The attached photographs are of Divya Saketham, a very sacred and
magnificent Temple at Sriramanagar, located 45 km. from our house in
Secunderabad (Driving instructions are at the bottom of this article). It is
beautiful and I hope its magnificence can be seen though partially from the
attached photographs. And coming to the sacredness of the Temple it has been
built with the blessings and under the guidance of Sri Tridandi Srimannarayana
Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji – the idols are made up of Salagramas collected from several holy places, soil
from 108 places of pilgrimage and Tulasi picked from 106 Punya Kshetras and
consecrated here, at Divya Saketham. Divya means divine and Saketham means the
abode of Vishnu – Vaikuntam or heaven. Circumambulation / Pradakshina of this
Temple is said to be equivalent to performing Pradakshina of 108 Divya Desas
that is sacred places.
All Temples are sacred, important and powerful but some standout
as popular places of pilgrimage because of the history of the Temple, the great
devotion of the priests, management and the visiting devotees. Divya Saketham
was consecrated in May 2009 during Jeeyar Sathabdhi that is the birth centenary
of His Holiness Sri Pedda Jeeyar Swamiji, a saint, social reformer and divine
Guru of multitudes and Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji.
The Temple has three levels. Lord Maha Vishnu appears in three
different forms at the three levels:
The main temple is at first level; here Lord Vishnu appears as
Sri Kodanda Rama Swamy along with his consort Sri Sita Devi and brother
Lakshmana Swamy with Anjaneya Swamy in front and at the farther end of the Temple.
At the second level; the Lord appears as Sri Ranganatha Swamy in
a reclining posture and with his consorts Sri Lakshmi Devi and Sri Godha Devi.
The deity of Lord Sri Ranganatha Swamy is blue in colour, constituted with
Salagramas collected from various Divya Desas. Worshipping Sri Ranganatha Swamy
here is equivalent to worshipping at all Divya Desas / holy places.
And the third level Temple is designed as Vaikuntam; the abode of
Lord Maha Vishnu. The Lord appears here in a thousand pillared Mandapam /
Pavillion as Vaikuntanatha and Paramapadam along with his consorts Sri Sridevi,
Sri Bhoodevi and Sri Neela Devi and along with a number of his devotees.
Adjacent to the Temple there is Sri Kuteeram (Swamiji’s
Ashramam), a Yagashala and Goshala.
Divya Saketham Temple is located in the 53-acre JIVA – Jeeyar
Integrated Vedic Academy. JIVA runs institutions like JIVA Gurukulam (Vedic
education), JIVA Community College, Netra Vidyalaya – a School and Junior
College for the blind and so on. As I mentioned at the beginning of this
article, Divya Saketham is located exactly 45 km. from our house in
Secunderabad. It is beyond Shamshabad - Hyderabad Airport. You will have to
travel on NH 44 – Bangalore Highway up to Madanapally Village and take a left
turn there through a Temple arch and travel 2 Kms. along Muchintal Road to
reach Divya Saketham and JIVA Academy. There is a busy highway just before and
between the Temple and Muchintal Road, so one should concentrate on the road
and driving, and cross over to the Temple carefully.
You may see a video of the Temple and JIVA Academy by clicking on
the following YouTube link:
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