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This petite yet elegant temple has a large following of dedicated Lord Vishnu devotees. It was built in 1964 by of JKR (Public Works Department) workers who helped acquire the land and build the structure of the current temple. The temple follows the Panjarathra agamic method of serving Lord Vishnu, and his consort Goddess Mahalaxmi. The temple has a large and powerful Anjeneyar and Garuda at the entrance. They welcome devotees, and protect the vicinity of the temple. The unique reclining position of Lord Vishnu, is an expression of the deity at the Sri Rangam temple, Tamil Nadu. Lord Vishnu is seated on Adishesha, a five headed serpent who is the king of serpents.
The chief priest of this temple, Gurukal Ramanuja regularly expounds quotes from the Ramayana and Mahabharatham to temple devotees. Also he involves devotees in temple ceremonies and prayers, and educates them in the importance of devotion and faith. For instance during the spiritual month of Marghazhi, prayers for Goddess Andal were conducted. A beautiful thulasi garland was carried around the temple, along with hundreds of unmarried lady devotees. These unmarried ladies chanted the Vishnu mantra “OM NAMO NARAYANAYA". This created a wonderful vibration that harmonised the emotions of the attending devotees. During other spiritual occasions such as Krishna Jayanti, the chief priest Ramanuja would tell stories about Lord Krishna and his playful antics towards his devotees. Towards midnight, he would then instruct the devotee to chant Lord Krishna’s Mahamantra. After this was done, a fabulous blue icing cake would be served to Lord Krishna as prasadam. The devotees at this temple have pride in their temple as most sacred occasions have an active spiritual participation. This is indicated by the family type affair when spiritual occasions are celebrated in this sacred temple. Many devotees feel blessed as they are involved in the ceremony, and not sidelined by religious ceremonies.
Address: Km 7, Jln Kajang Puchong, 43000 Kajang. Tel: 03 87680846/019 3042461
18 comments:
Superb write up. Thanks
i m waiting for a call from Lord to visit this temple. more info about this temple by other devotees are welcome. thanks .
Dear Mr. Batumalai,
Very interesting blog and nice write-up on this temple too. Tomorrow, 24 March 2010 is Sri Rama Navami celebration at this temple. Pooja and other celebrations are usually done in a grand manner. All are welcome. Hari Om Namo Narayana.
Dear all,
If you haven't been to this temple, you MUST make it a point to pay a visit, at least once, the vibes are strong here, you can participate in the prayers and ceremonies here and not feel sidelined by them, and you will SURELY be blessed by HARI OM NAMO NARAYANA.
Try to attend SAT morning prayers as abishegam to the Lord is done frm 6am followed by prayers to Saniswaran n Hanuman. There is also a special Hanuman Pooja n meditation done every Thursday evening at 7.45/8.00 -8.45/9pm.
Do come and enjoy the blissful spiritual experience.
What is the name of the Head Priest of this Temple ?
Ramanuja
wrong the temple head priest name is not Ramanuja but Muniandy.
The temple's priest name is Ramanuja Muniandy. I'm not sure what you're getting at?
His name is Muniandy not Ramanuja. Do not speculate.
fabulous blue icing cake would be served to Lord Krishna as prasadam.
There are 2 flaws here:
1. Blue Icing Cake is not to be offered to the Lord. This is an offence.
2. Food offered which going to the Lord is called Naivediyam and the naivediyam which is given to devotees is called Prasadam.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prasad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naivedyam
Ultimately, the same.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/6/8/central/4069960&sec=central
His name is Ramanujam Muniandy, unless there is another head priest of this temple.
There is no offce in serving cake to the deity, which is actually the love of the devotee towards the Deity.
However, one needs to differentiate Naivedhya from 'Prasad'. Prasad is actually what one get from the God. The meaning of these words is usually attributed to food as we invariably offer to and receive from the house of Gods in the form of eatables. - what I said was correct which you got agree.
We have to keep with tradition....Almost 13 to 20 of Hindus are converting to other religion everyday.
There is offence but that is not the best. Is the cake for you or the Lord ? We should think what the Lord wants or we some up with something.
Anyway he is name is not Ramanujam.
However, one needs to differentiate Naivedhya from 'Prasad'. Prasad is actually what one get from the God. The meaning of these words is usually attributed to food as we invariably offer to and receive from the house of Gods in the form of eatables. - what I said was correct which you got agree.
We have to keep with tradition....Almost 13 to 20 of Hindus are converting to other religion everyday.
There is NO offence but that is not the best. Is the cake for you or the Lord ? We should think what the Lord wants not that we some come up with something.
Anyway he is name is not Ramanujam.
Whats your say Mr Batumalai ?
Dear anOnymous,
No say. You are entitled to your views. Take care
Thank you Mr. Kumaresh Batumal for a wonderful blog. Your writing is concise, informative and a pleasure to read. I wish you the very best in your endeavours. I also applaud your magnanimity is responding to Anonymous’ queries.
I would like to clarify on the comments made by the Anonymous. The name of the Head Priest is indeed Ramanuja Muniandy as rightly pointed out by Mr. Kumaresh Batumalai.
Shri Ramanuja Muniandy comes from a staunch Vaishnavite family from his mother's side. His mother’s name was Srimathi Govindammal Thiruvengidam, and the names of some of his maternal uncles are Thiagaraju, Raghavan, Renganathan, Vengadasamy, Thanirmalai, which are all Vaishnava names. His father was a Saivaite and thus he was named Muniandy. Shri Ramanuja Muniandy, however, was very much a devotee of Narayana from his childhood days and this passion continued to his adulthood.
He was given the name Ramanuja after he was ordained by Shri Aralalanga Amutha Pathacharyar and Sri Narayana Pathacharyar in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu India in 1988; as Vaishanava method of serving God in a Vaishnava temple requires a Vaishnava name. Hence the name Ramanuja Muniandy.
As explained by Mr. Kumaresh Batumalai, the temple follows the Panjarathra agamic method of worshipping Sriman Narayana. In this school of thought, devotion is the utmost important thing in serving God as opposed to Vaikhasanam method, in which Vedic rituals and rites takes predominance. That said, this temple conducts poojas, yagnas, prayers and all rites according to pancharathra Vedic method.
Given this Panjarathra method of worshipping Narayana at this temple, devotees can bring neivedhiyam made by them with love and devotion for Narayana and it will be offered to Him. Lord Krishna has said, offer me a leaf, water, a flower or a fruit with devotion, I will accept it.
A careful observer would have noticed that Sri Aathi Arangan, the Moolavar in this temple is offered the neivedhiyam prepared by the Chief Priest first. Devotees’ neivedhiyam are offered to Narayana for Agarshana (blessing by looking at it).
All the 12 Alvars promoted, lived a life of devotion and performed devotional service to Lord Narayana.
I would like to bring to your attention here some related incidents in Ramayana and Mahabharata that are of significance:
· In Ayodha Kaandam, Lord Rama and his entourage of Sita and Laksmana was brought across the river Sarayu by Kuhan. Lord Rama, a prince thanked Kuhan in a very unique way. Lord Rama said “Kuha, unnode aivar aanum” to denote that Lord Rama accepted Kuhan as his brother. A casual reader of Ramayana may not understand the implicit meaning and profound depth of this statement. As explained by the Chief Priest once, by saying that to Kuhan, Lord Rama - a prince; not only elevated the status of Kuhan to an equal but by inference means Kuhan has the right to the wealth and Ayodhya’s throne. This was Narayana’s reward for Kuhan’s devotion.
· Likewise, Lord Rama accepted Kuhan’s offering, which was a fish. This was also another example that the Lord accepts anything that is done with utmost sincerity, love and devotion to Him.
· In Aranya Kaandam, when Sabari offered half eaten fruits to Lord Rama, He happily accepted them.
· In Mahabharata, Lord Krishna probes and gets the aval from his friend, Sudama and relishes on it. As a reward for his friend’s true devotion, Sudama’s life is transformed immediately.
Examples are abound in the Vaishnava scriptures about the importance given by Lord Narayana to devotion. By allowing devotees to participate and serve the Lord directly, it allows them to bond directly with Lord Narayana. This in itself would help any devotee understand the essence of Hindusim and feel very much a Hindu. I need not expound any further – so blue icing or not, devotion matters and Sri Renganathar Temple is doing a great job in allowing devotees to show their love and devotion to Shriman Narayana in any way they deem fit and possible.
Jai Sri Ram.
Hari Om Namo Narayana
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