5/5 Ankur C. 1 year ago on Google
Sri
Ranganathaswamy
Temple
is
a
Hindu
temple
dedicated
to
Ranganatha
(a
form
of
Vishnu),
located
in
Srirangam,
Tiruchirapalli,
Tamil
Nadu.
It
is
the
most
illustrious
Vaishnava
temples
in
South
India
rich
in
legend
and
history.
The
temple
has
played
an
important
role
in
Vaishnavism
history
starting
with
the
11th-century
career
of
Ramanuja
(whose
statue
is
now
built
as
"Statue
of
Equality"
in
Hyderabad)
and
his
predecessors
Nathamuni
and
Yamunacharya
in
Srirangam.
Ramanuja's
samadhi
is
also
situated
inside
the
temple.
Its
location,
on
an
island
between
the
Kollidam
and
Kaveri
rivers,
is
also
unique.
The
temple
was
looted
and
destroyed
by
the
Delhi
Sultanate
armies
in
early
14th
century.
The
temple
was
rebuilt
in
late
14th
century,
the
site
fortified
and
expanded
with
many
more
gopurams
in
the
16th
and
17th
centuries.
It
was
one
of
the
hubs
of
early
Bhakti
movement
with
a
devotional
singing
and
dance
tradition,
but
this
tradition
stopped
during
the
14th
century
and
was
revived
in
a
limited
way
much
later.
The
temple
occupies
an
area
of
155
acres
(63
ha)
with
81
shrines,
21
towers,
39
pavilions,
and
many
water
tanks
integrated
into
the
complex
making
it
the
world's
largest
functioning
Hindu
temple.
The
Srirangam
temple
is
the
largest
temple
compound
in
India
and
one
of
the
largest
religious
complexes
in
the
world.
Srirangam
temple
is
often
listed
as
one
of
the
largest
functioning
Hindu
temple
in
the
world,
the
still
larger
Angkor
Wat
being
the
largest
existing
temple.
According
to
the
puranas,
Brahma
was
performing
austerities
during
the
Samudra
Manthana
(churning
of
cosmic
ocean),
and
Srirangam
Vimanam
emerged
as
a
result.
It
remained
in
Satyaloka
for
ages,
was
brought
to
Ayodhya
by
king
Ikshvaku.
After
Rama,
an
avatar
of
Vishnu,
had
killed
the
evil
demon
Ravana,
he
gave
it
to
King
Vibhishana
who
wanted
to
be
with
Rama.
When
Vibhishana
passed
through
Tiruchi
en
route
to
Sri
Lanka
where
he
had
become
the
king,
the
Srirangam
Vimanam
would
not
move
from
the
island.
So,
he
gave
it
to
a
local
king
called
Dharmavarma,
if
the
king
consecrated
the
Vimanam
to
face
the
south
cardinal
direction
eternally,
blessing
him
and
Lanka.
Hence,
it
is
that
the
deity
(in
a
reclining
posture)
faces
South,
his
body
aligned
to
the
east-west
axis.
But
history
says
otherwise.
The
temple
was
first
built
by
the
Chola
ruler,
Dharmavarma.
The
Kaveri
river
flood
destroyed
the
temple
vimanam,
and
later,
the
early
Cholas
King
Killivalavan
rebuilt
the
temple
complex
as
is
present
today.
Beyond
the
ancient
textual
history,
archaeological
evidence
such
as
inscriptions
refer
to
this
temple,
but
these
stone
inscriptions
are
from
late
1st
millennium
CE.
The
inscriptions
in
the
temple
belong
to
the
Chola,
Pandya,
Hoysala
and
Vijayanagara
dynasties
who
ruled
over
the
region.
These
inscriptions
range
in
date
between
the
9th
and
16th
centuries.
We
could
take
photos
of
the
girl's
statues,
but
could
not
take
the
photos
of
Nachiyar
as
that
group
of
temples
was
cordoned
off
for
rennovation.
As
it
is
one
of
the
largest
temples
in
the
world,
it
requires
signficant
time
for
a
complete
visit.
The
"darshan"
takes
anything
between
half-an-hour
to
couple
of
hours
(depending
on
the
rush),
and
the
visit
of
the
complete
premise
would
take
another
couple
of
hours.
The
Ranga
Ranga
Gopuram
(at
south)
is
the
main
Gopuram,
and
one
should
enter
from
here.
Also,
do
not
miss
the
"view
point"
(marked
clearly
after
the
etrance
from
south),
where
one
can
climb
up
on
to
the
roof
of
one
of
the
buildings
and
can
see
a
panoramic
view
of
the
entire
temple
complex.
Though
the
temple
is
open
from
6AM
to
9PM,
the
main
sanctume
has
opening
and
closing
timings
as
such--
Viswaroopa
seva:
06:00
to
07:15;
(No
Darshan)
-
Pooja
time:
07:15
to
09:00;
Darshan
Timings:
09:00
to
12:00;
(No
Darshan)
-
Pooja
time:
12:00
to
13:15;
Darshan
Timings:
13:15
to
18:00;
(No
Darshan)
-
Pooja
time:
18:00
to
18:45;
Darshan
Timings:
18:45
to
21:00.
