Worshipping Sree Rama at Ayodhya - Pran Prathishta

நாளை 22.1.2024 அற்புதமாக புலரும்.  Jan 22 - தை திங்கள் 8ம் நாள் துவாதசி, மிருகசீர்ஷம் அதி அற்புதமான நாள்.  ஸ்ரீராமச்சந்திர மூர்த்தி தான் அவதரித்த அயோத்தி ஜென்மஸ்தானில் பிராண பிரதிஷ்டை.

அதி அத்புதமான ஸ்ரீராமபிரானின் காதை இராமாயணம்.   வால்மீகி எழுதிய  இராமாயணத்தின் ஆறாவது காண்டமான யுத்த காண்டத்தில் இராமன் இலங்கையில் இராவணன் முதலான அரக்கர்களோடு நிகழ்த்திய போர் நிகழ்ச்சிகளைக் விவரிக்கின்றது.   இறுதியில் இராமர் இராவணனைக் வதம் செய்து  போரை முடித்து, , வீடணனுக்கு இலங்கையின் மன்னராக முடி சூட்டி - இராமர், சீதை, இலக்குமணன் முதலானோர், வீடணன் மற்றும் அனுமான் உள்ளிட்ட வானரக் கூட்டத்துடன் புஷ்பக  விமானத்தில் ஏறி அயோத்தி வந்தடைந்தனர். அயோத்தியில் இராமருக்கு வசிட்டர் பட்டாபிஷேகம் செய்து வைக்க, இராமராச்சியம் தொடங்கி ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகள் இராமர் நன்னெறிகளுடன் அயோத்தியை ஆண்டார்.

शङ्खशब्दप्रणादैश्च दुन्दुभीनान् च निस्वनैः |

प्रययू पुरुषव्याघ्रस्तां पुरीन् हर्म्यमालिनीम् ||

sha~NkhashabdapraNAdaishcha dundubhInAn cha nisvanaiH |

prayayU puruShavyAghrastAM purIn harmyamAlinIm || 6-128-33 

Lord  Rama, the foremost Maryadha Purush among men, accompanied by sounds of conches buzzing in the ears and sounds of kettle-drums, proceeded to the city of Ayodhya, having a series of palaces. 

It was all over after the  maha Yudha, Ravana was conquered, all asuras were destroyed .. .. Sree Ramapiran returned back to the kingdom of Ayodhya acceding to the request Bharata  .. .. the greatest Warrior returned to the kingdom, got ceremonial bath and was adorned for the grand occasion.   Sree  Rama, mounting on an excellent chariot, sallies forth on a procession in the city accompanied by Bharata, Shatrughna, Lakshmana and Vibhishana. Nine thousand elephants followed the procession, with Sugreeva and other vanaras mounted on them. Hundreds of attendants  and musicians with their musical instruments walked in front of Rama's procession. The citizens of Ayodhya hosted  flags on every house.  As instructed by  Sugreeva four of his vanaras brought  water from four oceans in jars given to them. Some of them  brought water from five hundred rivers, for the ceremony. Vasishta along with   priests caused Rama to be consecrated with that water.   Vasishta   officiating the coronation-ceremony adorned Rama with an auspicious and charming crown.   Rama presented a pearl-necklace to Seetha and Seetha presented that necklace in turn to Hanuma. Rama further gave  presents to Vibhishana, Sugreeva, Jambavan and others on the occasion.   

Sree Rama at Thiruvelukkai divyadesam

Tomorrow is the historic moment whence the idol of Sree Rama will be installed in the new temple coming up at His Janmasthan.  Reports suggest that the old idol of Lord Ram will be placed in front of the new idol which will be consecrated.

 

The  Ram temple in Ayodhya boasts an expansive area, covering a total of 2.7 acres. The built-up area of the temple is an impressive 57,400 square feet, reflecting the grandeur and scale of the architectural endeavour.  The temple's physical dimensions are noteworthy, with a total length of 360 feet and a width of 235 feet. The height of the temple, inclusive of its peak, reaches 161 feet. This sizeable structure is spread over three floors, with each floor having a height of 20 feet.

The Pran Pratishtha of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is poised to take place tomorrow. This sacred ceremony, marking the consecration of the deity within the temple, promises to be a historic event that carries profound cultural and symbolic importance. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji  will preside over the Pran Pratishtha ceremony which will be officiated by a team of priests led by Lakshmikant Dixit. Several states have announced a public holiday or half-working on Monday to allow people celebrate the occasion.

 

For the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22, the temple Trust has sent out invites to representatives of more than 50 countries. One of them is Kim Chil-su from South Korea. He belongs to the Queen Heo dynasty. Queen Heo, also known as Suriratna, was the princess of Ayodhya, who, according to popular legend, travelled to Korea and started the Karak dynasty in that country. For the past several years, the India-Korea connection of Ayodhya has been in the news.  In 2018, draped in an elegant saree, South Korean First Lady Kim Jung-sook soaked in Diwali festivities in Ayodhya much to the delight of the people of this pilgrim town. From the moment she arrived in Ayodhya on Tuesday till she departed, local people, especially the youth, applauded and cheered her at the multiple events she attended, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. 

Princes Heo Hwang-ok, or Queen Hu, also popularly known as Suriratna which is supposed to be her Indian name, is at the centre of a legend that goes back nearly 2,000 years. She is believed to be a princess from Ayodhya who became the much-loved Queen Hu of Korea. There is a widespread belief in South Korea, and for the past few decades in India too, that in 48 AD, Princess Suriratna of Ayodhya travelled for three months to marry King Suro, who founded the Karak dynasty in 42 AD. The capital of his kingdom was Gimhae City. Today, millions of people in South Korea trace their origin to the Karak clan.

This new temple is in Nagara style of architecture.  The Nagara style of temple architecture emerged some time in the fifth century CE, during the late Gupta period, in northern India. It is seen in juxtaposition with the Dravida style of southern India, which too emerged in the same period.  Nagara temples are built on a raised plinth, with the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum) — where the idol of the deity rests — the most sacred part of the temple. Towering over the garbha griha is the shikhara (literally ‘mountain peak’), the most distinguishable aspect of Nagara style temples.  As the name suggests, shikharas are human-made representations of the natural and cosmological order. 

A typical Nagara style temple also comprises a circumambulatory passage around the garbha griha, and one or more mandapas (halls) on the same axis as it. Elaborate murals and reliefs often adorn its walls.

 

Tomorrow let us celebrate the reentry of Sree Rama to His Avatharasthalam.  Let us light lamps at homes, offer fragrant flowers, offer sweets to Perumal and distribute them later.  Let us join the grand functions organized for the occasion around our place, watch Pran Prathishta live on TV, if we are not in a position to be physically present in Ayodhya. 

Lots of events are planned at Thiruvallikkeni also .. .. Jai Shree Ram.

 
adiyen Srinivasa dhasan
Mamandur Veeravalli Srinivasan Sampathkumar
21.1.2024.