Pages

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Ratnagiriswarar Temple, Besant Nagar – History

Ratnagiriswarar Temple, Besant Nagar – History
In 1969 the residents of Besant Nagar formed a Society and later registered it under the Societies Registration Act in 1972 under the name 'Bhaktha Mandali”. Residents of Besant Nagar approached Sri Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt to seek his blessings for constructing a small temple. He blessed the project and foretold that the devotees would find a Shivalinga in the seashore off Thiruvanmiyur coast. He directed that this idol could be installed and a temple can be constructed with this Linga. After a search for over three months, the devotees found the Siva Linga.
Sri Mahadeva Iyer (father of Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt in his poorvashrama) helped the devotees in retrieving the idol from the seashore and brought it to Besant Nagar. Sri Mahakalikudi Ramanatha Swamigal installed on the sacred day of Maha Shivarathri on the 7th March 1970, the Shivalinga at the place where the temple stands now. Sri Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt named the Siva Linga as 'Sri Ratnagiriswarar' and asked the devotees to construct a temple with his consort 'Sri Aralakesi'.
Sri Paramacharya instructed that the temple should be constructed in line with the ancient temple at the Ayyarmalai in Kulitalai in Trichy District. The first Kumbabishekam for the temple was performed in 1975 by His Holiness Sri Shankaracharya Swamigal of Sakatapuram Mutt, who also performed the second Kumbabishekam in 1978. Ashtabandhana Maha Kumbabishekam was performed on 14-9-86 in the immediate presence of His Holiness Swami Paramarthananda (disciple of Swami Dayananda Saraswathi). On the last day of the Mandalabhishekam Jagadguru Bharathi Theertha Maha Swamigal, Sannidhanam of Sringeri Mutt, was present and blessed the devotees.
A new Rajagopurarn has now been constructed as per the directions and guidance of Sri Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt. It has five tiers and is 40 feet high. Padmasri M. Muthiah Sthapathy, a World-renowned Sthapathy, has constructed this Rajagopuram. The Maha Kumbabishekam for the newly constructed Rajagopuram was conducted on the 18th June 1992, by Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal and Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt.