Ahead of Ram temple event, PM Modi to visit multiple temples in Tamil Nadu on Jan 20, 21

New Delhi, Jan 18 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit some significant temples in Tamil Nadu on January 20 and 21, his office said on Thursday.

The visit to various temples by the prime minister comes ahead of the Ram temple 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22 which will be attended by him and a host of other dignitaries.

On January 20, Prime Minister Modi will participate in a programme at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, at around 11 AM. He will also listen to various scholars reciting verses from the Kamba Ramayanam in the temple there, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.

Thereafter, Prime Minister Modi will reach Rameswaram at around 2 pm and perform 'darshan' and 'pooja' in Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple.

Continuing the practice being observed during the prime minister's visit to temples in the last few days, wherein he attends Ramayana chanting in various languages (such as Marathi, Malayalam and Telugu), he will attend a programme -- 'Shri Ramayana Paryana' -- in this temple.

In the programme, eight different traditional Mandalis will recite the Sanskrit, Awadhi, Kashmiri, Gurumukhi, Assamese, Bengali, Maithili, and Gujarati Ramkathas, recounting the episode of Lord Ram's return to Ayodhya, the statement said.

"This is in line with Bharatiya cultural ethos and bonding, which is at the core of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'," the statement said.

In Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple, Prime Minister Modi will also participate in Bhajan Sandhya, where multiple devotional songs would be sung at the temple complex in the evening.

On January 21, Prime Minister Modi will perform 'darshan and pooja' at Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi. Near Dhanushkodi. Modi will also visit Arichal Munai, which is said to be the place from where the Ram Setu was built.

The Kothandaramaswamy Temple is dedicated to Sri Kothandarama Swamy. The name Kothandarama means Rama with the bow.

It is said that this is where Vibhishana first met Shri Rama and asked him for refuge. Some legends also say that this is the place where Sri Rama conducted the coronation of Vibhishana.

The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, located in Srirangam, Trichy, is one of the most ancient temple complexes in the country and finds mention in various ancient texts including the Puranas and the Sangam era texts. It is famous for its architectural grandeur and its numerous iconic gopurams.

The main deity worshipped here is Sri Ranganatha Swamy, a reclining form of Bhagwaan Vishnu.

The Sri Ramanujacharya, the great philosopher and saint, is also deeply associated with this temple's history. Moreover, there are various important places in this temple – for example, the famous Kamba Ramayanam was first presented publicly by the Tamil poet Kamban in a particular place in this complex.

The main deity worshipped in this temple is Sri Ramanathaswamy, which is a form of Bhagwan Shiva. It is a widely held belief that the main lingam in this temple was installed and worshipped by Sri Rama and Mata Sita. The temple contains one of the longest temple corridor, which is also famous for its beautiful architecture. PTI