NEW DELHI, Jan 21: A day ahead of the Ram Temple inauguration in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ended his spiritual tour of Tamil Nadu by visiting the famous Sri Kothandaramaswami Temple and Arichalmunai point in Dhanushkodi, situated at the tip of the Indian mainland.
In the run up to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony on Monday, the Prime Minister had announced that he would be visiting important shrines associated with Lord Ram across the country. Before commencing his tour of Tamil Nadu, he had visited temples in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
The Prime Minister, who arrived in Chennai on Friday, had inaugurated the opening ceremony of the Khelo India Youth Games 2023 in the city. After an overnight stay at the Raj Bhavan, he left for Srirangam, where he visited the famous Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple.
He arrived in Rameswaram on Saturday afternoon and offered prayers at the Sri Ramanathaswami Temple. After spending the night at the Ramakrishna Math here, he proceeded to Arichalmunai point in Dhanushkodi, bounded by the Palk Bay in the north and Gulf of Mannar in the south. He offered flowers and performed puja to a Shivalinga in Arichalmunai.
The PM also took a short walk on the beach while soaking up the magnificent view of the sea. The Prime Minister left Rameswaram by helicopter to Madurai airport at 11.45 a.m. and on arrival, he boarded a special aircraft to New Delhi, officials said.
A press release said the Kothandaramaswami Temple is believed to be the place where Vibhishana, the younger brother of King Ravana, first met Sri Ram and sought refuge. Some legends also state that this was the place where Lord Ram conducted the coronation of Vibhishana, as the King of Lanka, before returning to Ayodhya. The Prime Minister posted on X, “Prayed at the iconic Kothandaramaswamy Temple. Felt extremely blessed.”
A group of Congress workers in Rameswaram staged a black flag demonstration with placards reading “Go Back Modi” and “Anti-Fishermen Modi”, among others. They shouted slogans and also released black balloons before being arrested.
(Manas Dasgupta)
