Chamarajanagar/Mysuru: Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud, accompanied by his wife Kalpana Das, made a private visit yesterday to Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple at B.R. Hills, located in Yelandur Taluk, Chamarajanagar district, where they offered special prayers.

The couple arrived in Mysuru on Thursday evening via a special chopper at Mysore Airport from Bengaluru and stayed at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel on M.G. Road. They visited Suttur Mutt in city in the evening.

Yesterday morning, they visited the Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple and performed four special pujas to the deity. Temple priests and officials greeted the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India and his wife with traditional music and honoured them. After the visit, the Chief Justice took a brief rest at K.Gudi, near Biligiri Rangana Hills.

Temple’s origins

The Biligiri Ranganatha Tiger Reserve is named after the Biligiri Ranganatha Temple, situated atop the Biligiri Hill. A copper-plate inscription from 1667, belonging to Mudduraju, son of Trimalarajanayaka of Hadinadu, provides historical insight into the temple’s origins.

The hills were originally referred to as Thiru Venkatanatha (a reincarnation of Vishnu) in Bilikal, or ‘white rock.’ In Sanskrit, the hill was called Shwetadri, meaning ‘white hill,’ due to the white appearance of the weathered granite cliff-face.

The Venkatanatha Temple became known as the Ranganatha Temple after Tipu Sultan, during a hunting expedition, described it as a temple of Lord Ranganatha. This is how the temple came to be known as the Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple.

Visit to Harlukote Anjaneya Swamy Temple

From K.Gudi, CJI Chandrachud and his family proceeded to the Harlukote Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Ramasamudra, Chamarajanagar, where he offered special prayers to Lord Hanuman.

As per mythology, the idol at the Harlukote Anjaneya Temple was established by Arjuna and is believed to be the birthplace of Babruvahana. The name ‘Haralu’ in Kannada refers to a precious stone, which is why the region was historically known as ‘Manipuri.’

After visiting Ramasamudra, the Chief Justice and his family travelled to Bandipur in Gundlupet Taluk, where they stayed at a resort. The CJI and his family are scheduled to leave Mysuru today at 4.30 pm from the Mysore Airport in a chopper to Bengaluru, from where they will take a special flight to New Delhi.

It may be mentioned here that on Jan. 13, 2020, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, along with his wife Roopanjali Gogoi, also visited the Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple and Harlukote Anjaneya Temple to offer prayers.

Justice Chandrachud calls on Suttur Seer

On the evening of Oct. 3, CJI Chandrachud, accompanied by his wife Kalpana Das, visited Suttur Mutt at the foot of Chamundi Hill in Mysuru and sought the blessings of Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji.

During the visit, Justice Chandrachud praised the exceptional contributions of Suttur Mutt and JSS Mahavidyapeetha in the fields of education, healthcare, spirituality and culture, benefiting all sections of society both within India and abroad. Later, the Swamiji felicitated the couple.