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  There are many brilliant depictions of Ardhanarishwara across the country. But, standing before Him/Her at Gharapuri/Elephanta always feels special. As one moves from the Sadashiva who occupies the center space, with his magnifying spell, towering over us is the Ardhanarishwara. The Her part which we first encounter, the lips that twist to represent the masculine and the feminine is sure to cast a spell. The stylish way in which His hand rests on the Nandi, and the light coming from the left adds to our appreciation of the full form.  On my first visit after five years, in December, when I was standing there, I asked my friend who is a student of Carnatic Music, “why don’t you sing Ardhanarishwaram” … that song reverberated in my ears for long after I left the island that day, to only revisit it with another friend, the next week. I thought as someone who loves temple visits as much as Carnatic music, and listening to lot more of the mahan vaggeyakara Muthuswami Dikshitar in...

  Sirkali Arunachala Kavirayar (1711-1779) When the Ayodhya temple Bhumi Pujan activities started, the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam sent prasadam, waters from Kaveri, vastrams, garlands to Ayodhya. Many in the north may not know, but those who know the sthalapurana of Srirangm, the legend of the Pranavakara Vimana and the Ranganathaswamy can make the connection between the temple in deep south and Ayodhya Raman. Arangan (Ranganatha) was the aradhya deity of the Ikshvaku dynasty and Rama had gifted it to Vibishana after his coronation. Somehow Vibishana and the Lankans had to cede Arangan to Aranganagarvasis (residents of Srirangam) and so he had made the island between the Kaveri and Kollidam rivers his abode since then. This is not just a puranic lore, the memory of Ramayana’s association with the Srirangam temple has manifested in the medieval and later times in a very interesting way.   Kamba Ramayanam is world famous, as a Tamil recreation of the adi kavya of ...