A Kaisika Ekadasi Gift for Namperumal and Ranganayaki Thayar
TN CM’s Sambandhi presents Rs. 1.5crore Rathna Kreedam on Wednesday
It was meant to be a day of fasting and one renowned for the recital of Kasika Puranam, a legend relating to Nambaduvan and his unflinching devotion. But devotees at the Ranganathaswamy temple were in for a big surprise shortly after the 10am procession of Namperumal, the first of the two processions on this Wednesday.
Harish Bhattar, who had on the occasion of Panguni Uthiram (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2024/03/srirangam-panguni-uthiram-2024.html) in March this year secured a Rs. 60lakhs Kili diamond necklace, has done an extraordinary two for Nampuermal in 2024. On Kaisika Ekadasi, he has secured a Rs. 1.50crore Rathna Kreedam that the processional deity adorned at 11.30am at the Santanu Mandapam just before the start of the Thirumanjanam.
The Rathna Kreedam for Namperumal is the first Kreedam for the utsava deity in 200 years after the Pandyan Kondai in the 19th century.
It was Harish Bhattar who provided the measurements and saw through the entire process of making the Kreedam like he did in the case of the diamond necklace earlier this year.
The first procession on the Kaisika Ekadasi day began shortly after 10am with Namperumal reaching the Santanu Mandapam at 1030am. While the devotees eagerly gathered for the Thirumanjanam, they were surprised at this precious gift that Namperumal adorned ahead of the Thirumanjanam.
The Rathna Kreedam was presented this morning by TN CM’s son in law’s (Sabareesan) father Veda Moorthy to Mariappan, the JC of the temple with Murali Bhattar and his son Harish Bhattar taking possession of the Kreedam before they adorned it on Namperumal at the Santanu Mandapam.
For Harish Bhattar (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2024/08/srirangam-harish-bhattar.html), it was a morning of great satisfaction having played a role in two invaluable ornaments for the deities at the Srirangam temple, both of which are likely to last for centuries.
