Eri-Katha Ramar Temple of Madurantakam, Tamil Nadu: Great seer Sri Ramanuja received the ''Pancha Samskaram'' here!

Happy Rama Navami, .thequint.com

Eri-katha Ramar temple,TN upload.wikimedia.org

Above image:  Eri-Katha Ramar Temple of Madurantakam, Tamil Nadu.  image credit. SSriram 

Sri ramar temple,Madurantakam,TN Commons. wikimedia.org 

Above image:   Eri-Katha Ramar Temple of Madurantakam, Tamil Nadu. mage credit:Krishna Kumar......... 

bronze-copper idol of sri Rama, Eri-katha Ramar temple
buzzchronicles.com.

Eri-Katha Ramar Temple dedicated to Sri Rama  in the town of Maduranthakam, Tamil Nadu, is a popular one in this  state  and is said to be one of the oldest in India.  Thirumalisai Azhwar, one of the pious vaishnava saints classified this  Ramar temple as a 108 Divya Prabandha Kshetra in  the Vaishnavite tradition. The great seer Sri Ramanujar also for his part glorified this shrine where  Udayavar (the presiding deity) was named Ramanuja. This temple is a sanctified place of worship because  Thirumalisai Azhwar  attained siddhi (enlightenment) here and  Sri Ramanuja was given  the Pancha Samskara Mantram by  his guru here. Sri Rama navami is celebrated on a grand scale in this month in this . The  highlight of this festival here is Sri Rama appears in four different  alangarams (decoration) One of them being  in Muthu kondai during the auspicious event that is attended by 1000s of devotees. (a separate article will be posted soon)..from this town and neighboring places..........

Eari-katha ramar temple deities
.tamilbrahmins.com

Built during the Pallava era,(roughly 1600 years old), the presiding deity (moolavar) is Sri Rama (an incarnation of god Vishnu) in standing posture (8ft tall ; facing east) and his consort is  Sita in Kalyana Kolam  holding her hand. Also includes here is his brother sri Lakshmana. The images of the deities are not made of hard stone for unknown reasons and are made of stucco.  Here goddess Sita is worshipped as Janakavalli (daughter of Janaka Maharajah in the Ramayana).

 Stone inscriptions in the temple reveal that rulers of the past era made generous grants to the temple,  mention may be made of  Chola king Parantaka I who ruled this place that that was once called  Maduranthaga Chaturvedi Mangalam (named after the Chola ruler Madurantaga Uttama Chola (973–985 CE). The name owes its origin to  Gandaraditya who generously donated to the Veda Pundits (Chaturvedi) to take care the temple, nithya  pujas, etc.   

 Eri-Katha Ramar Temple, TN en.wikipedia.orc 

Above image:  Eri-Katha Ramar Temple of Madurantakam near Chennai, Tamil Nadu,  In this small humble pillared mantap below the  Magizha tree  centuries ago Sri Ramanuja was given the Pancha Samskaram (Divine syllable) by his guru  Periya Nambigal. image credit.SSriram mt...........

Fom her Sri Ramanuja proceeded to  Srirangam to become the disciple of Periya Nambigal on divinley  orders from  Varadaraja perumal (kanchi) through Tirukachi Nambi, yet another seer. They met here near the banks of Madurantakam lake on an auspicious day in the month of Avani on the Sukla Panchami. Ramanuja is said have received  the Samasrayanam or Pancha Samskaram from Periya Nambi. This hallowed  hall around the sanctum of Sri Ramar temple is still there.  In this place Seer Ramanuja, in his ''Poorvasaram'' had spent his last day as  a Grihastha (family man).  Following this event  Maduranthakam  was called "Dvayam Vilindha Tirupathi". 

Among the many festivals, the major one is the Rama Navami festival, which commemorates the birth of Rama.  Yet another popular festival is 'Aani Brahmostavam' in the the Tamil month of Aani (July - August)and the  Panchasamskaram festival is held here to commemorate the sanctification of Sri Ramanuja. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eri-Katha_Ramar_Temple

https://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=808

https://www.maalaimalar.com/devotional/temples/2018/01/17092324/1140615/eri-katha-ramar-temple.vpf