendar. It is as an annual festival celebrated by Hindus in Kerala mainly in honour of Lord Guruvayurappan.

- *Hanuman Jayanthi - Dec 19th 2025*
This is recognised differently based on state culture. However for Tamil Nadu & Kerala, Hanuman Jayanthi occurs on Amma Vasya Tithi during Margazhi month. It also closely aligns with Anjaneyar's birth Nakshatra of Moola which is in operation from late night of 19th Dec and will be present when Amma Vasya Tithi finishes on the 20th morning

- *Shortest Day of the Year - Dec 21st 2025*
For those places belonging to the Northern Hemisphere which includes India, Dec 21st will mark as being the shortest day of the year. It also links well with the Margazhi tradition of day light occurring earlier and days being shorter in magnitude compared to nights.

- *Christmas - Dec 25th 2025*
Christian festival celebrated worldwide commemorating the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ. Coincidence or otherwise, Christmas always gets bracketed in the Margazhi month

- *Vaikunta Ekadashi - Dec 30th 2025*
Ekadashi's occur two times in every solar month but the Shukla Paksha Ekadashi occurring in Margazhi month happens to be the most auspicious Vaikunta Ekadashi opening the gates to Lord Maha Vishnu's celestial abode.

- *New Year - Jan 1st 2026*
Ushering of New Year signalling the start of new calendar year 2026 worldwide

- *Arudra Darisanam - Jan 3rd 2026*
This occurs on the day Tiruvadirai (Arudra) Nakshatra transits in Margazhi month. Arudra Darisanam is celebrated in veneration of Lord Shiva's cosmic dance as Nataraja.

- *Ramana Maharishi Jayanthi - Jan 4th 2026*
This takes place when Punarpoosam (Punarvasu) Nakshatra is in operation during Margazhi month in reverence to the birth anniversary of Ramana Maharishi

- *Pushpa Abhishek - Jan 5th 2026*
Flower Bathing ceremony of Lord Krishna especially followed in traditions like Iskcon which takes place on Poosam (Pushya) Nakshatra that symbolises 'flower' when Pushya Lunar month is in operation which coincides with Margazhi month in this year

- *Agastya Jayanthi (aka) Siddha Day - Jan 6th 2026*
Agastya Jayanthi also reckoned as 'Siddha Day' is in honour of the great Sage Agasthya Maharishi who is said to be born in the month of Margazhi when Ayilyam (Ashlesha) Nakshatra was visible in the skies. Agasthya is known to have drunk the entire ocean in order to help the Devas and he is also credited with being the father of Siddha Medicine.

- *Sri Thyagara Aaradhanai - Jan 7th 2026*
5 day Annual Carnatic music festival in respect of Saint Thyagaraja, one of the Trinities of Carnatic music along with Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri. It is held on Krishna Paksha Panchami Tithi in Pushya Lunar month during which the musical Saint attained Samadhi. This time it coincides as part of the Margazhi month

- *Koodaravalli - Jan 11th 2026*
This takes place on the 27th day of the month of Margazhi in rejoice of Andal's devotion as that was the day when Lord Vishnu granted her the boon of marriage. Devotees offer a special sweet called 'Akkara Vadisal' - a form of ghee rice pudding in celebration of Kodhai. 

- *Vivekananda Jayanthi aka India's National Youth Day - Jan 12th 2026*
This is calendar date specific and takes place every year on the 12th of January which is the birth anniversary of spiritual leader Sri Vivekanand.

Note: Some of the dates may fall across 2 days but importance is given based on whether sunrise was prevalent during the event occurrence. For instance, Agastya Jayanti which is based on Nakshatra Ayilyam or Ashlesha starts around noon on 5th Jan and ends after noon on 6th Jan. Since only on 6th Jan, sunrise was prevalent, thus the latter date is given higher priority. Additionally not date specific, this holy month of 'Margazhi' is also known for 'Pavai Nonbu' and 'Thiruvempavai'. The former is a religious observation primarily undertaken by unmarried girls involving waking up early, performing rituals and singing hymns in praise to the Lord. The latter dedicated to Lord Shiva is a set of 20 hymns written by Manikavasagar and is sung daily with fast undertaken for 9 days and culminating on the 10th day of Thiruvadhirai during Arudra Darisanam.

The ways of the Divine - Sri Rangam Calling!🛕

There is something intrinsically sacrosanct about last minute plans especially when invoking the divine. Our decision to go to Sri Rangam was impromptu and took place at the eleventh hour. Now looking at it in hindsight, it was certainly one of the best decisions ever made as the Lord arranged everything for us at his own accord which we savoured to our heart's content. 

Even though a thought had been looming to visit Sri Rangam for almost a week, the action to eventually go was implanted only around the early hours of the evening when we boarded the bus and decided to walk the tightrope. The divine was calling and we just followed its ways and everything crystallised as per his beck & call. We reached Sri Rangam in the wee hours of the morning on 10th Aug 2025 without having an accommodation and he just magically led us to stay at a comfortable place within striking distance of the iconic Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple. No amount of planning would have ever resulted in getting us a place in the proximity of a sanctorum circulating the pure air of divinity around for us to breathe and get purified.

Appended below is the list of temples that were visited in and around Sri Rangam (Trichy) on 10th & 11th August 2025

Divya Desams:
1) Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Sri Rangam
2) Sri Purushottaman Perumal Temple (Uthamar Kovil), Thirukkarambanoor
3) Sri Appakudathan Perumal Temple, Thirupper Nagar
4) Sri Vadivazhagiya Nambi Perumal Temple, Thiru Anbil
5) Sri Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple, Thiruvellarai

Pancha Bhoota Element: (Water)

6) Jambukeshwarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval

Amman:
7) Arulmigu Mariamman Temple, Samayapuram

Krishna:
8) Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Footprints, Sri Rangam
9) Sri Jagannath Mutt, Sri Rangam

Narasimha:
10) Kaattu Azhagiya Singar Temple, Sri Rangam

Divya Desam: 
Divya Desams are special 108 temples of Lord Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi which have been mentioned in the works of the 12 Alwars (Poet Saints of Vishnu) who are known for their meticulous devotion having compiled the Divya Prabandham consisting of 4000 verses. Out of 108, only 106 are in the physical realm belonging in Planet Earth with 105 of these located in India and the one located outside India happens to be at Saligramam in Nepal. The two Divya Desams not located on Earth happen to be Kshira Sagara - the divine ocean in Heaven and Vaikunta - the heavenly abode of Vishnu & Lakshmi. Out of the total 108 Divya Desams, 6 of them happen to be around theTrichy border.

We managed to cover 5 of these 6 having our base location just about a stone's throw away from the magnificent Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple. Listed below are brief insights on the 5 Divya Desams that were covered during our yatra.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Sri Rangam
This is a dazzling architectural marvel alluring in form and glittering in structure. It is considered as one of the foremost Vaishnava temple. It is the numero-uno in the list of the 108 Divya Desam temples and thronged by people all over the globe with it being listed as the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world. The temple tower known as Gopuram in Srirangam is termed as the "Raja Gopuram" and is said to be the largest Gopuram in the whole of Asia. Sri Rangam hosts tonnes of deities across Hindu mythology with the main deity being Lord Ranganatha, a reclining form of Vishnu. He is seen along with his primary consort Ranganayaki and two secondary consorts besides to the left & right of her viz Bhu Devi and Nila Devi. The most interesting fact about Sri Rangam temple is that it would not even have seen the light of the day. As legend goes, it is believed that this deity rose from the Ocean (Paarkadal) as a result of Brahma’s penance after which Ikshvaku, a descendant king of the Sun God (Surya), brought this idol to his capital in Ayodhya. This was then handed over to Lord Rama who is said to have received the idol by way of inheritance and worshipped it with great reverence. He had then requested Vibheeshana, the brother of Ravana, to install this deity in Sri Lanka with instructions to not rest the idol elsewhere. Vibheeshana, being a devout Brahmin, performed daily rituals at dusk and dawn every day. It so happened that he could not return to Lanka before sunset and set the deity down before commencing his evening ritual. It is then inferred that the idol bonded to the soil of the earth and could not be displaced by anybody and from then on it has stayed put right here in our very own Sri Rangam. The best way to worship the idols at Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple is by taking all the time in the world by traversing through the acres of land consisting of towers aplenty with multitude of shrines. One should definitely ensure not to miss the Ramanuja Shrine (Udayavar Sannidhi) where the mortal remains of the holy saint is preserved to this day using natural substances such as sandalwood and saffron. Ramanujacharya was said to be born in 1017 and died at the ripe age of 120 in 1137. Since then for the last 888 years as of 2025, his soul has remained still intact in a seated position. Application of camphor & vermilion on his body twice a year gives his holy presence an ochre (orangish yellow brown) tint. It is gravity defying and has to be seen to be believed.
Divya Desam # - 1
Vishnu Name - Ranganatha Perumal
Lakshmi Name - Ranganayaki Thayar

Sri Purushottaman Perumal Temple (Uthamar Kovil), Thirukkarambanoor

This is a rare Vaishnava temple dedicated to the Trimurtis of Hinduism viz Lord Vishnu - the preserver of the universe, Lord Shiva - the destroyer of the universe and Lord Brahma - the creator of the universe. This is 3rd on the list of the Divya Desams. The God Vishnu here also is in reclining form and termed as Sri Purushottaman Perumal and his consort goes by the name of Poornavali Thayar. It is also known as Bhikshandar Kovil as Lord Shiva was relieved of his doshas. This temple also talks about husband & wife living in unity and understanding termed as "Uthamba" meaning best, so it also came to be known as Uthamar Kovil. Lord Vishnu is said to have emerged as a Kadamba tree to test the devotion of Lord Bramma and hence this place also goes by the name of Kadhambanur or Karambanur.

Divya Desam # - 3

Vishnu Name - Purushottaman Perumal

Lakshmi Name - Poornavali Thayar

Sri Appakudathan Perumal Temple, Thirupper Nagar

The name of the Vishnu God here is Sri Appakkudathaan Perumal again seen in a sleeping posture and he is seen with his consort Sri Kamalavalli Thayar. This is 6th on the list of the Divya Desams. The temple is one of the five Pancharanga Kshetrams, a group of five Hindu temples on the banks of the River Kaveri. Appam is a popular sweet dish prepared here in the temple daily as Neivedya and legend has it that Perumal got the name as Appakudathan since he received a pot of Appam from King Upamanyu.

Divya Desam # - 6

Vishnu Name - Appakudathan Perumal

Lakshmi Name - Kamalavalli Thayar

Sri Vadivazhagiya Nambi Perumal Temple, Thiru Anbil

This is another Vishnu seen in a reclining avatar and here he goes by the name of Sundara Raja Perumal and the Goddess is referred to as Sri Sundaravalli Thayar. This temple comes as the 5th of the Divya Desams. Vadiva Azhagiya or Sundara means "Beautiful" and it is believed that Lord Vishnu came as a handsome young man in front of Lord Brahma and mentioned that his physical appearance is just temporary and one has to be good at heart.

Divya Desam # - 5

Vishnu Name - Sundararaja Perumal

Lakshmi Name - Sundaravalli Thayar

Sri Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple, Thiruvellarai

The God Vishnu goes by the name of Pundarikakshan and the Goddess name is Pankajavalli Thayar. This is 4th on the list of Divya Desams. 'Pundari' denotes beautiful eyes and the Lord is said to be possessing enchanting eyes. Here, you would see Lord Vishnu in a standing posture with the Sun and Moon spanning the Lord on left & right and seated along on both sides are Markandeya Rishi and Bhooma Devi doing penance for the world. In this temple you would also witness Garuda in standing posture and Adishesha in a Manly avatar. This temple is said to be built by Sibi Chakravarthy.

Divya Desam # - 4

Vishnu Name - Pundarikaksha Perumal

Lakshmi Name - Pankajavalli Thayar

Pancha Bhoota Sthala

Pancha Bhoota Sthalam refers to 5 temples designated to Lord Shiva pertaining to the 5 primordial elements of nature viz Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. From the name it can be figured out that Pancha means "5", Bhoota refers to "element" and Sthala denotes "place". All these temples are located in South India with 4 of them being in Tamil Nadu (Earth, Water, Fire & Ether) and the remaining one representing Air element located in Andhra Pradesh. The 5 Pancha Sthalas are as listed below:

Earth - Ekambareshwar Temple - Kanchipuram - Tamil Nadu

Water - Jambukeshwarar Temple - Trichy - Tamil Nadu

Fire - Annamalaiyar Temple - Tiruvannamalai - Tamil Nadu

Air - Sri Kalahasti Temple - Kalahasti - Andhra Pradesh

Ether - Thillai Natarajar Temple - Chidambaram - Tamil Nadu

Jambukeshwarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval

During our visit to Trichy, we got an opportunity to visit the magnificent Jambukeshwarar Temple dedicated to the Water element. 'Water' is often referred to as the universal solvent and has a major bearing to do with one's personal emotions, feelings, intuitions and flow of creativity. Hence it was a blessing to worship at this temple. Also this temple is said to be associated with Pooradam or Poorva Ashada Nakshatra because its Devata is said to be Apah - The God of Water. The main deities here are Shiva who goes by the name "Jambukeshwara" and his consort Parvathi who takes the name of "Akilandeshwari". Legend has it that the sanctum of Jambukeswara has an underground water stream which in spite of pumping water out is always filled with water. The folklore goes like Parvathi mocking Shiva for his deep penance for which Shiva condemns her act and sends her to Earth in order to do penance. Goddess Akilandeshwari realising her folly is believed to have performed penance to atone her mistake. It is said that she found the Jambu forest (Thiruvanaikoil) to conduct her penance and made a lingam out of the water from river Kaveri under the Venn Naaval tree and commenced her worship. The lingam is said to be known as Appu Lingam. Also worth noting is that this temple exclusively hosts the Navagraha Saturn (Shani) with consort 'Jyeshta Devi'. There is also a rare deity of Moon God (Chandra) flanked by consorts Krithika and Rohini.  

Nature Element  - Water

Shiva Name - Jambukeshwara

Parvathi Name - Akilandeshwari

Arulmigu Mariamman Temple, Samayapuram

Apart from all the homage towards Lord Vishnu & the Divya Desams and also visiting the Shiva water element temple, we were also fortunate to receive honourable Mariamma's blessings showered upon us at Samayapuram. It was a massive temple that was packed to the rafters. We bought the necessary essentials to gift her such as flowers, a pair of eyes stickers (known to cure eye related issues), a Thali charadu (yellow thread) and waded through the long queue to get a magical glimpse of her. The aura around the sanctum felt very energetic with a powerful vibe prevalent throughout. The deity Mariamman is said to be a supreme form of Kali/Durga/Adi Shakthi and made of sand, clay and medicinal herbs unlike many of the traditional stone idols.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Footprints, Sri Rangam

The blessings continued to pour thanks largely to my blessed friend who being a supreme Krishna Bhakt, whose bonding towards the Lord has no bounds and is unconditionally pure insisted on visiting the abode of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna during the late 15th and early 16th century. That was like the harbinger for many superlative things to follow. The Pujari there who had been maintaining this small shrine regaled us with stories glorifying on the Lord and he was also instrumental in accompanying and giving us interesting anecdotes during our visit to few of the Divya Desams. Got to learn more about the legend of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from both my friend and the Pujari along with also receiving an English translated copy of the Bhagawad Gita which felt very gratifying. It is believed that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is strongly considered to be Krishna himself laid his footprints on the holy town of Sri Rangam spending 4 months over there in the year 1510 where he observed Chaturmasya Vrata on the banks of the River Kaveri.

Sri Jagannath Mutt, Sri Rangam

Through our conversation with the Pujari at the Chaitanya Mahaprabhu shrine, one thing led to another and we also received the information of a Jagannath Mutt being located nearby at North Chitrai street by the side of Sri Rangam temple paying obeisance to Lord Jagannath. This place also gained extra prominence and propitiousness when we heard that this was the very same place where Mahaprabhu actually spent his time in Srirangam over 500 years back in 1510. There was no way we could miss this and hence decided to pay our reverence at this holy habitat too.

Kaattu Azhagiya Singar Temple, Sri Rangam
As the name denotes, this translates to a "Beautiful Lion from the Forest". Lord Narasimha is well known for being depicted as a Lion and hence the moniker. This is located by the side of the Sri Rangam railway station. History states that this particular precinct was a forest area inhabited by wild animals with people being heavily frightened and also not resorting to killing since its a sin. To escape from this dilemma, this particular temple was build invoking the Lion God Narasimha. Pleased with the devotion, it is believed Narasimha stayed here along with Lakshmi Thayar and protected the devotees. This temple apparently dates back much earlier than even before the inscription of Sri Rangam temple. The Black deity of Narasimha seated along with his consort Lakshmi is indeed a breathtaking beauty.

On the whole it was a momentous, memorable and mystical Mandir yatra. We covered plethora of temples over our 2 day stay and the best part of the whole visit was that nothing at all appeared rushed. It was not just us but even the holy idols which we carried in the form of 'Adishesha' and 'Anantha' also obtained boundless blessings. We got all the time to wing our way through, soak in, immerse and feel the divine in all it's splendour without ever thinking about the time at hand. It felt like as if the divine personally accompanied us everywhere making all the necessary arrangements along the way. We just went with the flow with almost every single decision taken just at that opportune moment and it paved the way for us to get enshrined with majestic blessings all the way through his divine enclosures.

P.S: Please note that majority of the pictures and selective capsules of information pertaining to the history, lineage & culture of the temples have been sourced from the net. Credits to the original sharers and outlets.