Where Sugreeva installed the Idol of Rama
The silence of our environs is broken only by the twitter of birds as we trudge up 385 steps to the Pattabhirama Temple on Ramadevarabetta, one of several hillocks that dot Ramanagara. While most people would associate the place with the shooting of the 1975-released Hindi film Sholay, the importance of the locale is profound and goes back to Ramayana times in the Treta Yuga.
The climb to the top via well-laid steps with railings on both sides, is a veritable test of our cardiac health. A pair of footprints greets us at the start of our trek up.
On the left side of these imprints is a small shrine of Ganesha, and to the left is a rock-cut figure of Hanuman sporting a marigold garland around his neck with a red hibiscus serving as pendant.
In the stillness of our serene and spellbinding surrounds, the spiritual in us surfaces, subtle and sublime, forcing us to go on a soul-searching jaunt as we puff our way up. Past the halfway mark, we come before altars for Shiva and Hanuman (there are 5 statues of Hanuman in the region at different points, including two in the main temple).
Pattabhirama with Sita on his left lap, Lakshmana & Hanuman to his right
Sugreeva, the vanara king of Kishkinda is associated with the ekashila saligrama idol of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and Anjaneya. So enchanted was he to behold Rama in the Pattabhisheka pose that Sugreeva desired to worship him in this form upon returning to Kishkinda. Thus the idol of Pattabhirama came to be, blessed by Rama himself. Carved of a single saligrama stone, the Lord has Sita Mata on his left lap, Lakshmana to his right and Anjaneya paying respects to him at his Lotus feet.
As Sugreeva was on his way from Ayodhya to Kishkinda, he was attacked by the demon Sukhasura at this spot that later came to be known as Ramadevarabetta. Sugreeva placed the Pattabhirama idol down to fight and slay the demon. However, when he tried to pick the image of Rama, the statue would not budge the slightest. At the same time Sugreeva heard a voice from the heavens asking him to leave the statue there.
Overview, Pattabhirama Temple against the backdrop of the rocky hills
Heeding the akashavani, Sugreeva installed the murti here and returned to his kingdom. The temple structure itself came about several hundreds of centuries later and much of its present structure is attributed to Shri Kempa Gowda in the 16th century.
Ramadevarabetta is home to three temples – the main being dedicated to Pattabhirama; Rameshwara Swamy and Kote Anjaneya are the other two shrines.
According to legends, Sri Rama is believed to have spent four to five years of his exile in this area. This is also the region where Sri Rama is believed to have used his special arrow on the demon Kakasura in the garb of a crow, resulting in the loss of his vision in one eye. It has been observed, that to this day, crows have not been seen in this area! At the entrance arch of the main temple, we see the episode of Kakasura surrender to Lord Rama.
Rameshwara Swamy Temple
Being an ardent devotee of Shiva, Rama installed the Sri Rameshwara Linga here to perform his daily worship. Further, with the release of an arrow, he created the Rama Thirtha, also known as Dhanushkodi Tirtha, a pond, the depth of which is unknown, immeasurable, even to date. The pond, preserved in its pristine state is cordoned off so that devotees or visitors may not access it. Its, pure, perennial and crystal clear sweet water, is used for the Lord’s abhishekam and also for preparing the neivedhyam for the Lord. It is believed that the water from this pond has healing properties..
Rama Thirtha or Dhanushkodi Thirtha
Rama Thirtha lies adjacent to the main temple of Pattabhirama as well as to the Rameshwara Swamy temple which is located at a slight elevation, opposite the Pattabhirama shrine.
The Mantapa overlooking Rameshwara Swamy temple
A mantapa located on a higher plane from the Rameshwara Swamy sanctum, serves as view point from which we see the sprawl of Ramanagara and its neighbourhood.
Hanuman, Dwarapalakas and Ramanujacharya & Vedanta Desikar
JR, my other half and I are treated to a beautiful narration of the temple history by the priest, at the main temple. In third chamber from the sanctum sanctorum where we queue up with a dozen other devotees to see the Lord in all his grandeur, we spot figurines of Sri Ramanujacharya and Sri Vedanta Desikar, of Hanuman, and the dwarapalakas standing guard for the garbha gruha.
As mentioned earlier, Sugreeva’s ekashila saligrama figures of Rama as Pattabhirama the presiding deity, Sita on his lap, Lakshmana and Hanuman, adorn the sanctum. The priest informs us that the Utsava Murthis are also the same, but separate idols made from Panchaloha and for reasons of safety, kept in the Kodandaramaswamy Temple in the town of Ramanagara. These processional statues are brought here only on the occasion of Rama Navami for a single day, and for a four-week periods in the Shravana month.
Kavachams to wear around the neck or tie on the wrist
We see a plate piled with two kinds of yellow threads in front of the altar. We are told that they are protective threads or kavachams to be tied around one’s neck or on the wrist, to rid one of fears, sleeplessness and any other health issues one may be suffering from.
The boulders representing the Sapta Rishis
Ramadevarabetta is considered a Tapobhumi since the Sapta Rishis had performed austere penance here before they morphed into seven boulders which lie on a higher altitude opposite the Pattabhirama temple. According to another legend, the rishis unknowingly had their gaze fall on Mother Sita as she was bathing in the Rama Thirtha. Angered by this, Sita cursed them to be transformed into rocks.
Having sated ourselves with a wonderful and
leisurely darshan of Pattabhirama, we proceed downhill through rocky terrain,
walking about 300 metres, through 200 odd ill-formed, uneven and stony steps from
Pattabhirama Temple to see the 700-year-old Kote Anjaneyaswamy set in the midst
of rocks and woods. His sanctum has a roof but is open on all four sides. En route, as JR takes a short break from the ascents and descents, I am enraptured by the great numbers of thatha-poochis as we kids used to call them (grandfather beard is what we used to call these floating things. To date, I do not what these objects are!!!) I am no longer the seeker but a six-year old running to catch these delicate structures - no longer physically, but on my lens!
Kote Anjaneyaswamy
He is one of five Anjaneya statues we see on Ramadevarabetta. The idols are conspicuous by the absence of the deity’s chief weapon, the gada or mace. His right hand is in the Abhaya Hastha or the Blessing posture, and in his left hand, he is portrayed holding the sowgandhika flower.
An all-pervading sense of satisfaction and tranquillity fills us as we make our way downhill to return to base.
Anjaneya at the entrance arch to Ramadevarabetta
Fact File
Ramadevarabetta is in Ramanagara, 50 km from Bangalore. A rectangular arch with a towering Hanuman atop it, appears on the right hand side on Bangalore-Mysore Highway as we travel from Bangalore.
We enter this archway and proceed a couple of kilometres to come upon the Ramanagara Vulture Sanctuary gate, through which the temple is accessed.
Parking Fee of Rs.70 is mandatory for vehicles entering the region.
Timings: Sanctuary Gate opens at 9 a.m and closes at 6 pm. Hence temple timings keep to this. However, the sanctums close at 2 pm.
While the Pattabhirama Temple is open 7 days of the week, The Rameshwara Swamy Temple is open only on 2nd Saturday, Sundays and on other Government Holidays.
Festivals:
1. On Dashami following Rama Navami in April, Brahmotsavam is observed with much fanfare. Ankurarpanam, Dhwaja Aarohanam, Mahaabhishekam and Dhwaja Avarohanam are the chief features of the celebrations.
2. Shravana Jatre (falls between July-August) is a big event which has over 15,000 devotees come from various parts of Karnataka. The Utsava murthis of Pattabhirama, Lakshmana, Sita and Hanuman are taken in procession.
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