Modi Welcomes BRICS Leaders Against Ramanathaswamy Temple Backdrop
PM Modi greeted BRICS leaders at Bharat Mandapam against a backdrop of Tamil Nadu's Ramanathaswamy temple, explaining its significance to China's Xi Jinping.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed leaders of the BRICS nations at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday, with the reception set against a backdrop depicting the Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
Among those received were Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The leaders shook hands and posed for photographs in front of the temple imagery. While greeting Xi, Modi is said to have explained the shrine's significance.
India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13. Delegations from 11 member countries and 10 partner countries are taking part, along with representatives of some international organisations.
The Ramanathaswamy temple is the only Shiva-dedicated shrine among the four Char Dham sites, the other three being Dwaraka, Puri and Badrinath, all in northern India. It also stands apart among the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines, being the sole one located in the south.
Rameswaram draws pilgrims from both Shaivite and Vaishnavite traditions. The Kasi Rameswaram Yatra, regarded as one of the most important religious duties for Hindus, begins at Kasi and concludes with worship of Lord Ramanathaswamy at Rameswaram.
According to a Tamil Nadu government website, the historic shrine was overseen by a monk until the 10th century A.D. In the 15th century, Ramanathapuram King Udayan Sethupathi and a Vaisya from Nagore built the western tower and compound walls. A wealthy individual from Madurai later built the Amman Sannidhi corridor and carried out other renovation work. Between 1897 and 1904, the 126-foot, nine-tiered eastern rajagopuram was completed by the family of a Devakottai zamindar.
In the Puranas, Lord Rama is believed to have arrived at the site with Sita and Lakshman and consecrated and worshipped a Shivalinga to expiate the sin of killing Ravana, a Brahmin. The name Rameswaram denotes the holy place of Lord Rameswara, or Eswara (Shiva) consecrated by Lord Rama.