History of Devasthanam
Meeting Devi at Mount Kailash
Meeting Devi at Mount Kailash
At Kailash Parbhat Parampujya Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal sat in Meditation, oblivious of his surroundings. Suddenly there appeared before him Durga Devi, Laxmi Devi and Saraswati Devi. Not only Mahaswamiji, but those who had accompanied him had this beatific vision. An Akash Vani said unto him "Proceed South. Go to Karnataka and establish an ashram there." His Guru Parampujya Sri Siva Puri Baba had told him that his work lay in the south.
Garuda Darśanam at Kenchanahalli
Early in the morning on Thursday 14 January 1960, the auspicious Sankranthi day, Parampujya Sri Tiruchi Swamiji was proceeding to Mysore by a car for a Pada Pooja, along with two of his disciples. Just at about 9 km South West of Bangalore City, he saw above him in the sky, three garudas (sacred eagles) circling. He saw in them the images of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi who had appeared before him on Mount Kailas. Mahaswamiji got down from the car, and saw a footpath leading to a tiny village Kenchenahalli. He proceeded and spotted a tiny cottage amidst a grove of guava trees, the spot the eagles kept on encircling. He decided to have his Ashrama there. The Foundation stone was laid there by Parampujya Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamigal, on 3rd April 1960.
The founder of Bengaluru, Kempegowda, had foreseen the city’s future glory as a center of rich, cosmopolitan Bhāratīya saṁskṛti, revealed to him in a divine dream by Devi Sri Rajarajeshwari.
Echoing this sacred continuity, Parampujya Sri Tiruchi Swamiji affirmed,
“Yes, it is the same Divine Mother, Devi Sri Rajarajeshwari, who came as a sanysini in Sivanandi Padam, Sri Lanka and directed me to this city known as Kalyānapurī (Bangalore).”
This shared vision reflects the enduring spiritual guidance of the Mother over the destiny of the city.
The Divine Origin of the Devasthanam
The idea of constructing a temple for Sri Rajarajeshwari, the Devi who protects and governs the universe, had long resided in the heart of Parampūjya Sri Tiruchi Mahāswāmiji. The choice of the presiding deity was neither sudden nor incidental, it arose from a lifelong inner connection. From childhood, the image of Sri Rajarajeshwari had been with him. As a young boy, the doll with which he played was that of the Devi herself. Many years later, in Śivanāḍi Pādam in Sri Lanka, the same doll was shown to Parampujya Mahaswamiji by the Devi, who appeared in the guise of a Sannyāsinī. Having guided Him through every stage of life, it was only natural that when the thought of building a temple arose, it should be dedicated to Her.
An idol of Sri Rajarajeshwari, smaller in size, had already been sculpted. Initially, it was kept in a box beneath a tree outside the Chikk Ashram, Guru Kūṭeram, while the main ashram building, Devi Hall was under construction. One day, a hole was noticed in the box. On examination, it was found that a cobra, along with its young ones, had made the box its house. They were carefully and respectfully removed. Once Devi Hall was completed, the idol was installed there and has since been worshipped three times daily, a practice that continues to this day. Until the consecration of the new idol in 1979, this sacred space itself served as the temple. After the site for the new temple was selected in 1970's, a traditional ceremony was performed to place five sacred stones, an act carried out jointly by the yajamāna, the priest and the sculptor. During the digging of the foundation, the workmen made a remarkable discovery, an ancient idol of a Devi was found deep within the earth. When informed, Parampujya Mahāswāmiji visited the site and instructed that the idol should not be disturbed. Instead, it was reverently covered with sand and sealed. This discovery confirmed the presence of an ancient Devi shrine at the very spot chosen for the new temple. To devotees, it stood as living proof that Devi herself had guided Parampujya Mahāswāmiji to the sacred ground where Her temple was destined to rise.
1960 - 1979
The temple was formally established by Parampujya Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamiji in 1979, during which the sacred Kumbabhishekam was performed. Since then, daily rituals have been conducted strictly in accordance with the Āgama Śāstras, preserving the sanctity and traditional practices of the temple. Over the years, the temple has also become a center for grand annual festivals and special observances. Since, the present temple was built additions and improvements to it have been procedding from time to time.
1979 - 2014
Rajagopuram
2014 - Present
The Kumbhabhisheka of the 103-foot-tall Rajagopuram took place in 2014. The event was a month-long celebrations from 29 June to 27 July 2014. The Rajagopuram had been envisioned by Parampujya Sri Tiruchi Mahaswamiji. That sacred vision was brought into reality through the efforts of Parampujya Sri Jayendra Puri Mahaswamiji.
A Rajagopuram (or Raja Gopura) is the main, grand entrance tower of a temple, particularly prominent in the Dravidian architecture of South Bhaarat. It is usually the tallest and most intricately decorated structure in the temple complex, designed to be seen from a great distance. Traditionally, it acts as a beacon for pilgrims and travelers, allowing them to locate the temple and town from miles away.
Meaning and Etymology
Raja meaing king or royal and Gopuram is derived from go (cow or temple) and puram (city or tower), meaning a tower or monumental entrance. Royal Tower or the primary entrance gateway fit for the deity. It represents the main entrance through the enclosing walls (prakaras) of a temple, usually facing East.
Significance and Symbolism
The Rajagopuram symbolizes the feet of the Deity. Devotees bow at the entrance to show reverence, marking the transition from the material world to the divine space of the inner sanctum. The Gopuram represents the "auspicious fire" from yajna, symbolizing the burning away of maya (ignorance/illusion) as the devotee enters. The structure is believed to receive positive energy from the cosmos and radiate it to the devotees.
Sthalapurāṇa
श्री-कल्याणपुरे महोन्नतिकरे श्री-काञ्चनाख्यपुरे ।
अत्रीयासेवित-साधु-संस्तुते महाकैलास-पुण्याश्रमे ॥
कैलासादवतीर्णासुस्थित-पदे भक्तानुकम्पे शिवे ।
सर्वाभीष्ट-फल-प्रदे भगवति श्री-राजराजेश्वरि ॥
This temple is traditionally revered as the “ear” (karṇabhāga) among the Śakti Pīṭhas of Bhārata, as described in the Tantra Cūḍāmaṇi. In ancient times, this sacred region was known as Kañcanagiri, located between the holy rivers Kāverī and Vṛṣabhāvatī. The presiding Bhairava of this Śakti Pīṭha is Abiru Bhairava, and the Pīṭha is identified in the sacred tradition as Jaya Pīṭha.
It is believed that in the distant past, numerous devas, ṛṣis, munis and siddhas, including Devarṣi Nārada, worshipped Śrī Rājarājeśvarī Devī at this very site and attained spiritual siddhi. Sacred tradition also holds that Sage Atri (Ātreya) and his devoted wife Anasūyā once lived and performed tapas in this holy region.
Srī Chakresvari Devasthanam
The Adhiṣṭhāna, sacred samādhi shrine of Paramapujya Paramacharya Jagadguru Srī Srī Srī Tiruchi Mahaswamigal, established at Srī Chakresvari Devasthanam.
It is a powerful spiritual center housing the Srī Chakra Maha Meru, symbolizing the living presence of the Guru and the eternal union of Śakti and Consciousness, bestowing grace, protection, and inner awakening upon devotees.
