It was here at
Sathyagala that the Vaishnavite Acharya composed Abeethisthavam, verses invoking Lord
Ranganatha seeking relief from fear
Located 2kms West of Ranganatha Swamy temple in Madhya
Rangam is the Kote Varadarajaswamy Temple in Sathyagala, a location where Vaishnavite
Acharya Vedanta Desikar spent 12 years having moved away from Srirangam
following the Moghul Invasion. In a Koorma Posture, he invoked the blessings of
Ranganathaswamy for the safety of Srirangam and its residents. It was during
this period that he composed Abeethisthavam, a set of verses invoking Lord
Ranganatha and seeking relief from one's fears in life.
Vedanta Desikar performed daily Aradhana for
Varadarajaswamy. Till the beginning of the 20th Century, around
300 families formed part of the agraharam at Sathyagala.
But as with many other
Divya Desams, most of the traditional inhabitants left Sathyagala for larger
cities during the last century. For decades, the temple was home to bats and
remained in a dilapidated condition. The well was seen in a broken state.
Brahmotsavam could not be conducted and was discontinued. The situation had
turned so bad that Thiru Kudanthai Andavan in one of his Kalakshepams compared
the thorns at this temple to the painful Kakasura episode in the Ramayana. No
one could enter the temple in those decades.
With the overall financial improvement of devotees who had
moved away from here into the corporate world, the temple saw a large scale renovation
in the 1990s. It was the revered TS Krishna Bhattar of Madhya Rangam who guided
and anchored the restoration. A new Raja Gopuram was constructed at the Eastern
Entrance. The Utsavams too are being revived. Rest houses have been built near
the temple for outstation devotees to stay. There is a full time priest who
stays in Sathyagala.
A three day Utasavam for Vedanta Desikar is now celebrated
in a grand way in Aipasi with a procession to the Cauvery for Theerthavari. Devotees
from across the country visit the temple to participate in the Thiru Kalyana
Utsavam and the Theerthavari (this Utsavam took place in the first weekend of
November this year).
Devotees who are planning to visit Sathyagala can call
Madhava Bhattar in advance on 99721 20469
When here also visit Madhya Rangam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/11/sathyagala-madhya-rangam-ranganatha.html) and Talakadu Keerthi Narayana Perumal Temple (http://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2019/10/talakadu-keerthi-narayana-perumal.html)
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