Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Rama and he is known as Purushottam which means the best man or the supreme Purusa (personality). According to Swami Vivekananda, Shri Rama is “the embodiment of truth, morality, the ideal son, the ideal husband and above all the ideal king”. Lord Rama was born in Treta Yuga and is also known to be the oldest god worshiped in human form. Various temples are dedicated to Lord Rama across India, some of which are listed below. Let us see!
1. Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Uttar Pradesh
Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, is an ancient city of India. It is located on the banks of the Saryu River and is one of the seven most important pilgrimage sites in Saptapuri for Hindus. On August 5, 2020, the grand foundation stone laying ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will take place. A magnificent temple will be built. The ceremony was attended by about 175 guests, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will also unveil a plaque marking the laying of the temple’s foundation stone, followed by the release of commemorative postage stamps on ‘Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir’. Ayodhya Ram Mandir will open for devotees in 2024.
Ram Janmabhoomi: 7 places to visit in Ayodhya
2. Ram Raja Temple, Madhya Pradesh
The temple is located in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Betwa River. The story behind the temple is that queen Orcha was an ardent devotee of Lord Rama. She once went to Ayodhya with the desire to bring her revered god back to the form of a boy. Lord Rama agreed to go with her to Orchha but on the condition that he would not move from one temple to another but would stay where she was originally going to stay.
A temple was built for Lord Rama. When the temple was ready, he refused to move because of the conditions he had set with the queen. Thus, the queen’s palace eventually became the Ram Raja Temple. Let us tell you that here, Lord Rama is not only worshiped as a god but also as a king. He even gets a gun salute! On the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, thousands of devotees line up for darshan.
3. Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple, Telangana
This is one of the famous Ram Mandir in India. It is located in Bhadrachalam, Bhadradri Kothagudem District of Telangana. On Ram Navami day, this is the place for grand celebrations as the wedding anniversary of Lord Rama and his consort Sita takes place with much fanfare. The temple is also known as Bhadrachalam temple.
The history associated with the temple is: There are two places associated with Ramayana, Bhadrachalam and Vijayanagara. Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are said to have been at Parnasala, 35 km from Bhadrachalam. It is said that Lord Rama crossed the Godavari river on his way to Sri Lanka to rescue Sita and at this location, the Bhadrachalam temple is located, on the north bank of the river.
4. Ramaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu
The temple is dedicated to Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and is located in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. The temple was built 400 years ago by King Raghunatha Naicker. The temple depicts paintings of the Ramayana and is filled with intricate carvings on the pillars. Lord Rama and Devi Sita sit together in the sanctum in wedding pose. It is believed that if anyone prays here, it will bring them a sacrificial match for the benefit of others. Also, along with Lord Rama and Devi Sita, Satrugna on the left of the Lord along with Samara fanning his brother, Bharatha holding the Royal Umbrella and Hanuman on the right and Lakshmana with bow as usual appeared.
Ram Janmabhoomi: 10 historical facts about Ayodhya
5. Kalaram Temple, Nashik, Maharashtra
It is located in the Panchvati area of Nashik City in Maharashtra. The temple is said to be located at the place where Lord Rama lived during his exile. In 1782, it was built by Sardar Rangrao Odhekar on the site of an ancient wooden temple. For about 12 years this work lasted and about 2000 people were employed daily. In Western India, this is one of the most beautiful modern temples of Lord Rama. The temple includes standing statues of Lord Rama, Sita, Laxmana made of black stone and about 2 feet high.
6. Thriprayar Sri Rama Temple, Kerala
The temple is located in Thrissur district of Kerala. The deity of Lord Rama in the temple is commonly known as Thriprayarappan or Thriprayar Thevar. According to legend, it is believed that Lord Krishna once worshiped the idol of Lord Rama. After Lord Krishna’s Swargarohana, the idol was immersed in the Sea. It was later founded by some fishermen from the sea near Chettuva region of Kerala. Furthermore, a local ruler named Vakkayil Kaimal built a temple in Thriprayar and placed statues there. In the temple, the idol of Lord Rama is seen with four arms carrying conch, disc, bow and garland.
7. Ram Mandir, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
The temple is located near Kharavel Nagar in Bhubaneswar. Located in the heart of the city, this is one of the most famous temples for Lord Rama’s devotees. The temple has beautiful images of Lord Rama, Lord Lakshmana and Goddess Sita. It was built and managed by a private trust. Additionally, the temple complex includes shrines for Lord Hanuman, Lord Shiva and other deities.
8. Kodandarama Temple, Karnataka
It is located in Hiremagalur, a town in Chikmagalur district. Kodandarama Temple has the name Lord Rama and Lakshmana depicted with their bows and arrows here and Lord Rama’s bow is called Kondana. There are images of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita inside the sanctum on the Hanuman pedestal. It is unusual that Sita is placed on the right side of Lord Rama in this temple. It is believed that Puroshottama, a devotee expressed his wish to see the wedding of Lord Rama and Sita and so his wish was granted. In traditional Hindu marriage, the bride sits to the right of the groom, it is believed that this position is reflected in the Grabhagraha.
Ramayana: Check out 13 little-known facts
9. Shri Ram Tirath Temple, Amritsar
It is located 12 km west of Amritsar on the Chogawan road. That is where Devi Sita took refuge in the ashram of sage Valmiki. This is also where she gave birth to Luv and Kush. It also has a well with stairs where Devi Sita used to bathe. So, this is one of the holiest temples of Lord Rama in India.
10. Raghunath Temple, Jammu
The temple has seven temples, each with its own Shikara and is one of the largest temple complexes in north India located in the city of Jammu. The temple was built by Maharaja Gulab Singh and his son Maharaj Ranbir Singh between 1853-1860. The temple has many deities worshiped but the presiding deity is Lord Rama an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The temple also includes most of the images of the Hindu Pantheon, an unusual embodiment of temple architecture. Additionally, the Mughal masonry can be glimpsed in the architectural splendor of Raghunath Temple.
11. Shri Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple, Telangana
The Sita Ramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam has a similar history to the epic Ramayana. This temple is associated with the legend of Bhadra, a stone figure, who after seeing Sri Ram transformed into a human.
It is said that when Lord Vishnu assumed the guise of Rama in response to Bhadra’s prayer, he forgot he was an ordinary person and appeared with four arms instead. Since then, devotees worship the avatar of Vaikuntha Rama, a figure with four arms.
- Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Uttar Pradesh
- Ram Raja Temple, Madhya Pradesh
- Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple, Telangana
- Ramaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu
- Kalaram Temple, Nashik, Maharashtra
- Thriprayar Sri Rama Temple, Kerala
- Ram Mandir, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
- Kodandarama Temple, Karnataka
- Shri Ram Tirath Temple, Amritsar
- Raghunath Temple, Jammu
- Shri Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple, Telangana
Conclusion:
So, these are some famous temples of Lord Rama. Hope that you like our selection. There are many other temples of Lord Rama across India which we will cover in a future list. Until then, stay tuned and read the following articles about Diwali and Lord Rama.
Read: 11 unknown facts about Lord Rama
Read: Diwali 2022: 10 reasons why India celebrates Deepawali
Read: Diwali 2022: Know why Deepavali is called ‘Festival of Lights’?
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: pagasa.edu.vn