The temples PM Modi is visiting before Ayodhya and their links to Lord Ram

The consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is just two days away.

Ahead of the grand event in Uttar Pradesh on 22 January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making official state visits to temples associated with Lord Ram.

Even though the visits are to announce different development projects, his speeches have always mentioned Lord Ram.

Here is a list of temples the Prime Minister visited.

Lord Krishna temple and Ramaswamy temple, Kerala

On Wednesday (17 January), PM Modi, who is in the middle of 11-day pre-inauguration rituals, offered prayers at the Lord Krishna temple in the Thrissur district’s Guruvayur town.

He also attended the wedding of the daughter of actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi.

Next, he visited the Triprayar Sree Ramaswamy temple in Thrissur, which is located on the Karuvannur River, also called the Theerva River. This temple is often referred to as the Ayodhya of the South, which showcases magnificent carvings illustrating significant events from the Ramayana.

Wearing a mundu (dhoti) and a “veshti” (white shawl), the PM performed a fish-feeding ritual there.

Notably, this was PM Modi’s second visit to Kerala in two weeks. Last week, he addressed the annual “Nalambalam Yatra” in Kerala, which is held in Triprayar for Lord Ram and his brothers Bharat, Lakshman, and Shatrughan.

Veerabhadra temple, Andhra Pradesh

On 16 January, the Indian PM visited the Veerabhadra temple in Sri Satyasai’s Lepakshi town of Andhra Pradesh.

The legendary vulture Jatayu is believed to have fallen in Lepakshi, which translates to “Oh Bird… Arise” in Telugu, after he was injured by Ravan while trying to prevent Sita’s abduction. In 2022, the massive Nandi statue and the ancient temple were included in the tentative list of World Heritage Sites in India by UNESCO, according to The Times of India.

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Modi listened to special Ram hymns in Telugu, hummed bhajans for Lord Ram, and saw a puppet performance of the Ramayana at the Lepakshi temple.

Later, he brought up the Ram temple once more when he inaugurated the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes, and Narcotics’ new campus in the Satyasai area.

He noted that the entire country “is steeped in devotion ahead of the consecration ceremony at Ayodhya temple on 22 January” and said “the expanse of Lord Ram’s life, his inspiration is much beyond devotion and is a symbol of good governance in social life.”

Kalaram mandir, Maharashtra

After his roadshow in Nashik, the Indian premier on 12 January, visited the Kalaram Mandir on the banks of the Godavari in the Panchavati area of the city.

Panchavati was the site of several significant events that are detailed in the epic tale of Lord Ram. Panchavati belonged to Dandakaranya, a deep forest in central India, where Ram, Sita, and Lakshman lived for the first few years of their 14-year exile.

The area’s name originates from the presence of five banyan trees, which are said to be auspicious and under which Ram, Sita, and Lakshman built a hut. The demon ruler of Lanka, Ravan, also kidnapped Sita from this area when he lured her from the secure zone that Lakshman had created.

Various temples in Tamil Nadu

PM Modi is also visiting various temples in Tamil Nadu over the weekends before the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement, “On January 20, at around 11 am, the Prime Minister will participate in a programme at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. The Prime Minister will also listen to various scholars reciting verses from the Kamba Ramayanam in this temple.”

One of the oldest temple complexes in the nation is situated in Srirangam, Trichy. A reclining version of Lord Vishnu, Sri Ranganatha Swamy, is the main deity worshipped here. The idol housed in this temple has a connection to Ayodhya, according to Vaishnava literature. It is thought that Lord Ram gave Vibhishana the picture of Vishnu, which was once worshipped by him and his ancestors, so that Vibhishana may carry it to Lanka. On the way, this idol was fixed in Srirangam.

“Thereafter, the Prime Minister will reach Rameswaram at around 2 PM and perform darshan and puja at the Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple,” it added.

At this temple, along with participating in Ram bhajans, he will also attend the “Shri Ramayana Paryana” programme. 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).

Lord Shiva, in the form of Sri Ramanathaswamy, is the principal deity worshipped in this temple. It is believed that Lord Ram and Sita installed and worshipped the main lingam in this temple.

On Sunday, he will perform darshan and puja at the Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi, and later visit Arichal Munai, which is said to be the place from where the Ram Setu was built.

The deity of this temple is Sri Kothandarama Swamy. Kothandarama translates to “Ram with a bow.” This is supposed to be the place where Vibhishana first encountered Lord Ram and requested his refuge. According to some tales, this is also the place where Lord Ram conducted Vibhishana’s coronation.

PM Modi’s 11-day rituals

The Prime Minister, who is the chief guest at the grand temple opening on 22 January, is currently observing a set of special rituals or ‘anushthan‘.

As part of his 11-day anushthan that began on 12 January, Modi is strictly following the “Yama Niyama”.

Under this, the PM is sleeping on the floor with just a blanket and having only coconut water, sources told NDTV.

The 11-day rituals also entail purifying the mind and body with meditation and including a special “Satvik” diet which bars consuming onion, garlic and several other items, reported NDTV.

As part of the rituals, the PM also fed cows at his residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, on the occasion of Pongal/Makar Sankranti on 14 January.

With inputs from agencies