Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple | All You Need to Know

Ranganathaswamy Temple is one of the most famous temples in India, located in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu. This temple is known for its tremendous architecture and magnitude.  The temple is dedicated to Lord Ranganatha, a form of the Hindu god Vishnu, and it is one of the 108 Divya Desams, which are sacred shrines revered in the Vaishnavism tradition. Ranganathaswamy temple is the most important temple in Trichy city.  This temple is also known as Perayakoil and Tiruvarangam Tirupati.

Srirangam is the foremost of the eight self-manifested shrines (Swayam Vyakta Kshetras) of Lord Vishnu . It is also considered the first, foremost and the most important of the 108 main Vishnu temples (Divyadesams). This temple is also known as Thiruvaranga Tirupati, Periyakoil, Bhoologa Vaikundam, Bhogamandabam.

Ranganathaswamy Temple is currently the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world.

According to the temple’s official website, this temple covers an area of about 631,000 square metres (6,790,000 sq ft) with a perimeter of 4 km (10,710 ft). There are 108 Divya Desams in this temple which is dedicated to the Lord Vishnu. The temple is occupying an area of more than 155 acres. There are 21 towers and 81 shrines in this temple. If you want to see the South Indian culture, then you should definitely visit this place.

The golden Vimana over the sanctum at Srirangam midst its gopurams

Srirangam Temple Gopuram Photos

Ranganathaswamy Temple is one of the largest temple complexes in India. You need to invest at least one or two hours if you want to explore this temple. There are many carved pillars in this temple. If you want to learn about the meaning of these carved pillars, then you should look for a guide.

The temple was reconstructed in the 14th century. Hence, most of the things that you will see were constructed between the 14th-17th centuries. However, the biggest tower in this temple was actually completed in 1987. This tower is approximately 220 feet tall. The great thing about this temple is that it is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Thus, you can find this temple on the official UNESCO site.

How to reach Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple?  

Ranganathaswamy Temple is located in Srirangam which is 12 km away from the Tiruchirappalli.

Tiruchirappalli is well connected by air, rail, and road routes.

The temple is only about 0.5 km away from the Srirangam railway station. You can find trains from all the major cities in India. Also, Tiruchirappalli is well connected by air routes.

You can find flights from cities like Delhi, Chennai, and Bangalore. The temple is 15 km away from the Tiruchirappalli Airport.

You can also find direct buses from other cities of Tamil Nadu. There are bus services available from Tiruchirappalli to Srirangam. Thus, you don’t need to worry about hiring any taxi.

24 / 7 Bus Services (Route No. 1) is available from Tiruchirappalli Railways Station / Central Bus Stop / Chatiram Bus Stop

Contact details:

Interesting facts about Ranganathaswamy Temple

> This temple is dedicated to Lord Ranganatha which is a reclining form of supreme Lord Vishnu. It was constructed during the Dravidian period. Ranganathaswamy Temple is currently the largest functioning temple in the world. It is spread in over more than 156 acres and is currently the largest religious complex in India.

> There are around 39 pavilions and 21 towers in this temple. The largest gopuram in this temple is known as Rajagopuram and is currently the second tallest temple tower in Asia.

> According to Hindu legends, the deity present in this temple was originally worshipped by Lord Rama. After killing Ravana, Lord Rama handed the deity to King Vibhishana. Lord Vishnu told Vibhishana that he wanted to stay as Rangantha in this temple. King Vibhishana also received a special gift from the Lord Vishnu.

> Most archaeological evidence suggests that this temple was constructed in the 10th century. Most of the inscriptions are from Vijayanagara, Hoysala, Pandya, and Chola dynasty. However, this temple is mentioned in Tamil literature from the pre-Sangam era.

> The idol was stolen in the 13th century by Malik Kafur who was a general of Alauddin Khilji. He took the idol back to Delhi. The devotees of Srirangam visited Delhi and performed an act in front of the emperor. The emperor was impressed by the performers and offered them the deity.

> Surathani was the daughter of Malik Kafur. She was in love with the Lord Ranganatha deity. Surathani submitted herself in front of the Lord Ranganatha deity. She immediately attained moksha after this act. You can also find a painting of her in this temple.

> The large diamond of Orlov was actually the eyes of this deity. However, a French soldier disguised himself as a Hindu during the Carnatic war. He stole the diamond from the temple in 1747.

Best Time to Visit Ranganathaswamy Temple

Tiruchirappalli city experiences very hot weather during the summer season. Thus, you should skip the summer season. The best time to visit this temple is in the winter season. You don’t need to worry about scorching heat during this time.

The most important festival celebrated in this temple is Vaikunta Ekadashi. It is celebrated for 20 days in the month of December-January. Thus, you should visit this temple in December or January. The temple is open from 6 Am to 9.30. Also, the entry fee is only Rs. 50. If you are carrying a video camera, then you need to pay Rs. 100.

Places around Ranganathaswamy Temple

Rock Fort Temple 

This is the second most famous attraction in Trichy. The Rock Fort Temple is so exotic that it actually looks like a VFX-made temple. It is situated on the top of a hill which is in the center of Trichy. There are three temples present in this fort. The special thing about this fort is that it is made from rock. You will find the oldest rocks used in this fort. The rock is more than 3.5 billion years and is still standing in Tiruchirappalli.

This fort has seen hundreds of battles of several different kingdoms. It was originally constructed by the Vijayanagara rulers but has been used by other dynasties also. You can see a panoramic view of the whole city from this fort. There are three temples present in this rock fort. You have to first the Manikka Vinayakar Temple which is located at the foot of this hill. After that, you can start climbing the stairs.

Taayamaanavar Temple is the second temple that you will find while climbing this fort. The last temple is Ucchi Pillayar Temple which is on the top of this hill. It is the most important shrine in this fort complex. All the temples were originally made by Pallavas but the Madurai Nayaks constructed the stairs. If you are visiting Tiruchirappalli, then you must visit this amazing fort complex.

Popular festivals celebrated at Ranganathaswamy Temple

1. Vaikunta Ekadashi 

This is a 20-day long festival which is celebrated in the month of December-January. The first 10 days of this festival is known as Pagal-Pathu and the last 10-day night-time festival is known as Ra Pathu. The first day of Ra pathu or the 11th day of this festival is known as Vaikunta Ekadashi. This is considered as the holiest Ekadasi of every year. Devotees will sing songs during this festival. The main deity of Ranganathaswamy Temple is brought to the 1000-pillared hall during this Ekadashi. Lakhs of devotees visit the temple during this festival.

2. Jyestabisheka

In this festival, all the deities are washed using water which is stored in the vessels of silver and gold. It is also known as the gold ornament cleaning festival. Jyestabisheka is celebrated in the months of June and July.

3. Brahmotsavam

This festival is celebrated in the Temple moth of Panguni which is between March and April. On the first day, the procession will go around Chitral Street. The deity is taken to the garden of this temple on the second day. On the third day, the deity is taken to Jiyarpuram which is on the opposite shore of the river Kaveri.

Conclusion

Ranganathaswamy temple is the most important temple in Trichy city. It is currently the largest temple in the world. Thus, you should definitely visit this temple. The temple is dedicated to the supreme Lord Vishnu. This temple is also known as Perayakoil and Tiruvarangam Tirupati. You should visit this temple in the winter season. If you are planning to visit Trichy, then you should check out this amazing temple.