Chennai, Jan 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is in Tamil Nadu on his 3-day visit to the state performed 'smaran' and offered prayers at Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram.

The PM was accorded a warm welcome at the temple.

The main deity worshipped in the temple is Sri Ramanathaswamy, which is a form of Lord Shiva. It is a widely held belief that the main lingam in this temple was installed and worshipped by Sri Rama and Mata Sita.

It is one among the Char Dhams - Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameshwaram. It is also one among the 12 Jyotirlingas.

PM Modi arrived at the Amrithananda School campus in Rameswaram Pakarumbu by helicopter at 2.10 pm. From there, he took a holy dip in Agniteertham at 3.10 pm.

PM Modi later took part in the Ramayan path and 'Bhajan Sandhya' in the temple.

Prime Minister Modi, who is currently observing an 11-day Anushthan till the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22, arrived in Tiruchirappalli on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, the PM offered prayers at the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli.

Also, during his visit, PM Modi sought blessings from an elephant named 'Andal' in the temple premises.
The jumbo was also pictured playing a mouth organ as PM Modi watched in amazement.

Located in Srirangam, Trichy, the temple ranks among the most ancient shrines in the country and finds a mention in various ancient texts, including the Puranas and the Sangam-era scriptures.

It is famous for its architectural grandeur and numerous iconic gopurams. The main deity worshipped here is Sri Ranganatha Swamy, a reclining form of Lord Vishnu.

Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled for a darshan at the Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi on Sunday and will also perform a puja at the shrine. He will also visit Arichal Munai, which is said to be the place from where the 'Ram Setu' was built.

Continuing his routine over the last several days of visiting several temples and attending to the chanting of verses from the epic 'Ramayana' in various languages--Marathi, Malayalam and Telugu, PM Modi is scheduled to attend 'Shri Ramayana Paryana' at the Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple on Sunday.

During the programme, eight different traditional Mandalis will recite the Sanskrit, Awadhi, Kashmiri, Gurumukhi, Assamese, Bengali, Maithili, and Gujarati Ramkathas (recounting the episode of Lord Ram's return to Ayodhya).
Prime Minister Modi has, over the last few days, visited several temples in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala ahead of the grand January 22 opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. (ANI)

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