Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangapattana
Sri
Ranganathaswamy Temple is a beautiful ancient temple located in Srirangapattana
which is in the district of Mandya.The place is about fifteen kilometres from
the city of Mysore. Sri Ranganatha is Vishnu’s manifestation and thus the town
gets its name from here.It is situated on an island on the banks of the Kaveri
River.
Pancharanga Shetrams
Sri
Ranganathaswamy is a part of famed Pancharanga Shetrams, a group of 5 temples
dedicated to Lord Ranganatha on the banks of the River Cauvery. The others that
make up this group are Sri Ranganathaswamy of Srirangam, Sarangapani Temple at
Kumbakonam, Sri Appakkudathaan Perumal Temple in Thirupper Nagar and Parimala
Ranganathar Temple at Thiruindaloor. Legend says that if someone manages to
visit all the five temples in a single day, they attain salvation.
Architecture of
Temple
The temple
has a navaranga mandapam which surrounds the sanctum sanctorum. The principal
deity is Sri Ranganatha in the sleeping posture with the Adi Shesha, the
serpent with seven heads. Goddess Lakshmi is at Lord Ranganatha’s foot. Goddess
Ranganayaki is the principal goddess of this beautiful temple.
It is
believed that this temple is a very important Vaishnavite shrine of South
India. The temple’s beautiful and exquisite architecture surely takes us way
back to the Hoysala rule. The brilliant and beautiful architecture of the Vijayanagar
style and the exclusive carvings are indeed a delight to the eyes. The temple
is dedicated to Lord Ranganatha.
The temple
has four strong pillars with twenty four beautifully sculpted Vishnu forms. You
can see exclusive Hoysala style of architecture. It is said that the Hoysalas
appreciated art and art forms and encouraged the artisans. The intricate work
of the artisans is clearly reflected in the architecture of the temple. The
entire prakaram of the temple is beautifully painted with mythological stories.
History of Temple
The temple
of Sri Ranganatha in Srirangapatna was built in 894 AD by Ganga King
Tirumalaiya. Several dynasties of Kings were its patrons and have helped in its
upkeep over the years. Prominent among these royal patrons were the
Vijayanagara Kings, Hoysalas, Hyder Ali, Tipu Sultan and Wodeyars of Mysore.The
credit of building the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple goes to the rulers of the
Vijayanagara Empire. Later, The Hoysala kings and Hyder Ali made additional
expansions to the temple. The Hoysala kings, Mysore Wodeyar kings and the kings
of Vijayanagara have contributed a lot towards the expansion of the temple
structure.
Other
shrines within the temple complex are those of Lord Srinivasa, Sri Krishna,
Vaishnava Acharya and Vaishnavite Gurus. This idol is supposed to be the
biggest statue of Vishnu in the reclining form. The temple’s main entrance has
huge pillars and you can find twenty four different Vishnu forms.
As per
mythological studies, river Cauvery on her way forms three big islands. These
islands are the Shivanasamudra of Karnataka, Srirangapatna and Srirangam. It is
believed that devotees who visit these three temples,all in one day will surely
attain salvation. The Kotarothsava festival dedicated to Lord Ranganatha is celebrated
with great pomp and splendour. Devotees from faraway places come here to be a
part of these ostentatious celebrations. This is the best time to visit the
temple.
Timings of Temple
Darshan
timings at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple are 07.00 am to 01.30 pm and 04.00 pm to
08.00 pm
Festivals
celebrated at Temple
Famous
festival celebrated at the Sri Ranganatha temple is adorned with more than a
hundred thousand lamps. Devotees take a dip in the Holy Cauvery River and then
light up the lamps in the temple.
Many
devotees visit the Sri Ranganatha temple from nearby places as well as from
Bangalore after purchasing a new car or bike to perform Puja for safe motoring!
The best
time to visit is during March and April as Adibrahmotsavam is celebrated with
great pomp and show here.
How to get here :
The district
of Mandya is about one hundred and twenty five kilometres from Bangalore and
fifteen kilometres from Mysore. Devotees can either come by rail, road or air.
The closest airport is Bangalore. There are a number of state run buses that
ply from Bangalore to Mandya. Tourists may have to do train bookings well in
advance as they are full during the season time.
Srirangapatnam
is on the way to Bangalore and lies on the Bangalore-Mysore State Highway. The
closest railway station is Mysore.
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