Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Sri Ranganatha is coming to US

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Chandrasekaran • December 3, 1998 


Dear members,
   Sri Ranganatha is coming to Pomona, US. I read this news in THE HINDU 
online. Many of you may already have known this.

   adiyEn,
   chandrasekaran.

>Ranganatha idol being transported to U.S. 

>Date: 04-12-1998 :: Pg: 05 :: Col: d 

>By Our Staff Reporter 

>TIRUCHI, Dec. 3. 

>A 12-tonne black granite idol of Lord Ranganatha, a replica of the Lord in the
>reclining posture at the Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple, sculpted at
>Srirangam for a shrine in the U.S. was being transported on Wednesday to
>Chennai for transhipment. 

>The idol is to be installed at a shrine of Lord Ranganathaswamy at Pomana
>near Newark in the U.S., being constructed by the Sri Ranganatha Seva
>Samithi in an area of 8,000 sq.ft. The project was started with the blessings of
>Srimad Azhagiya Singar Jeeyar Swamigal of the Ahobila Mutt. 

>The idol is made of black granite acquired specially from Pannaikarapanpatti
>near Namakkal. It is 9.5 ft long and 3.6 ft broad and was carved out of a single
>stone except for the hood of Adiseshan. 

>The entire plan of the temple was drawn up by Mr. M. S. Sivaprakasam
>Sthapathy, who had designed the rajagopuram of the Srirangam temple. Mr.
>Sivaprakasam, was also entrusted with the work of sculpting the idols for the
>temple. Along with the idol of Lord Ranganatha (`Sayana Thirumeni'), a set of
>12 other deities was also been sculpted. 

>They include Kothandarama, along with Sita and Lakshmana, Ranganayaki
>Thayar, Venugopala, Garuda Azhvar, Mahadesikar, Sri Jeeyar, Anjaneyar,
>Ramanuja, Lakshmi Narasimhar and Andal. 

>On Wednesday, the idols were loaded on trucks after the performance of
>``yatra dhanam and Prana Prathistai'' by Mr. Sundar Battar and Mr. Seshadri
>Swamigal.