Ranganayaki

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (November 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Ranganayaki, is the presiding Goddess of Sri Ranganathaswami Temple at Srirangam. Affectionately called Thayar ("Holy Mother" in Tamil), she is the consort of Ranganatha, the presiding deity of Srirangam. She is regarded as the manifestation of Lakshmi, while Ranganatha is considered as a manifestation of Vishnu. She is also called Ranganayaki Nachiyar and Periya Piratti.

Ranganayaki is held in high reverence by the people of Srirangam and by Vaishnavites. Acharyas that sang the grace of Ranganatha venerate her. She is the feminine aspect of the universe and Vaishnavite traditions regard her co-equal to Ranganatha himself; she is both the means and the end of worship to them. All Vaishanvites revere her as Thayar.

Temple[]

The shrine has 2 main idols (moola murtis) and 1 processional idol (utsava murti), due to the fact that the processional idol was buried under a tree near her shrine during the invasion of the temple by Malik Kafur of the Mughal Empire, a wall was erected before her shrine so that the shrine cannot be plundered. After the plunder, the idol was not found and the priest of the shrine hastily ordered for a new idol to be created. This idol was the second main idol (moola murti) in the shrine. Legend says that, Goddess Ranganayaki appeared in a dream of a devotee and told him where her procession idol (utsava murti) was. The idol was dug up by the devotee and re-installed. Unlike other temples, the processional idol of Ranganayaki never leaves her sanctum (garbha griha). It is a temple custom that the goddess of the temple takes her place beside the god of the temple during processions. In Srirangam, however, Ranganayaki never leaves her shrine. All others, including Ranganatha himself, come to visit her.

Once a year, in the month of Panguni Uthiram, the day in the Tamil month of Panguni when the star is in ascension, the divine procession idols (utsava murtis) of Ranganatha and Ranganayaki, come together for a day. They are known together as Divyadampathigal (divine couple). (This day is not fixed, but falls sometime in the Western months of March or April.)^[1] This Darshan is called "Serthi Sevai." In Tamil, Serthi is alongside/together and Sevai is service to the deities.

Unlike many temples, Srirangam does not have a (Wedding festival), between Ranganatha and Ranganayaki. They are regarded as Divyadampathigal (divine couple), existing beyond mortal confines or limitations.

In the temple, along with the goddess Ranganayaki, one can also find, just behind her, Bhudevi and Lakshmi, in sitting posture.

There are many Shlokas composed about the goddess Mahalakshmi but the "Sri Gunaratna Kosam," a Sanskrit Shloka composed by Parasara Bhattar, is exclusive to Ranganayaki. However the traditional Lakshmi Asthottaram is recited in the temple during rituals. Apart from this, Sree Sthuthi composed by Vedanta Desika and Kanakadhara Sthothram given by Adi Shankaracharya are chanted by devotees of the temple.

All Acharyas of Hindu tradition, irrespective of their philosophical positions, have visited and continue to visit the temple to worship Ranganatha and Ranganayaki.

References[]

This article about Hindu religious studies, scripture or ceremony is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

• v
• t