Raghunathji Temple, Devprayag

Raghunathji
Raghunathji Location in Uttarakhand
Name
Proper name	Devprayag
Geography
Coordinates	8°26′09″N 77°33′58″E / 8.43583°N 77.56611°ECoordinates: 8°26′09″N 77°33′58″E / 8.43583°N 77.56611°E
Country	India
State	Uttarakhand
District	Tehri Garhwal
Location	Devprayag
Culture
Primary deity	Raghunathji (Vishnu)
Poets	Tirumangai Alvar Bhoothathalvar
Architecture
Architectural styles	Dravidian architecture

Raghunathji Temple in Devprayag, a pilgrimage town in Tehri Garhwal district in Himalayas in the North Indian state of Uttarakhand, is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It is located 73 km from Rishikesh on the Rishikesh - Badrinath highway. Constructed in the Deula style, the temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil canon of the Azhwar saints from the 6th–9th centuries AD. It is one of the 108 Divyadesam dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Raghunathji and his consort Lakshmi as Sita.

The temple is located uphill on the confluence of Alaknanda - Bhagirathi rivers, which becomes River Ganga subsequently. Raghunathji is believed to performed penance at this place to relieve himself off the curse committed by killing Ravana. The temple is maintained and administered by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board of the Government of Uttarakhand.

Legend

Image of the temple on the hill

As per Hindu legend, the temple is associated with the times of Ramayana. Raghunathji (Rama, an avatar of Vishnu) is believed to performed penance at this place to relieve himself off the curse committed by killing Ravana, a Brahmin demon king.^[1]

Architecture

Raghunathji temple is located in Devprayag, a town in Tehri Garhwal district in the North Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is located 73 km (45 mi) from Rishikesh on the Rishikesh - Badarinath highway in the lower Himalayas. It is located on the confluence of Alaknanda - Bhagirathi river, 618 m (0.618 km) above the sea level.^[2] The temple has a single precinct and all the shrines are enclosed in an enclosures. There are a number of smaller shrines in the temple for Adi Shankara, Shiva, Sita and Hanuman around the central shrine. The central shrine houses the image of Raghunathji, a granite image in standing posture. The central shrine has a duela, the conical roof over the sanctum.^[3]

History

Image of Adi Shankara, who is believed to have established the temple

The temple is originally in existence from the 10th century. It was damaged during an earthquake during 1893 and was built by the local king subsequently. In modern times, the temple is maintained and administered by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board of the Government of Uttarakhand.^[3]

Religious significance

Shrines of the temple

The temple is revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham, the 7th–9th century Vaishnava canon, by Peyazhwar, Nammazhwar, Thirumangai Azhwar and Thirumalisai Alvar. The temple is classified as a Divyadesam, one of the 108 Vishnu temples that are mentioned in the book. The temple along with Devprayag was originally a larger pilgrimage centre before the 19th century. On account of increased connectivity for Badrinath Temple in modern times, the temple has turned into a secondary pilgrimage centre.^[4] It is believed that Adi Shankara, the proponent of Advaita philosophy established the temple. A shrine is dedicated to him in the temple.^[5]

References

1. Dalal, Roshan (2010). The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths. Penguin Books India. p. 302. ISBN 9780143415176.
2. Sharma, Dr. Shiv (2008). India - A Travel Guide. Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. p. 257. ISBN 9788128400674.
3. "Deoprayag". Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, Department of Tourism, Government of Uttarakhand. 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
4. Chakraborty, Uday K. (22 April 2002). "Set amidst Himalayan splendour". Business Line. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
5. R., Dr. Vijayalakshmy (2001). An introduction to religion and Philosophy - Tévarám and Tivviyappirapantam (1st ed.). Chennai: International Institute of Tamil Studies. pp. 479–81.

External links