TIRUPATI

Here we pay obeisance to Sri Ramanuja, the Vaishnavate celebrity of immaculate fame and inimitable humanism, who lived in 12th century. Credit goes to him for making, once a small shrine into a unique Vaishnava temple with traditions new and prayer services reformed. The story goes that Yadavaraja, the local king invited him to settle a dispute between the Saivites and Vaishnavites about the nature of icon-para-siva or para-vishnu. Although celebrated scholars argued for days, ii; remained a hard nut, and the decision inconclusive, but both the parties agreed to abide by Ramanuja's arbitration, and to his proposition of leaving the choice to the Lord of selecting from among the weapons placed before the Lord, if He selects disc and conch, He is Vishnu, and the temple goes to Vaishnavates for administration, and if He chooses trident and dhamaru, He is Siva and the administration must be entrusted to Saivates. Surprisingly enough, on the next day the Lord was found adorning with disc and conch. So the Vaishnavates won the case.

Ramanuja soon undertook the Herculean task of introducing gigantic sweeping changes right from the form and decoration of archamurthi -Srinivasa to the minutest ritual to be observed in and out of Garbhagriha. He regularised and fixed norms in the conduct of nithyanaimithika services to the Lord according to Ananda Samhita Vaikhanasa Agama. He left nothing untouched, and everything with his Midas touch started shining brighter than brightness, and divinity overflowed from every object held dear to the Lord. Frankly speaking, but for him the glory of the Lord could not spread all over the globe, nor the unending influx of pilgrims visited round the year, nor the unaccountable wealth overflowing the underground vaults, as it is observed today. He is an incarnation of Adisesha-the Lord's couch in Vaikunta. And hence deserves a separate, special, stately shrine, occupying a significant place in the Lord's sannidhi itself. After due prayers to that immortal architect of Lord's of ethereal glory, we enter the main shrine through the Southern gate. We are now in the sixteen pillared Mantapa called Tirumani Mantap containing a big bell and hundi to our left and. right sides. Near the golden gate are installed the huge statues of Jaya-Vijaya, the sentinels of the Lord, the craftsmanship of each is impressive and venerable. Crossing the portal we find ourselves in Sayana Mantap. Adjacent to this lie Ramar Mandap and Sayana Mantap. Beyond this lies the august Garbhagriha enshrining the six-foot-high-image of the Lord.

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