Vaduvur Sri Kothanda Ramaswamy Temple, Thiruvarur

Address

Vaduvur Sri Kothanda Ramaswamy Temple, Vaduvur – 609 502, Thiruvarur District Phone: +91 – 4367 – 267 110 / 225 398 Mobile: +91 – 94434 48834 / 98652 46471

Deity

Sri Kothanda Ramaswamy Amman: Sita

Introduction

Location: Vaduvur Village, Thiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu.
Alternate Name: Dakshina Ayodhya.
Surroundings: Situated by the banks of a Bird Sanctuary and near a tributary of the Cauvery River.
Historical Significance: The temple is believed to be over 1000 years old. It is said that Saraboji Raja installed the idol of Lord Rama and built this temple.

Puranic Significance

Conversion from Gopalan Temple to Kothanda Ramar Temple:
- After completing 14 years of exile, Lord Rama prepared to return to Ayodhya. The sages of the forest requested him to stay forever.
- In response, Rama made an idol of himself and placed it before his lodging. The sages, captivated by the idol’s beauty, expressed a desire to keep it.
- Rama, aware of their longing, granted their wish and returned to Ayodhya, allowing the idol to stay behind.
- Over time, the idol reached the devotees in Thirukkannapuram, where they also created idols of Mother Sita, Lakshmana, and Anjaneya.
- During a foreign invasion, the idols were hidden in Thalai Gnayiru.
- The king Saraboji of Thanjavur had a divine dream directing him to unearth the deities. Upon retrieving the idols, the locals prevented him from taking all of them, leading him to leave behind the idols of Baratha and Lakshmana.
- The villagers, united in their request, urged the king to establish the deities in their Gopalan Temple, which he initially resisted but ultimately consented to due to their fervent pleas.
- Subsequently, the deity of Lakshmana was sculpted by the villagers but appeared feminine, prompting them to establish her as Sundari Amman in a separate temple.
- A new idol of Lakshmana was later created, allowing Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana to reside together in the temple.
Vakulaaranya Kshetram: This temple is recognized as one of the Abhimana Kshetrams of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that Kanva Maharishi worshipped here and received the darshan of Kodandarama. Kulasekara Perumal also experienced the Lord’s divine presence in this temple.

Beliefs

It is believed that devotees praying to Lord Rama will be blessed with obedient children.
Common practices among devotees include:
- Abhishek (ritual bathing) and offering Vastras (clothes).
- Organizing processions of the Lord.
- Offering Tulsi garlands and lamps to the temple.
- Arranging for annadhanam (feeding) and contributing to the temple’s renovation and maintenance according to their means.

Special Features

The temple was originally the Gopalan Temple, with Gopalan facing south alongside Rukmini, Satyabhama, and Shengamala Thaayar.
Lord Rama is now the principal deity along with Mother Sita, Lakshmana, and Anjaneya, who bless devotees from the sanctum sanctorum.
The Lord adorns a Mahalakshmi pendant and a Salagrama garland.
A separate North Facing Sannidhi for Hayagriva is present.
Other deities in the temple include Vishwaksenar, Andal, and Azhwars.
Sarayu Theertham is located outside the temple, while the Sthala Theertham is called Rama Theertham.
The Vimana above the sanctum is named Pushpaka Vimana.
Other sacred names for Vaduvur include Vakulaaranya (Magizhankadu), Bhaskara Kshetram, and Dakshina Ayodhya. The Vagula maram (Magizham tree) is considered the sacred tree of this site.

Festivals

Major Celebrations:
- Tirumanjanam to Lord Rama on the Punarvasu Star day (his birth star), followed by an evening procession with Mother Sita.
- A grand 10-day Brahmmotsavam during Panguni (March-April) coinciding with Sri Rama Navami.
  - The wedding festival is celebrated on the seventh day, and the car festival occurs on the ninth day.
  - Lord Rama appears as Andal on the fifth day.
- The Lord grants darshan on Garuda during Akshaya Tritiya.
Other Major Festivals:
- Rama Navami – Brahmotsavam (Panguni)
- Karthigai – 7-day Pavitrotsavam
- Puratasi – Desigan
- Hayagriva Utsavam
- Vaikasi – Vasantha Utsavam for Gopalan