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Home , Gopuram, Kaliyan, Koil, Kollidam River, Ranganatha, Shesha

Srirangam Swamy Temple in Island of Ranganatha Swamy:-

Tiruchy was originally known as . It is on the bank of the river Cauvery. Tiruchy is a one of the important place of heritage and tradition. Most famous Landmark is Srirangam and Rock fort. In the is closely related to the Tiruchy place. Then, in the historical day, Woraiyur was the capital city of Cholas. So many Tourist spot and temples are in and round Tiruchy.

Srirangam has the distinction of housing the first of the eight shrines of Lord . These self-manifested temples are known as Swayam Vyakta Kshetras in . This shrine of Lord Vishnu at Srirangam is not only the first among the lot but is also considered the main shrine of all the 108 temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This Vishnu shrine is huge in size and has been built over an area of 156 acres.

The setting of the temple is also unique; the temple has been constructed in an island created by the rivers Kaveri and Coleroon. There are seven enclosures in the temple, and the devotees make it a point to walk through all the enclosures that are referred to as ‘prakaras’ in local language. The enclosures consist of thick and enormous walls that run in a circular pattern around the sanctum. The enclosures have 21 towers that stand out majestically. The entire structure of the enclosures is an architectural marvel.

According to Sri Vaishnava philosophy, the eight Svayam Vyakta Ksetras of Lord Vishnu are Srirangam, Srimushnam, Venkatadri, Saligram, Naimisaranyam, Totadri, Pushakara and Temple.

Trichy Srirangam Temple is also known by the names Thiruvaranga , Periyakoil, Bhoologa Vaikundam and Bhogamandabam. Sri Ranganatha Temple at Srirangam lies on an island, enclosed by the Kaveri River and . Lord Vishnu is enshrined as Ranganatha - the reclining position of Lord Vishnu over the Nag ( Adisesha). It is believed that this is the form in which Lord is open to listening to all of his devotee's woes, and blesses them. Lord Ranganatha or Ranganathar is also called by various names such as Nam-Perumal and Azhagiya Manavalan by the devotees.

Dedicated to Lord Ranganatha, Sri Rangam Temple is a major shrine that receives millions of visitors and pilgrims every year. Lord Ranganatha is a reclining form of Lord Vishnu on the Shesha Nag. Sri Rangam Temple is also known as Sri Ranganathar Kovil. In the , "Kovil" stands for temple and it is used by many Vaishnavites. The presiding of Lord Ranganatha is extolled by various names like Nam-Perumal and Azhagiya Manavalan by his devotees.

Apart from the main shrine of Ranganathar, the temple has several shrines dedicated to various forms of Lord Vishnu like Sakrathazhvar, and . In the company of these, there are numerous shrines that are dedicated to some of the renowned saints of the Vaishnava cult. From morning to evening, the temple observes various worship rituals every day. People from all over the globe come to Srirangam Mandir to pay their obeisance to the Lord.

Divyadesams are those temples where the alwars have sung songs or pasurams in praise of the presiding deity. All of them together form the naal ayiram divya prabandam. Sri Ranganatha temple of Srirangam is the first among the 108 divyadesams of Sri Vaishnavas and one of the oldest temples. It is a part of the choza naadu divyadesams. It is spread over an area of 156 acres and has 7 prakarams with 21 . There are huge walls surrounding the periya kovil. In the main sannadhi is Lord ranganatha in a reclining pose on the serpent bed. The utsavar in the main sannadhi is known as Namperumal. The temple is also called Booloka Vaikuntam.

The seven streets in the 7 prakarams are called

1) Varman Thiruchuttru 2) Raja Mahendran thiruveedhi 3) Kulasekaran Thiruveedhi 4) Aalinaadan Thiruveedhi 5) Agalangan Thiruveedhi 6) Thiru vikraman thiruveedhi 7) Chitthirai Thiruveedhi

Sthalapuranam of srirangam:-

Srirangam is one of the eight Svayamvrutha Kshetram:-

Many years ago, lord performed penance on lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu, by seeing lord Brahma's devotion, appeared in front of him and gave an option to ask for a boon (varam). Lord Brahma, being a pure devotee, asked for an idol of 'shree ranganaadhar' (the sleeping posture of lord Vishnu on Adhi shEsha) for his worship. So lord Vishnu granted the boon.

Many years after this, ikshvaaku the forefather of raghu dynasty, performed a very long penance on lord Brahma. So lord Brahma was pleased with the king ikshvaaku's devotion and gave an option to ask for a boon. So king ikshvaaku asked for Sri Ranganathar's idol which Brahma had and he was worshipping. But still lord Brahma gave that Sri Ranganathar's idol to King ikshvaaku, since the penance was sincere

So Sri Ranganathar's idol was passed to his descendants and at last came in to the hands of king dhasharatha and finally to his son Sri Rama. Hence the idol was worshipped by the entire raghu dynasty and finally stayed at Sri Rama's hands. After the completion of war between Sri Rama and , VibheeShana and all other accompanied Rama in VibheeShana's Pushpaka Vimaanam, Then Sri Rama' Coronation took place. In the End shree Rama asked vibheeShana to request a boon since he was his devotee

Now it was shree VibheeShana's turn. He took the chance and asked the idol of shree ranganaadhar, which was worshipped by shree Rama himself. shree Rama granted his wish and handed over shree ranganaadhar idol by warning that if the idol should not be kept down until he reaches Sri . If he places it down then , it will remain there itself.

When shree vibheeShana was taking the idol to , he wanted to perform sandhya vandhanam, as it was evening. By that time he was in Srirangam and on the banks of river kaaveri And Kollidam. And then appeared lord Vigneshwar in the disguise of a cowherd boy, and stood in front of vibheeShana. By seeing the cowherd boy, shree vibheeShana requested him to hold the idol until he finishes the sandhya vandhanam, and he should not keep it down. The cowherd accepts and puts a condition that if he is not able to hold the idol due to its weight then he will call vibheeShana three times . And after calling three times , and if vibheeShana doesn't come, he will place the idol down. Our cowherd boy calls shree VibheeShana's name 3 times continuously and immediately places shree ranganaadhar idol on the banks of river kaaveri. vibheeShaNar becomes so anger on our cowherd boy and tries to hit him. But the cowherd boy ran and sat on top of the near by small hillock and takes his own form -Vigneshwar, vibheeShana chases and , hits on the head of Vigneshwars head, where even now we can see a slight bump on Vigneshwars idol there (uchchi pillayaar ). shree vibheeShana returns to the place where shree ranganaadhar idol was placed and felt very sad that he was not able to even lift the idol from that place. At that time, Sri Rangarajar appeared before him and said that whatever has happened is for the sake of world's good and there is no need to worry and also shree ranganaadhar says that though he is in this Bhartha kandam, he will be watching his land - sri lanka. And every day it is said vibheeShana comes to Srirangam in the night to do pooja and returns to Lanka in the morning.

A chola ruler by name Dharmavarma is said to have created a temple here.

Among the Alwars Thondaradippodi Alwar did Nandavana Pushpa Kanikaryam and Our Thirumangai Alwar also known as did Thiru Madill Kanikaryam.

Here Kavi Chakravarthi Kambar did the Ramayana Arangentram in the Mandapam, Then Azagiasingar ( Narasimha Murthy) He is said to have blessed him, this Metu Azagiasingars Sannidhi is near Thayar Sannidhi . It is the place where Lord Ranganatha Conferred the tittle of Udayavar to . It is the same place where Swami Desikan was Conferred the Kavitharki Simham and Sarvathantra Swathantrar.

It is the place where Manavala Ma Munigal was asked by Nam Perumal to do the Thiruvai Mozi Kalashepam , then Nam Perumal came in form of a child and recited Sri Saila Dayapatram Dhaniyan on Manavala Munigal.

History of Sri Ranganathar Temple:-

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. In the Vaishnava parlance the term "KOIL" signifies this temple only. The temple is enormous in size. The temple complex is 156 acres in extent. It has seven prakaras or enclosures. These enclosures are formed by thick and huge rampart walls which run round the sanctum. There are 21 magnificent towers in all prakaras providing a unique sight to any visitor. this temple lies on an islet formed by the twin rivers Cauvery and Coleroon.

The temple of Sri Ranganathaswami at Srirangam boasts an historic past of great kingdom and a civilization thousands of years old. The reign of the Pallavas was marked by the creation of a solid religious foundation, for example the encouragement given by the dynasty appears to have contributed to the growth of Aryan institutions in Southern more particularly in the Carnatic. Cholas reigned for about three hundred years over the Coromandel Coast and the greater part of Eastern Deccan, where they helped an advanced Hindu Culture to flourish.

The cholas were defeated in the thirteen century by the Pandyas of and Hoysalas of . Hoysalas had taken particular interest in the building of the Temple of Srirangam, leaving behind both the inscriptions and buildings. The Hoysalas were then driven away by the Pandyas in the early part of fourteenth Century. Later, the Mohammedans began frequently raiding the Deccan facing strong resistance from Kingdom, which was established in Vijayanagar in 1336. The Kingdom maintained its independence until 1565.

During this time, the Europeans had appeared in the south of India. In the sixteenth century a number of foreign travelers and traders passed through but taking least interest in the hinterland except for the routes it provided for their trade with the Kingdom of Vijayanagar. In 1600, the English was formed, and 1664 the French company.

In 1680, King Aurangazeb (1658-1707), launched a campaign in western Deccan. After long sieges and a great loss of life, the fortress cities of Bijapur and Golconda fell to him, and the campaign lasted until his death.

In Europe, however, the war of Austrian succession set the English and the French at each other’s throats. Duplex captured Madras (1746), which was given back to the English two years later. The French were forced to surrender in 1752 and Duplex was disavowed and recalled in 1754.

In 1760, a further French attempt, led by Lally-Tollendal, was unsuccessful and the French trading post was dismantled in 1763. From then on, the English Company gradually annexed the whole of the territory of India. Though the French came near to victory, later on they were defeated in 1798 by the English led by Wellessley and who invaded Mysore and in 1799 captured the fortress of Srirangapatnam. There after all of the Southern India came under the supremacy of England. The Carnatic was included in the direct administration of the where it remained.

Legend:-

In Srirangam, myths, legends and history are inextricably blended into apocryphal stories, which the residents tell you as you walk down the corridors of the enormous temple. At one spot, for instance, there are five strange holes drilled into the solid stone floor, in front of a pair of elegantly carved feet. Once, the story goes, Ranganatha decided to dress himself as Thayar and appear before his devotees because he wanted to understand why people only appealed to him through his wife. As he came down the corridor, dressed like a woman, Thayar is said to have stood in that corner of the passage hidden by the wall. As he neared, she inserted her fingers into those holes for grip and bent to peer around the wall to watch him coming. The Lord of Srirangam has been endowed with some very human traits, which make it easier for the devotees to identify with him. During festive celebrations, for example a unique quarrel is enacted between the Lord and Thayar at the Woraiyur temple close by.

According to legend it is said that weeks before the day, which had been fixed for their marriage, Sriranga (Ranganatha) was nowhere to be seen. Thayar, heard stories of his wandering around, meeting other women and so, when he finally appeared on their wedding day, she became very angry and threw out all the fruit and butter and eatables prepared for the feast. He, however, finally pacified her and convinced her that he had only gone hunting and that a wild made the scratches on his back.

About Temple:-

The gigantic temple of Sri Ranganatha, occupying 613,000 sq meters (156 acres), is the pride of this island. It has seven prakaras or enclosures. These enclosures are formed by thick and huge rampart walls which run round the sanctum. The temple has a number of firsts to its credit, the latest being the 73 metre (240 feet) tall, 13 tiered Rajagopuram, built in the 1980s, said to weigh nearly 25,000 tonnes. There are 20 other gopurams in this temple complex, and as many shrines. For ‘Vaikunda Yekaadesi’ pilgrims come from all over the World, it’s a 20 days celebration. Srirangam is the foremost of the eight self-manifested shrines (Swayam Vyakta Kshetras) of Lord Vishnu.

At the rear end is the shrine of the divine consort, Sri Ranganayaki. There are a number of shrines in the huge courtyard, including one for Sri Rama and another for Vibishana. A side entrance leads to another massive courtyard, at the end of which is yet another towering . The various for the annual Brahmotsavam are kept in a mandapam here. The pillars in the mandapam are rich with . The front of the mandapam is embellished with those Vijayanagar Nayak specialty horsemen fighting lions. So detailed are the sculptures that the craftsmen have left nothing to the imagination. The carvings above and below this tapestry in stone are equally rich in detail. The base depicts women in various postures. One of the pillars shows a rider, with the horse reared up, while below are a number of foot soldiers.

It is said that this is the only temple in India to have seven prakaras. The seven prakaras (enclosures), represent the seven centers of the seven elements that make up the human body, at the heart of which is the . The seventh is the outer wall, more like a fort, built in the aftermath of the Islamic invasion. The Sri Venugopala Krishanan shrine is in the fourth court. The walls are adorned with carvings of women in various attire. There is also a museum here. To the couth is the Sesharayar Mandapam, opposite of which is the 1000 pillared hall, which has exquisite sculptures of gods and goddesses, alwars and acharyas. In the first prakaram dwells the Lord in his famous reclining posture. The moolavar faces south. He goes by several names, though He is famously known here as Sri Ranganathaswamy.

This Srirangam temple, as well as the Jambukeswaram shrine, suffered terrible blows during the Muslim invasions of the 14th century. The first one was in 1311 by that iconoclast general of the Khiljis, . The second one was in 1323 under Ulugh Khan (the later Mohammed Bin Thuglak), the son of Ghiyasuddin Thuglak. The two Muslim raids crippled the temple to such an extent that worship ceased. The 1323 invasion was particularly devastating. Worship was restored only in 1371 when the forces of Vijayanagar stormed the temple complex. From then on for the next 350 years the Vijayanagar kings and the Nayaks lavished their riches on the temple, which has been hailed as Bhoolaka Vaikuntam ( on ). Many are the savants and saints who have sung in praise of this deity. Shrines:-

The vimanam (shrine over the sanctum sanctorum), the Ranga vimana is shaped like omkara ( symbol) and is plated with gold. Sri Ranganthar reclines on Adisesha, the coiled serpent, and at his feet sits Ranganayaki. Images of , Brahma, , , the symbols of Vishnu – conch and discuss are seen inside the sanctum. Ranganayaki shrine is in the second precint of the temple. The common reference to the goddess is padi thaanda pathni, meaning lady who doesn't cross the boundaries of . Literally, the festival deity of Ranganayaki also does not come out of the shrine and it is Ranganthar who visits Ranganayaki. There are three images of Ranganayaki within the sanctum.

The complex houses shrines of dozens of forms of Vishnu including Chakkarathazhwar, Narasimha, Rama, Hayagreeva and Gopala . There are separate shrines for Ranganayaki and the major saints in the Vaishnava tradition, including Ramanuja. The Venugopala shrine in the south-west corner of the fourth enclosure of the temple is the work of Chokkanatha Nayak. An inscription of 1674 specifies this Nayak king as the patron. The exterior of the vimana and attached mandap (hall) have finely worked pilasters with fluted shafts, double capitals and pendant lotus brackets. Sculptures are placed in the niches of three sides of the sanctuary walls; maidens enhance the walls in between. The elevation is punctuated with secondary set of pilasters that support shallow eaves at different levels to cap larger and smaller recesses. The sanctuary is crowned in the traditional fashion with a hemisphrical roof. The double- curved eaves of the entrance porch on the east side are concealed in a later columned hall. , a great physician of ancient India is considered to be an incarnation of Vishnu – there is a separate shrine of Dhanvantari within the temple.

Halls:-

Hall of 1000 pillars with sculptures of riding horses

The Hall of 1000 pillars (actually 953) is a fine example of a planned theatre-like structure and opposite to it, "Sesha Mandap", with its intricacy in , is a delight.[according to whom?] The 1000-pillared hall made of granite was constructed in the period (1336–1565) on the site of the old temple. The pillars consists of sculptures of wildly rearing horses bearing riders on their backs and trampling with their hoofs upon the heads of rampant tigers, seem only natural and congruous among such weird surroundings. The great hall is traversed by one wide aisle in the centre for the whole of its greater length, and intersected by transepts of like dimension running across at right angles. There still remain seven side aisles on each side, in which all the pillars are equally spaced out.The Garuda Madapa (hall of the legendary bird deity of Vishnu, garuda) located on the south side of the third enclosure is another Nayak addition. Courtly portrait sculptures, reused from an earlier structure, are fixed to the piers lining the central aisle. A free-standing shrine inside the hall contains a large seated figure of garuda; the eagle-headed god faces north towards the principal sanctum. The Kili (Hall of parrot) is located next to the Ranganatha shrine, in the first enclosure of the temple. Elephant balustrades skirt the access steps that ascend to a spacious open area. This is bounded by decorated piers with rearing and attached colonettes in the finest 17th- century manner. Four columns in the middle define a raised dais; their shafts are embellished with undulating stalks. The most artistically interesting[according to whom?] of the halls that the Nayaks added to the complex is the Sesha Mandap on the east side of the fourth enclosure. The hall is celebrated for the leaping animals carved on to the piers at its northern end.

Gopurams:-

Vellai gopurams(tower):-

There are 21 gopurams (tower gateways), among which the towering 236-feet Rajagopuram (shrine of the main gateway) is the second tallest temple tower in Asia. The 73m high 13- tiered rajagopuram was built in 1987 by Ahobila Mutt and dominates the landscape for miles around, while the remaining 20 gopurams were built between the 14th and 17th centuries. The gopurams have pronounced projections in the middle of the long sides, generally with openings on each of the successive levels. The Vellai gopura (white tower) on the east side of the fourth enclosure has a steep pyramidal superstructure that reaches a height of almost 44m.

Rajagopuram (Main tower):- The structure of the rajagopuram remained incomplete at the base ('kalkaram', 17 meters high), for over 400 years. Started during the reign of Achyuta Raya of Vijayanagar, the construction was given up after the king's death and apparently was not resumed owing to some political preoccupations or crisis. The Rajagopuram (the main gopuram) did not reach its current height of 73 m. until 1987, when the 44th Jeer of Ahobila Mutt initiated the process with the help of philanthropists and others. The whole structure was constructed in a span of eight years. The Rajagopuram was consecrated on 25 March 1987. The length and breadth at the base of the Rajagopuram is 166 feet and 97 feet, while the length and breadth at the top is 98 feet and 32 feet. Befitting the gargantuan dimensions of the structure, every one the 13 glistening copper 'kalasams' atop the tower weighs 135 kg and measures 3.12m (height) by 1.56m (diameter).