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To continue the story of Ramji's Lord Ranganatha murti and the Srirangam temple:
In the 1300s Mallik Kafur invades southern India from Delhi and he carries Lord Ranganatha's murti away with him. The devotees and the priests of the temple want the murti back. So, they go to Delhi and entertain the Sultan. The Sultan is so happy with the entertainment he tells the performers that they can ask for a gift. The performers (who are actually devotees and priests) ask for Lord Ranganatha's murti. The Sultan gives it to them. The Sultan does not know that one of his daughters Surathani,by name, has fallen in love with the murti and does daily worship to the murti.
When the murti is taken away by the priests of the temple, Surathani is so heart-broken that she gets on her horse and follows the priests all the way to Srirangam in the south. The story goes that when she comes to the temple, the Lord is so impressed with her bakthi that she is given Moksha immediately. It is not easy to give up the life of a princess with all its wealth and pomp and follow the priests to the temple.
The painting of Surathani can be seen even today at the Arjun Mandap near the Lord Ranganatha Sanctum. Even today rotis are made for her as prasad. She is called "Thulluka Nachiyar." "Thulukka" means muslim and the words can be translated as "muslim saint."
Mallik Kafur does not understand that his daughter has got moksha from Vishnuji himself. He thinks foul play has done away with his daughter. So, he attacks the temple again. This time the attack is very severe and brutal. The Vaishnavite saints and their followers remove the murti of Lord Ranganatha and Goddess Lakshmi (called Ranganayaki in that temple-meaning Ranga's nayaki, Ranga's consort I guess) when they hear that Mallik Kafur is nearing Srirangam. About 13,000 Vaishnavites lose their lives in the battle with Mallik Kafur. Ultimately, the "devadasis" seduce the army chief and the temple is saved from destruction. The murti of Lord Ranganatha, worshipped by Ramji, is hidden in the Tirumala/Tirupati hills for over 60 years. Then the murtis of both Lord Ranganatha and Goddess Lakshmi are brought back and installed in the temple by the Vaishnavaite saints.
Phew! what a history for the murti worshipped by Ramji. If anyone gets the opportunity to go to Srirangam, please do visit the Ranganatha temple and the Rockfort temple of Ganeshji. The Ranganatha temple is huge with so many beautiful sculptures. You can also see the murti worshipped by Ramji.
Hope you guys loved the history of the murti!
In the 1300s Mallik Kafur invades southern India from Delhi and he carries Lord Ranganatha's murti away with him. The devotees and the priests of the temple want the murti back. So, they go to Delhi and entertain the Sultan. The Sultan is so happy with the entertainment he tells the performers that they can ask for a gift. The performers (who are actually devotees and priests) ask for Lord Ranganatha's murti. The Sultan gives it to them. The Sultan does not know that one of his daughters Surathani,by name, has fallen in love with the murti and does daily worship to the murti.
When the murti is taken away by the priests of the temple, Surathani is so heart-broken that she gets on her horse and follows the priests all the way to Srirangam in the south. The story goes that when she comes to the temple, the Lord is so impressed with her bakthi that she is given Moksha immediately. It is not easy to give up the life of a princess with all its wealth and pomp and follow the priests to the temple.
The painting of Surathani can be seen even today at the Arjun Mandap near the Lord Ranganatha Sanctum. Even today rotis are made for her as prasad. She is called "Thulluka Nachiyar." "Thulukka" means muslim and the words can be translated as "muslim saint."
Mallik Kafur does not understand that his daughter has got moksha from Vishnuji himself. He thinks foul play has done away with his daughter. So, he attacks the temple again. This time the attack is very severe and brutal. The Vaishnavite saints and their followers remove the murti of Lord Ranganatha and Goddess Lakshmi (called Ranganayaki in that temple-meaning Ranga's nayaki, Ranga's consort I guess) when they hear that Mallik Kafur is nearing Srirangam. About 13,000 Vaishnavites lose their lives in the battle with Mallik Kafur. Ultimately, the "devadasis" seduce the army chief and the temple is saved from destruction. The murti of Lord Ranganatha, worshipped by Ramji, is hidden in the Tirumala/Tirupati hills for over 60 years. Then the murtis of both Lord Ranganatha and Goddess Lakshmi are brought back and installed in the temple by the Vaishnavaite saints.
Phew! what a history for the murti worshipped by Ramji. If anyone gets the opportunity to go to Srirangam, please do visit the Ranganatha temple and the Rockfort temple of Ganeshji. The Ranganatha temple is huge with so many beautiful sculptures. You can also see the murti worshipped by Ramji.
Hope you guys loved the history of the murti!
