Sri Raghavendra Swamy Temple

Overview

Sri Raghavendra Swamy Temple is dedicated to Lord Ragavendra. It is located at Erode, Tamil Nadu.

About The Temple

The Brindavan is built on the banks of Cauvery in Erode. This is the largest one in Tamilnadu. Crowd is always huge. The foundation soil for constructing the Brindavan was brought from the Original Brindavan in Mantralaya. People belonging to various communities and religions, castes and languages contribute their services to Sri Raghavendra. The temple belongs to Madhwa community.

Legend and Stories

Acharya Sri Raghvendra was born to Sri Thimmanna Bhattar and Srimathi Gobikambal in 17th Century. They were living near Hosapet in Bellary district. His brilliance began to show even when he was too young. Young Raghavdndra learnt all Vedas and Sastras under the tutelage of Sri Sudhindrar in Kumbakonam.

His marital life was a tragedy. His wife committed suicide by falling into a well. Sri Raghavendra took to pilgrimages to various shrines. His miracles include elevating an ignorant man to a high post, bringing a famine in Thanjavur to an end and making it a fertile land again and bringing back to life his sishya (disciple) who died of snake bite.

Sri Raghavendras came to know that Mantralaya was the place where Vishnu Bhakta Prahlada perform Yagna and wanted to have his Brindavan (Samadhi-monument) there for himself. He chanted the song composed by himself, "Indu Enake Govinda" and reciting the Narayana Nama, entered the Brindavan and attained Jeeva Samadhi.

Construction of Brindavans began then throughout South India. Responding to the devout appeals of people of Erode, 250 years ago, a Vedic Scholar Ramachar went to Mantrayalaya in Andhra and brought the Mruthika (holy sand), carried it on his head and returned to Erode all the way by walk and built a small Brindavan on the banks of Cauvery and conducted the consecration – Kumbabishekam.

This Brindavan is very ancient and the first in Tamilnadu and the third in India. There was a stone Mandap and a tower on the Anjaneya Shrine. A Sanskrit scholar working in Mahajana High School, Krishnachar collected donations from the devotees, constructed a Brindavan with seven peetas using granite stones and built a huge Brindavan in Mantralaya in the year 1912. The consecration of the Brindavan was also celebrated the same year.

A Rajagopuram – main tower – with Ram-Sita-Anjaneya was built in the year 1938 and consecration performed. There was a dark mandap here infested by bats and was called bat mandap. This was demolished and a new Mandap is built now.

Festivals

Aadi Pooram in July-August; Purattasi Navarathri in September-October; Karthikai in November-December; Vaikunda Ekadasi and Tiruvadhirai in December-January; and monthly pradoshams are celebrated in the temple. This is a twin temple for Both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.

Poojas

Nirmalya Visarjana puja at 6.00 a.m, Milk and Panchamirtha (made of five ingredients as milk, curd, ghee, honey and fruits) abishek at 9.00 a.m., offering of Nivedhana at 11.00 a.m., Deepa Aradhana at 12.00 a.m. Sandhyakala puja at 6.00 p.m. are the puja procedures devotionally followed in the temple.

Significance

People throng the temple of Sri Raghvendra with their prayers for relief from debt burdens, child boon and for remedy from illness.

How To Reach Sri Raghavendra Temple, Erode

Air

The nearest airport is at Coimbatore Airport.

Rail

The nearest railway station is at Erode Railway Station.

Road

Sri Raghvendra Brindavan-Temple is in the heart of Erode city.

Temple Address

Sri Raghavendra Temple,
Erode, Erode district,
Tamil Nadu, Pincode - 638003.