Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted roadshows ahead of his visits to the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli and the Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. The public accorded a warm welcome, showering flower petals on his cavalcade. In a touching moment, an elderly woman raised her hands affectionately, reciprocated by the Prime Minister with folded hands.
During the visit to the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, PM Modi listened to scholars reciting verses from the Kamba Ramayanam. In Rameswaram, he performed darshan and pooja, participating in ‘Shri Ramayana Paryana’ where traditional Mandalis recited Ramkathas in various languages.
The upcoming Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22 is eagerly anticipated. PM Modi’s visit to the Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple in Srirangam is particularly significant, with the temple having deep connections to Sri Ram. The deity worshipped, Sri Ranganatha Swamy, is considered a form of Vishnu.
The Srirangam temple holds a special place in the history of the Ramayana, with the idol originally worshipped by Sri Ram and his ancestors in Ayodhya. Vibhishana received the idol as a gift from Sri Ram and, while en route to Lanka, it got fixed in Srirangam.
The visit to Srirangam included a special moment at the Kamba Ramayana Mantapam, where PM Modi sat in the same place where the great Tamil poet Kamban first sang the Tamil Ramayana in the 12th century.
On Sunday, PM Modi is scheduled to worship at the Kothandaramaswamy Temple in Dhanushkodi and visit Arichal Munai, believed to be the place where the Ram Setu was built.