LV D0B ({ `H unnamed.txt unnamed.txt`(V 0(({` (B-A.F~Srirangapatnam and Kaveri -Part 2 At the main sannidhi, in front of the moolavar, besides Jaya and Vijaya are two other silais. Next to Jaya is Sri Rangaraaya and next to Vijaya is Alamelu-amma. The story behind these two great souls is one of devotion to husband (pathi bhakthi) which is so strong to impose Shaapam and cause tremendous pain and misery to the receiver (Wodeyar family). About 500 years back, one Sri Rangaraaya administered the temple activities as the Chief Minister of the Vijayanagar king. Sri Alamelu-amma was the wife of Sri Rangaraaya who was devoutly performing the required tasks in Arangan temple. She had many types of jewelry made and used to follow a routine of decorating Ranganaayaki Thaayar with this ornaments on Tuesdays and Fridays. Sri Rangaraaya became seriously ill and handed over the temple administration to the Wodeyar King and moved to a small place called Maalangi near Talakkaadu, and after a while departed from this world. After her husbands death, Alamelu-amma returned to Srirangapatnam and continued to visit on Tuesdays and Fridays. She would dress up Sri Ranganaayaki Thaayar with the jewelry she had gotten made. After the worship, she would take the jewels back to her home. The Wodeyar King had dictated that the jewels should not be handed over to Alamelu-amma and ordered all jewels in her possession be collected. When Alamelu-amma heard this order, she realized that she should not stay at Srirangapatnam anymore and immediately got on her horse and rode to Talakkaadu. However when she saw the soldiers started to chase her, she thought she and her virtue are in danger and took her life by jumping into Kaveri. At the time of her jumping, she uttered the following curses. (I vaguely remember the quotes in Kannada we used to say.) Talakkaadu should become a sand desert (talakkaadu maralaagalee) Kaveri at Maalangi should be very deep (malangi kaveri aalavaagalee) Mysore Raja Vamsam should be without heirs (mysora rajanige makkalu illadE irali) Even today we see the results of a shaapam from a great pious wife. (I believe the Wodeyar family has had no direct heir ascend the throne. The kings have been adopting nephews. In fact Sri Krishna Rajendra Wodeyar, the last ruler prior to the constitution amendment, was adopted by his uncle.) When Wodeyar Raja heard about the events, he was saddened and had the statues of Sri Rangaraaya and Alamelu-amma installed at the door next to digpaalakaas. Sri Ranganathar Perumaal is in a yogaasana pose with his head on the south and his feet on the north. Kaveri is at his feet with folded hands. The temple has sannidhis for Sri Lakshmi Narasimhar, Sri Sudharshana Azhwar, Gajenra Varadaraja Perumaal, and Sri Ranganaayaki Thaayar. She is in a padmasana pose and even today she is adorned by the diamond nose rings made by Alamelu-amma. There is a mantapam which has a story back to 1760 when Sri Immadi Krishna Raja Wodeyar had Hyder Ali has his General. Hyder Ali had a special devotion to Arangan. Every year starting from 21st day of Dhanur Maasam, day and night big festivities to celebrate Goda Piratti were on going. Every day the royal family would visit and offer their prayers. On the ninth day, they would have Mohini alankaram and great musicians and dancers. One year, on the eighth day of the GodarOthsavam, the big tent that had been set up caught on fire and burnt into ashes. The King was saddened by this situation. When Hyder Ali realized that his lord was upset about it, he had people work day and night to build a mantapam with karungal (Is this granite?) . The next day the festival continued as usual. Apparently, even today the annual festivals take place in this hastily built mantapam. kaavErikku kaatsi thandha karunaa-saagaramE poovulag maandarukku arulpuriyum purushOththamanE akhila-mellaam sirakkavanda arumaNiyE aadhiranganE ninthaal potrri panigirOm arul saivaay neeyE (Probably Composed by Kannan Gopalan) narayaNaNe ninthaal pOtrri! pOtrri