JAGANMOHINI KESEVA SWAMY, RYALI

   

Goopuram Of Ryali Temple

RYALI is nearly 23kms from RAJAHMANDRY and 7kms from RAVULAPALEM. It is in GODAVARI district, ANDHRA PRADESH. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu in the foam of  JAGANMOHINI  KESEVA SWAMY.  It is in between GOWTHAMI GODAVARI AND VASISTA GODAVARI. This temple belongs to 11th century.








SPECIALITY OF THIS TEMPLE


      Lord is in the form of Jaganmohini Keseva Swamy. This is the unique temple where we can see Kesevaswamy Avataram in the front part and Jaganmohini Avataram from back side. It is a Swayambu Salagrama Sila  with height of 5 feet and width of 3 feet.  From front we can see Main deity with 4 hands having Shanku, Chakra, Gada and Lotus flower in them, wearing Kosthuba Maniharam, Vanamala, Crown , ear rings, Yagnopaveetam, Dowathi and Vuthareeyam. From back we can see Jaganmohini Avatar wearing Sari, Blouse with a hair knot and Parijatha flowers around it. On the top of the idol we can see ADISHESHA and GANGA coming out from the feet of the idol. No where else we can see such an idol.

 

STORY BEHIND THE TEMPLE

    

Ryali Temple

As we all know from Bagavatham, Devathas and Asuras together churned the ocean for Amrutham with the help of Vasuki, the serpent king, Mandara Parvatam, and Lord Vishnu in the form of AdiKurma(Tortoise). Danvanthari comes out of the ocean with Amrutham pot. Asuras grabbed the pot and were fighting among them to drink it. Then Lord Vishnu took the form of a beautiful lady i.e Mohini Avatar. Asuras were mesmerized by her beauty and asked her to distribute the Amrutham. Mohini started distributing Amrutham to Devatas first and Asuras did not object that and were waiting for their turn. Mohini mesmerized them by her beauty and served whole Amrutham to Devathas and only Rahu realized this and sat in Devathas row. Mohini realized that but according to our Dharma we should not ask any one to get up while they are seated to have their food. So Mohini served him Amrutham but as he is Asura, she killed him immediately.

      Meanwhile Lord Siva who saved the whole world by taking poison which came before Amrutham, heard about Lord Vishnu in Mohini Avatar came to see her and followed her. When they reached Ratnapuri Lord Siva tried to hug her from backside, Mohini suddenly turned back facing Lord Siva and took the form of Lord Vishnu. While she turned back a flower from her plaited hair fell down and Lord Siva stopped there. From then Ratnapuri is called as Ryali (Rali means falling in Telugu).  We can see a temple dedicated to Lord Siva in front of Jaganmohani Kesava Swamy Temple where Lord Siva stopped.   




ABOUT TEMPLE

Ryali in earlier days was a forest. King Ganta Chola was devotee of Lord Vishnu. He came into this forest for hunt and he took rest under a tree. He heard Sloka on Lord Vishnu and opened his eyes. He could not find any one in the near by surroundings, but he could listen to the sloka. He was surprised and later he went to his palace and slept. He got a dream; Lord Vishnu asked him to prepare a Chariot and told him to drive the chariot in his kingdom. Lord Vishnu told him that he could find an idol in the place where pin of the chariot’s wheel fell down. King did so and he found this idol and installed it after doing pooja to it.

KALYANOSTAVAM


Kalyanostavam is done in Ryali from Chitra Suddha Navami to Purnima.