SRI RAMANUJACHARYA-THE GREAT SRIVAISHNAVAITE WHO PIONEERED KAINKARYAMS IN TIRUMALA TEMPLE
The rituals introduced by Bhagavat Sri Ramanujacharya in Tirumala are innumerable.
JIYAR MUTT ESTABLISHED
He entrusted the divine responsibility of performing all rituals as per the tenets of Vaikhanasa Agama to Jiyars, which is a bold step taken by him. Thus the Jiyar mutt in Tirumala was established under the aegis of Venkatanatha Satagopayati or the Jiyar.
ARCHITECT OF TEMPLE RITUALS
The recitation of Alwar Divya Prabandham consisting more than 250 Venkateswaratmaka Pasurams was introduced by him and appointed Acharyapurushas for the purpose.
It was Sri Ramanujacharya who introduced “Purnakumbha Swagatham” whenever a seer or pontiff of any mutt visits temple and present the Teertham, Prasadam and Seshavasrtam as a mark of respect to the saintly person.
CONSTRUCTED FOUR MADA STREETS AT TIRUMALA FOR BRAHMOTSAVAMS
Another interesting and very important rituals pioneered by Sri Ramanujacharya was that of the construction of four-mada streets surrounding Tirumala temple. Till before, the annual brahmotsavams of Sri Venkateswara Swamy were believed to have performed at Tiruchanoor for a period of eight days. Only after this major step, the brahmotsavams of Lord shifted to Tirumala.
The other important festivals introduced by Sri Ramanujacharya include Goda Kalyanam, Tanniramudu utsavam and Bhag Savari Utsavam.
TASTY NAIVEDYAM TO LORD
Sri Ramanujacharya insisted that Annaprasadams to be offered as “Naivedyam” to Lord to satisfy thousands of pilgrims visiting Tirumala temple. He made sure all the prasadams including Gudannam, Chitrannam, Payasam, Athirasam, Appam, Dosa be prepared with in the temple kitchen and the cooks are Sri Vaishnavas.
CONSECRATION OF VARIOUS IDOLS IN TIRUMALA TEMPLE
The great srivaishnavaite saint prepared various idols and consecrated them in Tirumala temple. The Panchaloha idol of Sita Devi, Bhudevi, Sri Yoganarsimha Swamy, and His own Bhashyakarulavaru are some of the idols prepared by Sri Ramanuja. There were archamurthies of other deities except that of Goddess Sita. Sri Ramanuja immediately made a panchaloha idol of Sita Devi and fulfilled the deficiency. He even organized Sita Rama Kalyanam.
In Sri Vaishnavism, there is a special place for Varaha, Narasimha, Rama and Krishna. During Ramanuja’s time there was no temple for Lord Narasimha in Tirumala. Ramanuja identified a three feet height idol lying near Swamy Pushkarini and constructed a mandap for the Half Man Half Lion God sitting in penance posture. Today this has also become one of the prominent sub-shrines in Tirumala temple.
According to Varaha Purana, when Lord Venkateswara was in privacy with His two consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi, Emperor Tondaman entered their chamber unintentionally. Immediately Sridevi hid in bosom of Lord while Bhudevi in the well built by Tondaman. Recalling the episode, Sri Ramanuja is said to have established an “Archaroopam” of Goddess Bhudevi in the “Poola Baavi”.
UNCOMPROMISING AND INFINITE DEVOTION TOWARDS LORD
Though there were many changes brought in the temple activities due to changes in time, the principal tenets, sevas, rituals, regulations for smooth run of temple affairs brought by Sri Ramanujacharya are still continuing even today in Tirumala, Tirupati and Tiruchanoor temples without any deviation even after 1000 years. This speaks volumes about his devotion towards Lord Venkateswara which is uncompromising and infinite.
TTD OBSERVES MILLENNIUM BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF SRI RAMANUJA IN A BEFITTING MANNER
As a mark of respect to the contributions made by the great Srivaishnava Saint, the temple management of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams observed his Millennium Birth Anniversary in a big way for one year in 2016 by taking celestial procession of deities Sri Malayappa Swamy, Sridevi and Bhudevi accompanied by the Panchaloha Statue of Sri Ramanujacharya in Dharma Radham, to all the 107 Sri Vaishnava Divya Desams (108th one being Vaikuntham) located across the country.
ISSUED BY PUBLIC RELATIONSOFFICER, TTDs, TIRUPATI