SRIRANGAM RANGANATHASWAMY TEMPLE


The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is a Hindu sanctuary committed to Ranganatha, a type of the Supreme God, Maha Vishnu, situated in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. Constructed in the Dravidian structural style, the sanctuary is celebrated by Alvars in their Divya Prabhanda and has the one of a kind differentiation of being the first among the 108 Divya Desams devoted to The Supreme God Vishnu.

The Location Srirangapatna was formerly known as Srirangapuri, but it was eventually renamed Srirangapatna. The river Cauvery surrounds the town, which makes it an island. Sri Ranganatha Temple is located in this town. Other tiny temples are Sri Lakshmi Narasimha, Sri Gangadereshwara, Sri Jyothirmaheshwara, and others. Sri Ranganatha is the most important of them all. In the year 894 CE, a lady named Hambi, of the dancers' class, created the inner chamber of SriRanganatha temple.

It is one of South India's most illustrious Vaishnava temples, steeped in tradition and history. Starting with Ramanuja's 11th-century career at Srirangam and his predecessors Nathamuni and Yamunacharya, the temple has played a major role in Vaishnavism history. Its location on an island between the Kollidam and Kaveri rivers has made it vulnerable to flooding as well as invading armies, which have used the place for military encampment on several occasions. During a broad plunder attack on numerous cities of the Pandyan kingdom in the early 14th century, the temple was stolen and destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate army. In the late 14th century, the temple was renovated, and the site was fortified and erect.

The temple complex covers 155 acres (63 ha) and has 81 shrines, 21 towers, 39 pavilions, and numerous water tanks, making it the world's largest functional Hindu temple. The temple town is an important archaeological and epigraphical site that offers a historical window into early and mid-medieval South Indian society and culture. According to numerous inscriptions, this Hindu temple was not only a spiritual centre, but also a large economic and charitable institution that administered education and hospital facilities, ran a free kitchen, and used gifts and donations to fund regional infrastructural projects.

The Srirangam temple is India's largest temple compound and one of the world's largest religious complexes. Some of these constructions have been refurbished, enlarged, and reconstructed as a living temple over the years. The most recent addition is the outer tower, which is 73 metres (240 feet) tall and was completed in 1987. Srirangam temple is generally referred to as one of the world's largest operating Hindu temples.

The largest existing temple is Angkor Wat, which is even larger. The temple is a functioning Hindu temple that practises Sri Vaishnavism's Thenkalai lineage. A million people attend the annual 21-day event held during the Tamil month of Margazhi (December–January). The temple complex has been proposed for UNESCO World Heritage status and is on the organization's tentative list.


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