Tamil Nadu: Chief Priest of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple express joy over PM Modi visit

Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 19 : The Chief Priest of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Sundar Bhattar, conveyed his immense joy on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the temple in Srirangam in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli on January 20.
Expressing happiness on the PM's visit, Bhattar said, "All devotees of India are very happy that our PM is visiting Srirangam. Lord Ranganatha is also happy about the PM's visit. Our PM cares for everyone's welfare so is Ranganatha, so it's a blessed occasion for Srirangam."
He further asserted that it was the first time a Prime Minister was visiting the temple.
"Before this, no Prime Minister has come to Srirangam, this is the first time a PM is visiting here. We all are very proud of his visit. Cannot express my happiness in words," Bhattar said.
Located in Srirangam, Trichy, the temple 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. Vaishnava scriptures mention the connection between the idol worshipped in this temple and Ayodhya.
It is believed that the image of Vishnu which used to be worshipped by Sri Rama and his ancestors was given by him to Vibhishana to take it to Lanka. On the way, this idol was fixed in Srirangam.
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.
Apart from Srirangam, PM Modi will visit various significant temples in Tamil Nadu on January 20 and 21, as per Prime Minister's office.
This includes Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram and Kothandaramaswamy Temple in Dhanushkodi.
The visit of Prime Minister Modi to the revered Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple holds great significance at a time when the nation is anticipating the grand 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya.
Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram's idol is scheduled at the grand temple in Ayodhya at 12:30 PM on January 22, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Elaborate arrangements are being made for the ceremony.
During the ceremony, an idol of Lord Ram will be enthroned in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ayodhya's Ram Temple.
Thousands of VIP guests have received invitations from the Ram Janmabhoomi Kshetra Trust for the ceremony.