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Aishwarya Rai,
Cast: Rajnikant,
Danny Denzongpa,
Devadarsini,
Kalabhavan Mani.,
Karunas,
Santhanam
Credits: Story assistance – Sujata, Cinematography – Ratnavelu, Editing – Anthony, Art – Sabu Syril, Action – Peter Haynes, Visual effects – U. Srinivas M Mohan, Frankie Chang and Eddy Wong, Costumes – Mary E Vogt, Lyricists – Vanamali, Suddala Ashok Teja, Bhuvana Chandra, Dialogues – Sree Ramakishna, Music – AR Rehman, Sound – Rasool Pokutty, Producer – Kalanithi Maran, Story, screenplay, direction – Shankar.
Released on: October 1, 2010
Super Star Rajinikanth has done it again, that’s multiplied his craze manifold amongst his existing fans and created a whole new lot of fans with his latest man v/s machine super entertainer Endhiran. Touted as a Rs. 160 crore budgeted bonanza making it the costliest ever made Indian film, the sci-fi thriller Robot is a full on paisa vasool entertainer.
Buzz up!
Scientist Dr. Vasi (Rajinikanth) after years of hard work succeeds in making an andro humanoid named Chitti. Carrying the power of 100 men, Chitti is well trained in every aspect right. Vasi wants to offer him to the Indian Army but rejection comes from Dr.Vohra (Danny) the ex mentor of Vasi who has some devious plans of his own. It is pointed out that Chitti lacks feelings and can go wrong. Vasi therefore reworks the structure of Chitti and adds human emotions to him. But then complications arise as Chitti experiences the emotion of love from Vasi’s fiancée Sana (Aishwarya Bachchan). He falls in love with her and begins to disobey Vasi’s commands. Sana just considers him her ‘toy-friend’. Things spiral out of shape after an angry and disappointed Vasi dismantles Chitti. What follows as Chitti falls in wrong hands and multiplies his obsession for Sana forms the rest of the film.
Seldom in Indian cinema has a film come that has justified its gargantuan budget and managed to entertain you at the same time. A big bow to director Shankar’s vision and creativity that makes Robot set a new benchmark in filmmaking. All those expecting a typical Rajinikanth entry however, will be disappointed watching him being presented with a subtle entry. But then he makes it up for it by delivering his best. As the film gradually proceeds towards the climax, the number of Rajinikanth’s on screen multiply and continue to entertain. His conversation with a team of mosquitoes or his fights with the goons in a moving local train are extremely delightful. Also, the child birth sequence here is more convincingly done than it was in 3 idiots.
While he is subtle as Dr. Vasi, Rajinikanth has succeeded in pulling off the immensely difficult part of the robot Rajini by picking up the perfect mannerisms of a Robot. After turning villainous, his wicked laughter is just terrific. Aishwarya’s character though relevant to the plot doesn’t have much to do. But she pulls it off well with her dazzling screen presence. She simply looks WOW. Danny is impressive in his short role.
Picking up the best technical talent across the globe that has worked on films such as Jurassic Park, I Robot and Avatar, Shankar has managed to deliver an Indian film that can stand on par technically with the best of Hollywood films in this genre. The last 30 minutes full of action and plenty of jaw dropping moments do make you wish that the film was made in 3D. The only big sore point of the film is A.R Rahman’s utterly forgettable music which to some extent is salvaged by Shankar’s innovative picturisation. The film’s length is around three hours and could have been shorter by at least 10 minutes.
Endhiran guarantees super fun for the entire family and Rajinikanth re-establishes the fact that what no body can, only Rajini can.
Superstar Rajinikanth starrer Endhiran - The Robot release date is already announced as October 1st, 2010. Further Endhiran trailer - Robot trailers released got unparalleled response and hooked the Indian Cinema audience.
Endhiran is releasing on October 1st with 2250 prints in more than 2000 screens globally, including more than 300 screens abroad. All this marks Endhiran release as the second biggest release globally after Spiderman and the highest number of prints ever for a Tamil movie.
Endhiran fever has caught the attention of cricketers, cinema celebrities, business magnets, professionals, and literally everyone. Endhiran Audio release was held in Malaysia and the event was a glisten. Posters hogged the limelight and now Endhiran trailers made people spellbind.
Currently, the post production works are about to be wrapped in a day or two and with this, Endhiran would complete all the works in this connection.
Endhiran is releasing on October 1st with 2250 prints in more than 2000 screens globally, including more than 300 screens abroad. All this marks Endhiran release as the second biggest release globally after Spiderman and the highest number of prints ever for a Tamil movie.
Endhiran fever has caught the attention of cricketers, cinema celebrities, business magnets, professionals, and literally everyone. Endhiran Audio release was held in Malaysia and the event was a glisten. Posters hogged the limelight and now Endhiran trailers made people spellbind.
Currently, the post production works are about to be wrapped in a day or two and with this, Endhiran would complete all the works in this connection.
The tickets for the film Endhiran was sold within 10 minutes when the booking plans opened throughout North America. The theatres are full for a week’s time. So far no other Indian cinema has been booked so fast. In that way it is a record break says Sun Pictures. Normally in America the plans will open only before a week’s time before the release of any Indian cinema
The reception of Soundarya Rajinikanth & Ashwin on the evening of September 3 was a spectacular event for all. Soundarya was in a beautiful gold and beige Sari and Ashwin was in silky formal suite. The super star was in a silk kurta pyjama. He was seen very emotional while doing the duties of a doting father. Wish them a happy marriage life...
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endhiran story line
We all know about director Shankar, the man of innovations. Now the director is all set with his big budget extravagance Endhiran (also spelt as Enthiran), which brings back the famous duo of Superstar Rajinikanth and director Shankar after their blockbuster Sivaji, The Boss. The movie will also see Aishwarya Rai paired opposite our superstar.
The story of Endhiran as revealed so far: Innovative scientish Dr. Vaseegaran (Rajni), creates a robot (Rajni again) with artificial intelligence. After a point of time, the robot behaves more like a human and falls in love with Aishwarya Rai. Now comes the twist. The villains, who are aware of the power of this robot, acquires it to do evil activities. Knowing the consequences, Vaseegaran sets out on a mission to rescue the robot from evil hands. So will he succeed in his mission? Wait and watch!
Meanwhile, the Endhiran team, including the lead pair Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai along with director Shankar, left for
Remeber to check Galatta.com for the Enthiran songs/Endhiran songs on July 31, 2010.
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Thai Pongal is a harvest festival event celebrated by Tamils across the world. Pongal coincides with the festival Makara Sankranthi celebrated in various parts of
Makara Sankranti/Thai Pongal celebrates the resumption of the sun's 'journey northwards' where the days get longer. Tamil Hindus dedicate the first grain harvested to the sun on this 'Surya Mangalya'. The celebration of Makara Sankranti/Pongal is not confined to the Tamils. It is a pan-Indic event described in the Mahabharata. Bhishma chose to leave his mortal coils when the sun turned direction northwards - also known as the Uttarayana. Makara Sankranti is referred to in the Surya Siddhanta. The Dharma Shastras mention Makara Sankranti. January 14 represents the climax of the Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh Mela. It is a traditional holiday/harvest in
Custom
Traditionally celebrated at harvest time, it's a celebration of the prosperity associated with the harvest by thanking the sun god, rain and the farm animals that have helped in the harvest. In villages, new clothes are worn and people owning cows find this festival important. Pongal is celebrated by the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as well as Tamils worldwide, including those in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius, South Africa, USA, Canada and Singapore. The festival is at least 1000 years old although some believe that the festival is more than 2000 years old. As per epigraphic evidence, it used to be celebrated as Puthiyeedu during Medieval Chola empire days. It is thought that Puthiyeedu meant the first harvest of the year. Tamils refer to Pongal as "Tamizhar Thirunal" (meaning "the festival of Tamils"). This festival originated in Tamil Nadu. The saying "Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum" meaning "the birth of the month of Thai will pave the way for new opportunities" is often quoted regarding the Pongal festival. Usually, the festival takes place January 12 — 15 (on the Gregorian calendar). The festival is celebrated four days from the last day of the Tamil month Maargazhi (December — January) to the third day of Thai (January — February). The first day, Bhogi, is celebrated by throwing away and destroying old clothes and materials, by setting them on fire, marking the end of the old Thai and the emergence of the new
The second day, Pongal, is the main day, falling on the first day of the Tamil month Thai (January 14 — 15). Also known as Sarkarai Pongal or Veetu Pongal, it is celebrated by boiling rice with fresh milk and jaggery in new pots, which are later topped with brown sugar, cashew nuts and raisins early in the morning and allowing it to boil over the vessel. This tradition gives Pongal its name.
The moment the rice boils over and bubbles out of the vessel, the tradition is to shout of "Ponggalo Ponggal!" and blowing the sangu (a conch), a custom practiced during the festival to announce it was going to be a year blessed with good tidings. For Tamils, it is considered a good sign to watch it boil over, since it means that good luck and prosperity is forthcoming. Then New boiled rice is offered to the sun god during sunrise, a gesture which symbolises thanks to the sun and nature for providing prosperity. It is later served to the people present in the house for the ceremony. People also prepare savories and sweets such as vadai, murukku, payasam and visit each other and exchange greetings.
The third day, Maattu Pongal, is for offering thanks to cattle, as they help farmer in different ways for agriculture. On this day the cattle are decorated with paint, flowers and bells. They are allowed to roam free and fed sweet rice and sugar cane. Some people decorate the horns with gold or other metallic covers. In some places, Jallikattu, or taming the wild bull contest, is the main event of this day and this is mostly seen in the villages.
During the final day, Kaanum Pongal (the word kaanum means "to view") people visit their relatives, friends to enjoy the festive season, but in the cities this day is synonymous with people flocking to beaches and theme parks to have a day out with their families. They also chew sugar cane and decorate their houses with kolam. This day is a day to thank relatives and friends for their support in the harvest. Although it started as a farmers festival, today it has become a national festival for all Tamils irrespective of their origins, caste or even religion. It is as popular in urban areas as is in rural areas.
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple திருப்பதி) is a famous Hindu Temple of Lord Venkateswara located in the hill town Tirumala of Andhra Pradesh. The temple is built on the Venkatadri hill, one of the seven hills of Tirumala, and hence is also known as the Temple of Seven Hills (Saptagiri in Sanskrit, Edukondalu in Telugu,Ezhumalai in Tamil). The presiding deity of the temple, Lord Venkateswara, is also known by other names - Balaji or Srinivasa or Perumal.
The temple is the richest and the most visited place of worship in the world. The temple is visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily, while on special occasions and festivals, like the annual Brahmotsavam, the number of pilgrims shoots up to 500,000, making it the most visited holy place in the world. According to the legend, the temple has a self-manifested idol murti of Lord Vishnu, with the Lord believed to have resided here for the entire Kali Yuga. In Sri Vaishnava tradition, the temple is considered one of the 108 Divya Desam sites.
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Location of main shrine
Venkateshwara's abode is in the Venkatam hills (the hills are more often referred to as ThiruVenkatam) near Tirupathi. Thus, the main temple of Venkateshwara is the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The Tirumala temple is believed to be the richest of all the temples in the world. The temple is located in Andhra Pradesh (southern India) in Chittoor district. It is around 150 km away from Chennai and 250 km away from Bangalore
The Tirumala Hill is 3200 ft above sea level, and is about 10.33 sq miles in area. It comprises seven peaks, representing the seven hoods of Adisesha, thus earning the name, Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri. The sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak, Venkatadri (Venkata Hill), and lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini. The temple complex comprises a smaller traditional temple building along with a number of modern queue and pilgrim lodging sites. There are several legends associated with the manifestation of the Lord in Tirumala.
The varied names ascribed to the main deity are Balaji, Srinivasa, Perumal, Venkateswara and Venkatachalapathy. The goddess Sri or Lakshmi (Vishnu's consort) resides on the chest of Venkateswara, and thus he is also known by the epithet Srinivasa (the one in whom Sri resides). Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Padmavathi reside on his either chests. The deity is considered the Kali yuga varada, that is 'the boon-granting Lord of Kali yuga' (the fourth and final age of the Hindu cycle of ages). The temple is held in particular reverence by the Vaishnava sect of southern India, known as the Sri Vaishnava.
For worshippers, the deity Venkateswara symbolises goodness. When people travel to Tirupati, they chant "Yedu Kondala Vada Venkataramana Govinda Govindaa" (in Telugu)or "Yezhu Malai Vaasa Venkataramana Govinda Govindaa" (in Tamil) or "Tirupati Thimmappana Padakke Govinda" (in Kannada).
With his conch he creates the cosmic sound from which the creation has manifested.And with his disc he destroys ignorance and ego in the beings,thus liberating them. Lord Venkateswara is believed by followers to be a very merciful deity form of Vishnu, being the fulfiller of every wish made to him by the devotees.
The Holy mantra chanted is Om Namo Venkateshaya. "The Venkateswara Suprabhatam", the morning recital of prayers and songs of awakening, is written by Prativadi Bhayankaram Annan of Kanchipuram.[5] Several composers composed beautiful kirtanas about Lord Venkateswara, the most notable amongst them being Tyagaraja and Annamacharya, who composed mostly in Telugu. Annamacharya or Annamayya is a legendary devotee of Lord Venkateswara and composed songs almost exclusively about the deity.
The "Vimanam"
The Roof with Shining Golden Exterior of the Inner Temple that houses The Main Presiding Deity is named "Vimanam" in any Hindu temple. In the Tirumala temple, it holds a very special place as the "Ananda Nilayam" (meaning Abode of Happiness or Bliss literally) with its imposing view, magnificence, and readily recognizable identity to any devotee familiar with the temple and its fame.
Legend
Sri Venkatachala Mahatmyam is the most accepted legend with respect to Tirumala and provides the history of the temple across the various yugas. Of the other legends, the following are most known:
• Ranganathaswamy at Srirangam (the main deity) is believed to have manifested on its own without any human endeavour (Swayambhu)
• Discovery of the Venkateswara deity is described as an act of divine providence: there was a huge anthill at Tirupati, and one day a local farmer heard a voice from the heavens asking him to feed the ants. By chance the local king heard the voice and began supplying milk for the ants himself. His compassion resulted in the liquid uncovering the magnificent deity form of Venkateswara hidden beneath the anthill.
History
Ancient history
Thondaiman, ruler of the ancient Thondaimandalam (present day Kanchipuram) (capital: Kanchipuram, just south of modern day Chennai)[9], is believed to have first built the temple after visualizing Lord Vishnu in his dream. He built the Gopuram and the Prakhara, and arranged for regular prayers to be conducted in the temple. Later on the Chola dynasty vastly improved the temple and gave rich endowments. To date, you will find the various Tamil Grantha script within the Temple prakara walls. The Sangam literature of Tamil such as that of Silapadikaram and Satanar Manimekalai, dated between 500BC and 300AD, mentions Thiruvengadam (now named Tirupati) by the appellation "Nediyon Kunram" as the northernmost frontier of the Tamil kingdoms [10]. In fact, a fairly detailed description of the deity is given in lines 41 to 51 of book 11 of the Silapadikaram [11]. Again, appellation "Nediyon" for the deity occurs in these verses:
“ High on Vengadam's towering crest, with
flowing streams in flood,
Betwixt the effulgent glory, of shining Sun and Moon,
Like unto a blue cloud in lightning dresst In all the brilliance of rainbow dight, The Red-eyed great One, majestic stands
In dress of flowery brilliance with garland bright,
One lotus hand with fearsome disc adorned, and milk white conch (the other held.) ”
Puranic literature which was composed roughly around the post-Mauryan and early-Gupta era also mentions of Tirupati as the Aadhi Varaha Kshetra. The Puranas associate the site with Lord Varaha one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The Varaha shrine holds great importance in Tirupati and is said to be older than the main sanctum of Venkateswara. There is also the Ranga Mandapam, which is to the left side of the temple as we enter. This is where the main deity "Sri Ranganatha Swamy" of SriRangam Temple (Trichy) was protected, for a period of almost 60 years, during attacks by Malik Kafur in the 14th Century.
Medieval history
It was under the regime of the Vijayanagara emperors that the temple attained the majority of its current opulence and size with the donation of expensive jewellery made of diamonds and gold. The coronation ceremonies of the emperors were also held at Tirupati. In 1517, Krishnadevaraya, on one of his many visits to the temple, donated gold and jewels enabling the Vimana (inner shrine) roofing to be gilded. The Maratha general Raghoji Bhonsle visited the temple and set up a permanent administration for the conduct of worship in the temple. Among the later rulers who endowed large benefactions were the rulers of Mysore and Gadwal.
In 1843, with the coming of the East India Company, the administration of the Sri Venkateswara temple and a number of shrines was entrusted to Seva Dossji of the Hathiramji Mutt at Tirumala as Vicaranakarta for nearly a century until 1932, when Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) was established as a result of TTD Act, 1932.
Modern history
Swami Pushkarni of Tirumala
TTD is operated by a Board of Trustees has increased in size through adoption of various Acts from five (1951) to fifteen (1987). The daily operation and management of TTD is the responsibility of Executive Officer (EO) who is appointed by the AP government.
The temple brings around 60,000 pilgrims every day. The popularity of the temple can be judged by the annual budget which was estimated at Rs 10 billion in 2008 with almost everything coming directly from donations. Devotees give donations which runs into millions. TTD, the organisation running the welfare of the temple, runs various charitable trusts whose funds are derived from the budget and donations from the devotees.
Prasadam
Laddu is the world famous prasadam given at Tirumala Temple.[15] recently the Trust has taken copy right of Laddu prasaddam, hence, no one can prepare the same Laddu. Many other delicious prasadams are also available including curd rice, pulihora (tamarind rice), vada and chakkera-pongali (sweet pongal). Free meals are given daily to the pilgrims, and on Thursdays, the Tirupavadai seva occurs, where food items are kept for naivedyam to Lord Srinivasa.
Hair tonsuring
Many devotees also have their head tonsured as an offer. The daily amount of hair collected is over a ton The hair thus gathered is sold by the temple organization a few times a year by public auction to international buyers for use as hair extensions and in cosmetics, bringing over $6M to the temple's treasury.As per puranas hair given by devotees is to coverup the lost hair(it is a very small portion) of lord venkateshwara swamy
Darshan and queue system
Tirumala Temple and Vaikuntam Queue Complex (Semicircular building in the foreground) as seen from Srivari Padalu on Narayanagiri hill
Tirumala possibly has the most elaborate arrangement in India to sequence and guide the visiting devotees through the holy shrine. Because of the ever increasing daily rush of devotees, the temple authorities have set up a virtual queue system, where the devotees are given a specific time, only after which they will be allowed into the queue complex. This has resulted in a steep drop (by a factor of five) in the time that devotees need to spend within the Queue Complex leading to the main temple.
There are two major kinds of Darshan (meaning "a glimpse of the Lord") at the temple. The first one being Dharma Darshanam - free darshan, which on average takes about 10 hours from the time you enter the Queue Complex. It is worth noting that during a high season (festivals, holidays, weekends and special occasions) Dharma darshanam can take as long as a whole day, while sometimes during low seasons it might take only an hour and can be quicker than any paid darshan. The second major type is Sudarshanam - costs Rs. 300, and on average takes about 3 hours. There are also more expensive options where the darshan time is lower, such as the Nija Pada Darshanam costing Rs. 100, or the darshanam line for kalyanam (costing Rs. 1000). There are also special queues for senior citizens (above 75 years old) and for people with kids (below 3 years). One other person is usually allowed to accompany the senior or the kid to assist them in the darshan line. Devotees who fall in this category should be sure to inquire with temple officials about the special queue, as it can significantly reduce the time and effort needed for darshan.
Individual devotees for Sudarshanam, as well as free darshanam are required to register (get a ticket/token) at any of the many queue offices situated near the main shrine, or at the local rail and bus stations in Tirumala and Tirupati, or at TTD offices in other key cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai,Delhi,Bhubaneswar and many more. At registration, devotees can choose the expected date and time of entry into the Vaikuntam Queue Complex. At the time of registration, biometrics (finger printing and photo) are taken to eliminate the involvement of middlemen. Devotees contributing for Special Darshan or Puja Darshan tickets are moved up the queue virtually as well as physically inside the temple complex, though all devotees are treated equally from the point of entry into the sanctum sanctorum. During high season (festival periods, holidays, weekends and special temple puja periods) the queues at the ticket offices itself can be quite overwhelming. Hence it is recommended that the devotee get his ticket (if possible) in advance from TTD offices nearest to their hometown and not in Tirupati.
The queue does not literally mean standing - these are huge halls in the queue complex each accommodating about 300 persons, where you can sit (and watch religious programs on a TV which also telecasts rituals from inside the temple). There are toilets, and for those seeking the free Dharma Darsanam, free food (sambar rice / curd rice) and coffee/tea served every couple of hours. Once the gates exiting the halls are opened, the devotee joins the actual queue, and from this point in the queue it might take about 60–90 minutes (standing/walking) to reach the sanctum sanctorum and have Darshan. Typically, one gets to see the idol of the Lord for about 10–15 seconds during high season to about sixty seconds during low season, and there's hustling by the volunteers to ensure that the queue progresses quickly.[18] Despite the endless queues and the long waiting times,it is the faith that gives devotees the patience to keep moving step by step, for hours together, to get that ultimate glimpse of the Lord, before they are urged to move on forward-and-out so as to allow others behind them to have a darshan. That momentary glimpse alone, defying all logic, is worth all the queues, all the heat and the crush of the crowds as they surge towards the inner sanctum.
Arjitha seva (paid services)
Pilgrims can view and participate (in a limited fashion) in the various sevas performed to Dhruva bera (main idol), Bhoga Srinivasa, Sri Malayappa swami and other idols in the temple.
When pilgrims purchase arjitha seva tickets, they get the opportunity to see a seva performed to the Lord, obtain prasadam in the form of vastram (clothes), akshantalu (sacred and blessed rice) and food articles (laddus, vadas, dosas, pongal, rice items) and a darshan of the utsava murti.[19]
Festivals
Elephants marching during festival at Tirumala
The town celebrates most Vaishnava festivals including Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rama Navami and Janmashtami with great splendor, while the Brahmotsavam celebrated every year during September is the most important festivals in Tirumala, when it receives millions of devotees over a short span of a week. Other major festivals include Vasanthotsavam (spring festival) conducted during March-April and Rathasapthami (Magha Shuddha Saptami) is another festival, celebrated during February, when Lord Venkateswara's deity is taken on procession around the temple chariots.
Related temples
Tirupati is one of the 108 holy temples in Vaishnavite system and is related to a number of other temples, including the ones in Uppiliappan temple, near Kumbakonam and Varagur temple, near Trichi are considered to be the "divine brothers" of Lord Venkateswara.
This temple was built by ancient King "Thondaman". Ancient Hindu kings were extremely devout and patronised the arts. This temple at Thirupathi was part of a big plan. The ancient vaishnavaites did not want their religion to fade out with time. They built many temples across South India. These temples collectively became known as the Divyadesams. These temples are acclaimed for their historical and architectural significance. Encouraged by the Vaishnavaite saints and scholars, ancient kings built, maintained and donated large sums of money for the upkeep of these temples.
Traditionally Kurubas build temples on top of the mountains and worshiped the Almighty. Lord Venkateswara has strong following from the Backward Castes, who are traditionally Shiva worshipers in south India. Lord Venkateswara has a significant Dalit following also.is a Govindaraya Vishnu temple in the Tirupati town down below the hills with Vishnu in Yoga Nidra with Sridevi and Bhumidevi next to him.
Most of these temples that are related to Tirupathi are found in and around the post-independence state of Tamil Nadu (and a few in Kerala, Karanataka and North India/Nepal as well). If you are in Chennai, the related temples that you can visit in a matter of two - three days would be:
1. Veera Raghava Swamy temple - Thiruvallur - About 30 minutes from Chennai.
2. Lakshmi Narasimhar Temple, Ramapuram, Chennai
3. Bhakta Vatsala Perumal Temple - Thiruninravur - About 45 Minutes from Chennai.
4. ThirupputKuzhi - Midway from Chennai to Vellore, this temple can be seen by the side of the highway. It is the site where Lord Rama finds dying Jetaayu, after its battle with Ravana to rescue Sita.
5. Neervanna Perumal temple - Thiruneermalai village, near Pallavaram, in Chennai.
6. Nithya Kalyana Perumal Temple - Thiru-ida-venthai (Thiruvidandai) - Kovalam, 30 minutes from Thiruvanmiyur bus stand in Chennai .
7. Thiruvallikeni (Parthasarathy Temple) - "Triplicane" - located in the city of Chennai.
8. Thirukadalmallai - Sthalasayana Perumal Temple, Mahabalipuram, about 1.5 hours from Chennai.
9. Thirukkadigai - Sholingur, near Arakkonam, about an hour and a half from both Chennai and Tirupati.
Srirangam (Tamil: ஸ்ரீரங்கம்), also known as Thiruvarangam, is an island and a zone in the city of Tiruchirapalli ( also known as Trichy or Tiruchi), in South India.
Srirangam is bounded by the Kaveri River (also known as Cauvery river) on one side, and the Kaveri distributary Kollidam (Coleroon) on the other side. Srirangam is home to a significant population of Vaishnavites (followers of Lord Vishnu, one of the triumvirate of Hindu Gods the other two being Lord Siva, the Destroyer and Lord Brahma, the Creator).
Srirangam is famous for its Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, a major pilgrimage destination for Hindus (especially Vaishnavites) and one of the largest temple complexes in India.
According to the temple's website, Srirangam can be considered the biggest functioning Hindu temple in the world as it covers an area of about 6,31,000 m². (156 Acres) with a perimeter of 4 km (10,710 ft).[1] Srirangam claims to be the biggest functioning temple, because Angkor Wat is the biggest but non-functioning Hindu temple in the world.
The Srirangam temple complex is composed of 7 concentric walled sections and 21 gopurams[2]. The gopuram of the temple is called the Rajagopuram and is 236 feet (72 m) tall, the tallest in Asia.
Myth has it that the coast of Sri Lanka can be seen from the top of the gopuram. The temple is constituted by seven prakaras (elevated enclosures) with gopurams articulating the axial path, the highest at the outermost prakara and the lowest at the innermost.
The three sacred Ranganatha temples on the banks of the Kaveri are:
• Adi Ranga: the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangapattana
• Madhya Ranga: the Ranganathaswamy temple at Shivanasamudra
• Antya Ranga: the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam
The Tirumala Venkateshwara Temple temple and the RanganathaSwamy temple at Srirangam was taken care and was under the control of the great Madhva saint Sri Vyasatirtha for 12years who worshipped the Lord and took care of the temple administration and puje before he handed over the control to the kin of an Iyengar family, later then it was continued by the Iyengars.
Economy
Due to the famous temple, Srirangam has a thriving economy based on tourism. Devotees come from all parts of India and abroad. The number of devotees to the town increases greatly during the festivals like Vaikunda Ekadesi which falls on the Tamil month of Marghazi.
Srirangam is one of the few temples which is always being crowded by devotees.
There are many other famous temples near Srirangam. They include Rockfort temple, Samayapuram Mariamman temple, Tiruvaanaikovil temple, Kumara Vaiyalur temple, Uraiyur Vekkali Amman temple, Kaatazhagiya singer temple etc.
Srirangam town is also home to several hundred people who work in offices and industries located in Trichy. The public transport linking Srirangam to Trichy (route #1) is very frequent.
Schools
There are numerous schools, both private and public, in the town. The Higher Secondary School for Boys was founded in 1896 and is the oldest one in the town. There is also a Higher Secondary School for girls which is almost as old as that of the boys. Srimad Andavan College, Sri Akilandeswari Vidyalaya, Chinmaya Vidyalaya Matriculation School,sri Sathya sai vidyalaya, Sri Ranga Matriculation School etc., are other institutions in Srirangam. Most of the schools have English as a medium of instruction. Some have Tamil as a medium of instruction, and some have both. There are many school children who travel to nearby Trichy also.
Transport
Air
The nearest airport is Trichy / Tiruchirappalli International Airport.
Trichy Airport has connections to Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvanathapuram, Singapore, Dubai, Sharjah, Kuwait, Colombo, Malaysia.
Rail
Srirangam has a railway station that can be reached from Chennai through any of the major trains travelling in the Chennai-Kanyakumari railway track and the approximate journey time from chennai is about 5 hours (320 km).
The Tiruchirappalli fort and Trichy junction which are the distance of 2 km and 8 km serves as connection point to most places in South India such as Thanjavur, Chidambaram, Madurai, Tirupathi, Tuticorin, Tenkasi, Quilon, Rameswaram, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Mysore, Kochi, Kanyakumari and Mangalore. It also connects to some places to north India like Howrah,Delhi,Kashmir.
Bus
Bridge Connecting Trichy and Srirangam across Kaveri River
Trichy Central bus stand has direct services to most parts of Tamil Nadu. From the bus stand, tourists can avail local buses, taxi, auto rickshaw to reach Sri rangam.
City Bus service to all places of tourist interest from Central Bus Stand and from Chinthamani -Main Guard Gate Bus Stand (Both in Trichy). Tourist Taxis like Trichy Travels, Auto Rickshaws are also available at reasonable rates.
Route No. 1 of the City bus service plies between Srirangam and Central Bustand. This route starts from Trichy Central Bus Stand and goes via Trichy Junction Railway Station, Palakkarai Rettai pillaiyar Kovil street, Main Guard Gate, Chatram Bus Stand, Cauvery River Bridge, Mambazha salai, Thiruvanaikkovil and ends at Srirangam Bus Stand near the Srirangam Therkku vaasal (South entrance to the temple).
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