Ellaikarai Anjaneya Temple Srirangam

Ellaikarai Anjaneya Temple is at Srirangam near Trichy in the state of Tamilnadu.The 500-year-old Pranadevaru Temple in Srirangam holds great historical significance. The deity of Lord Ellaikarai Sri Anjaneya Swamy of Srirangam is about two feet tall made of hard granite stone.

Sri Vyasaraja played a pivotal role in resolving the conflict between Sri Vaishnavas and Shaivites by marking the boundary between Srirangam and Thiruvanaikoil. This historic event has even been inscribed in the walls of Srirangam Temple.

History

It is said that during old days it was customary that during the annual Srirangam Brahmotsavam, Namperumal Sri Ranganatha would visit his sister Sri Akiladeshwari Ambal at Tiruvanaika.

During the invasion of Malik Kafur, Namperumal was away from the temple. After about approx. 50 years, Namperumal returned to Srirangam in the year 1371. After many years of absence, the practice of Namperumal started visiting Tiruvanaika, but there was resistance to the revival of this practice. From then on there was dispute between Srirangam and Tiruvanaka, regarding jurisdiction.

Sri Vyasaraja was the Rajaguru of Vijayanagara Empire and was on a visit to Srirangam. When on such a visit the dispute of boundary between Srirangam and Tiruvanaka was brought to his notice. He offered a solution to this problem.

He stated that he will hold his breath and walk in each of the four directions from the main garbha graha of Sri Ranganatha. Wherever he stops holding his breath, that spot will be marked as the boundary of Srirangam. Like that he walked in all direction and determined the boundary of Srirangam.[It is customary of Vijayanagara kingdom to mark the boundary of villages with a temple for Sri Anjaneya].

With no exception Sri Vyasaraja who was also devotee of Sri Hanuman had built four Hanuman temples at four places and marked the boundary of Srirangam.This Ellaikarai Anjaneya Temple is one among the four temples of Anjaneya.

The two places which are presently known with a prefix “Ellaikarai” indicating that these points were once used as a demarcation of the territory of the Srirangam town. The first one is Ellaikari mandapam and the second is Ellaikarai Anjaneya temple at Srinivasa Nagar.