PM Modi to hear Gurmukhi, Kashmiri Ramkathas on January 22 eve

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, January 18

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit historical temples in Tamil Nadu on Ram Mandir inauguration eve and attend a special programme where eight different traditional Mandalis will recite the Kashmiri, Gurmukhi, Sanskrit, Awadhi, Assamese, Bengali, Maithili and Gujarati Ramkathas recounting episodes related to Shri Rama’s return to Ayodhya.

The programme “Shri Ramayana Paryana’, will be organised at the famous Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram where the PM will offer prayers on January 20. The main deity of this temple is a form of Lord Shiva. It is believed that the main lingam of this was installed by Lord Ram and Mata Sita. Rameswaram is one among Char Dhams which include Badrinath, Dwarka, and Puri. It is also one among the 12 Jyotirlingas.

On January 20 morning, the PM will participate in a programme at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli and hear scholars reciting verses from the Kamba Ramayanam. The principal deity here is a reclining form of Lord Vishnu. Vaishnava scriptures mention the link between the idol worshipped here and in Ayodhya with a legend that the image of Lord Vishnu worshipped by Lord Ram and his ancestors was given to Vibhishana for installation and was fixed at Srirangam.

On January 21, Prime Minister will be at Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi. Near Dhanushkodi, He will also visit Arichal Munai, said to be the place from where Ram Setu was built.

This temple is dedicated to Sri Kothandarama Swamy. The name Kothandarama, means Rama with the bow. It is located in a place called Dhanushkodi. It is said that this is where Vibhishana first met Sri Rama and asked him for refuge. Legend goes that this is the place where Sri Rama conducted the coronation of Vibhishana.