A symbol of secularism in the Old City

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">HYDERABAD: Temples in the Old City have always stood as statements of communal harmony. One such place is the Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple at Jiaguda near Puranapul.<br /><br />Though, the exact time of the construction of the temple is not known, the history of the temple dates back to the Nizam period.<br /><br />The temple was constructed during the regime of Quli Qutub Shah kings by the ''<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">showkars</span>'' (merchants) of Karwan, commemorating the visit of a <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Jeeyar swamy</span>.It was then called as the ''<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Ramanuja Kutam</span>.'' <br /><br />It was initially called <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Jeeyar Gudem</span>. Over the years it became <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Jeerugudem</span> and now it is known as <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Jiaguda</span>.<br /><br />The temple was consecrated by Vanamamalai Jeeyar Swamy and Shrungaram Thiruvengala Chary, a priest, who used to perform <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Mala Kainkaryam</span> at the Sitarambagh temple in the city. <br /><br />He was later made the chief priest of the temple. The predecessors of Thiruvengala Chary have been maintaining the temple. The temple follows the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">pancharatra agama shastra</span> rituals on the lines of Srirangam temple in Chennai.<br /><br />The main deity of the temple is Ranganatha Swamy and the temple has the idols of goddesses Sri Devi and Bhudevi. <br /><br />This is the only temple, one of its kind, which has Brahma sitting on a lotus springing from the naval of Vishnu, says Shrungaram Rajagopala Chary, the chief priest of the temple.<br /><br />The temple has a peculiar L-shaped ''<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">pushkarini</span>''. Water from this seeps into the temple compound. It never gets dried up, even in peak summers, he says. All the water required for the maintenance of temple is drawn by the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">pushkarini</span>.''<br /><br />"The temple is patronised mostly by ''<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Marwaris</span>'' of the Old City. We have now plans to attract the local people (Andhraites) to the temple," Rajagopala Chary says.<br /><br />A ''<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">navagraha</span>'' temple was constructed recently to attract the local devotees. It is not in practice that the Vaishnava temples have ''<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">navagrahas</span>'' in the complex, he says.<br /><br />The temple attracts good crowds on <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Vikunta Ekadasi</span>, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Sankranthi</span> and during <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">brahmotsavams</span> during the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chaitramasam</span> (April). Special <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">puja</span>s are conducted for five days, starting from <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Mukkoti Ekadasi</span>.<br /><br />A ''<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">veda patashala</span>'' (a school to teach <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">vedas</span>) is also run by the temple trust.</div> </div>