Sathyagala Vedanta Desikar Temple

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 20^th 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)