Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple in Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli

Srirangam Temple is dedicated to Lord Sri Ranganatha Swamy. In cultures and customs, the temple is rice. Devotees also offer various items to the lord as Thulabaram visits the temple. The temple also holds a lot of festivals. Devotees can easily reach the temple as the temple located in the district of Tiruchirapalli. Srirangam (also known in Tamil as Srirangapatnam / Thiruvarangam) is the leading Divya Desam (sacred shrines) among the 108. It is located between the two Kollidam & Cauvery (Kaveri) rivers.

History of  Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple

A temple at Srirangam is mentioned in the Sangam period Tamil literature (1st to 4th century AD, including the epic Silapadikaram Besides ancient textual history, archeological evidence such as inscriptions relate to this temple, but these stone inscriptions date back to the late 1st millennium AD. The inscriptions in the temple belong to the dynasties of Chola, Pandya, Hoysala, and Vijayanagar.

During the time of conquest and robbery by the Muslim general Malik Kafur of Alaud Din Khilji and his Delhi Sultanate forces in 1311, the period’s Arabic texts state that he was attacking a “golden temple” on the river “Kanobari” (Kaveri), destroying the temple and taking the loot with the golden icon of the deity to Delhi. This is considered to be the Ranganathaswamy Temple, according to Steven P. Hopkins.

Beyond these myths, a more serious second invasion of South India, including Srirangam, took place in 1323 AD. The sanctum’s Vishnu image with its jewels was pre-emptively destroyed by the Hindus before a group led by the Vaishnavite Acharaya Pillai Lokacharyar to Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu entered Srirangam. A separate group even brought the Goddess Ranganayaki (Lakshmi) to another place. The temple was guarded and some 13,000 Srirangam devotees of Sri Vaishnavas died in the fierce battle, according to the Tamil tradition.

Sanctum of Lord Ranganatha

The image of the sanctum (Lord Ranganatha’s Mula or Dhruva Bera) is of mortar and is about 15′ tall. Mortar is also the much bigger Anantasayi or Anantasayanam (Trivandrum). Ranganatha’s couch is about 3′ high and the hoods, five in number, are about 6′ tall. Adding to the Stanaka (standing) and asana (sitting) modes is the right of Vishnu images alone. There are four variations in each of these three types, namely yoga, Bhoga, Vira, and Abhicarika. The Lord appears alone in a yogic dimension in the yoga variety and is decorated by yogis. The image of Srirangam is Yogasayanamurti.

Architecture and Sculpture

The shrine facing east lies at the southern Akalankan Prakara’s western extremity. It has a Garbhagriha, which contains Chakarattazhwar or Sudarsana Perumal, Antarala, Pradakshina, Mukhamandapa, and Mahamandapa images. The Garbhagriha has a backdoor through which one can see behind the Sudarsana Chakra the image of Lord Narasimha sculptured.

Sometimes the divine arms are personified and called the Purushas of Ayudha. Sudarsana Chakra is something more than an Ayudha Purusha in the manner in which he is worshipped in important Vishnu temples in South India. He is known in that form as Vishnu Himself, and spiritual meaning is granted to the Chakra. It is supposed to represent Parabrahman’s original thought, extending into space and becoming the universe. More popularly, in its ferocious form, Chakarattazhwaar stands for Vishnu.

How to Reach Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple

Srirangam is well connected by the domestic airport and main railway junction to all major cities in South India. The approximate distance from Chennai to Srirangam is 325 km (5 hrs. 30 min. 4 wheeler journey). Trichy International Airport is the closest airport. In and around Srirangam there are many of the best vegetarian restaurants, budget hotels, and affordable lodges.

Sri Ranganatha Swamy Darshan/Pooja Timings

Festivals of Srirangam Temple

Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple Timings