2 idols found at Srirangam temple

[P.J.]

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2 idols found at Srirangam temple

Two idols of Sri Chandrasekarar and Lord Ganapathy, along with five metallic plaques, were unearthed in the ‘prakaram’ of the Parthasarathy shrine at the Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam on Tuesday.
They were found during the renovation work under way at the temple.


The Chandrasekarar idol measures 25 inches in height and the Ganapathy idol 17.5 inches. Both have four arms each, and are mounted on ‘peetams’ (pedestals). The Chandrasekarar idol is on a circular ‘peetam’ and Lord Ganapathy on a lotus-shaped ‘peetam.’ They could have been used as processional deities as they have been fitted with rod-like structures for tying the ropes at the front and rear sides. Temple authorities said the idols could have been kept at the Srirangam temple for safe custody.


A ‘mazhu’ (axe) is found in the upper right arm of Lord Chandrasekarar and a deer in the left upper arm. The lower right arm is in ‘abhayahastham’ posture. The Ganapathy has an elongated trunk, up to the left arm.
Work on the renovation of the temple is currently under way. The idols were found when the masons were clearing the earth, according to temple sources.


The idols, to be inspected by experts, would be kept at the temple museum. The details in the plaque would also be studied, the sources said.



2 idols found at Srirangam temple - The Hindu

 

[prasad1]

What does it mean?
Was it a siva Temple before becoming a Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam? Or was was the temple a smartha stalam before the conversion?

 

[JR]

I know the sthala purana of the SriRangam temple and it was never a Smarta/Shaiva sthala. The idols could have been buried in the SriRangam temple for safe keeping long ago.

According to the sthala purana of SriRangam temple, the main idol was worshipped in Satyaloka by Brahma. It was given to a forefather of Sri Rama at his behest by Brahma. Then Sri Ramachandra's family worshiped Sri Ranganatha as their family deity. Later towards the end of his life, Sri Rama gave the idol to Vibheeshana when Vibheeshana requested that the idol be given to him for building a temple for Sri Ranganatha in Sri Lanka. On his way, Vibheeshana rested for a bit in SriRangam, when owing to the penance of King Dharma Varma (ruler of the region of SriRangam), Vibheeshana's idol gets stuck in SriRangam and he leaves to Sri Lanka empty-handed. This is how Sri Ranganatha's idol came to be at Sri Rangam from Satya Loka (due to return there at the end of Kali yuga).

 

[CHANDRU1849]

I know the sthala purana of the SriRangam temple and it was never a Smarta/Shaiva sthala. The idols could have been buried in the SriRangam temple for safe keeping long ago.

According to the sthala purana of SriRangam temple, the main idol was worshipped in Satyaloka by Brahma. It was given to a forefather of Sri Rama at his behest by Brahma. Then Sri Ramachandra's family worshiped Sri Ranganatha as their family deity. Later towards the end of his life, Sri Rama gave the idol to Vibheeshana when Vibheeshana requested that the idol be given to him for building a temple for Sri Ranganatha in Sri Lanka. On his way, Vibheeshana rested for a bit in SriRangam, when owing to the penance of King Dharma Varma (ruler of the region of SriRangam), Vibheeshana's idol gets stuck in SriRangam and he leaves to Sri Lanka empty-handed. This is how Sri Ranganatha's idol came to be at Sri Rangam from Satya Loka (due to return there at the end of Kali yuga).

Rama is a recarnation of Vishnu and Ranganatha is one of his names. Taking into account your statement, it seems Ranganatha worships himself once he becomes a human being i.e. Rama.

Most of the Perumal temples have no sthalapurana, since Jains temples were actually converted as Perumal temples, as idol worship is more or less same. How this only perumal temple is able to survive so many Yugas? It is a mystery.

The term Chirapalli in the name Tiruchirapally is a Jain terminology. Hence, no doubt, it was a Jain temple at some point of time.

There were serious battles between Saivites and Samanars (Jains). Probably, in one such battle, a Siva Temple might have been converted as a Jain Temple.

 

[sarang]

Temple authorities said the idols could have been kept at the Srirangam temple for safe custody.

This is what the report says. Standard tamil saying for a person who is in a hurry to rush leaving present job incomplete - he was in such a hurry he forgot to wash after the deed!

Anyway, Ranganatha chose this place to rest when vibhishana was taking the Ranganathar with vimanam gifted by Rama, after his pattabhishekam. Yhis happened in treta yuga. In due course the temple was covered by sand and was restored by a chola king in kali yuga.

A similar instance in recent times is the unearthing of 'kirthi narayana' temple in Talkkad in karnataka on the banks of cauvery, built during ramunaj's time. The temple was fully covered by sand dunes, and it is partially restored, with a beautiful seven foot moolavar.

 

[mkrishna100]

Few years back I visited some of the famous temples in Tanjore , Kumbakonan ,Trichy and also visited the place where the Pancha Loha idols are made and while talking with that person incharge he told that it is not surprising to see old idols unearthed in some places around Trichy ,Tanjore ,Kumbakonam and one can find them even in the backyard of normal houses if you dig bit deep . He told they are considered to be antique pieces and many are smuggled abroad illegally for lacks of rupees .

 

[sarang]

There are many explanations.

If under attack from a hostile religious faith or due to famine or disease, residents desert the village and hide the deities by throwing into the pond or bury them in the temple premises or in the house of the village elder. Often when they return to the village after several years, nobody remembers what happened to the old vigrahas; sometimes the old temple is abandoned and a new one built or new vigrahas are installed. There are thousands of dilapidated temples in tamilnadu and if only money collected from the temples is used for renovating them?

IN srirangam too, during malik kafur's invasion, the garbagriha was covered with a stone wall, and the utsavar was taken away for safe keeping. The temple was closed for forty odd years. It is said that only the dhobi who washed the abhishekam clothes could identify the original vigraha. Recently a ganesha idol was found in the factory premises of KCP in andhra, when they were building a ganesh temple. Like the saying - this land is so fertile that wherever you dig you will get water, our punyabhoomi is so rich in bhakti that wherever you dig, you will get a vigraha.

 

[P.J.]

Sri sarang Sir

You are right; simply because two idols were unearthed , it can be concluded it was a Smarta/Shaiva sthala.

 

[sarang]

Again, in srirangam, thayar moolavar was also buried inside the temple during Muslim attack. When situation became normal after several decades, no one remembered what happened to thayar. A new moolavar was consecrated, and after some centuries, the original moolavar was dug out and re installed. Two moolavars for thayar now.