Sri Ranganatha Temple, Srirangam
Location of the temple
State: Tamil Nadu
District:
Tiruchirapalli
Primary Deity: Lord Vishnu
(Ranganthar)
Consort:
MahaLakshmi
(Ranganayaki)
Important festivals: Vaikunda
Ekadesi, Janmashtami (ButterPot Breaking ceremony)
• Biggest
temple in
India and Second
Biggest Temple in the
world
• Temple has an area
of 156 acres.
•It is enclosed by 7
concentric walls
called Prakarams
(outer courtyard)
•Total length of
temple is over 6
miles.
Temple History
•Built by Cholas around 9th
century
•Later Patronized by Hoysalas of
Karnataka
•Then by Pandya kings of Madurai
and the Nayaks.
•Temple was also attacked by
various Moghul, French , Hyder
Ali and Tippu Sultan. The
emperors ransacked the temple
and looted the riches of the
temple.
Malik Kafur and his forces stole the deity
in 1310/1311 and took it to Delhi. To
bring back the deity , devotees of
Srirangam ventured to Delhi and
enthralled the emperor with their
histrionics. Moved by their talent, the
emperor was pleased to gift them the
presiding deity of Srirangam, which was
requested by the performers. Surathani,
his daughter, fell in love with Sri
Ranganatha and followed him to
Srirangam. She prostrated to God in front
of the sanctum sanctorum and is
believed to have attained the heavenly
abode immediately. Even today, a
painting of "Surathani” can be seen in
the Arjuna Mandap adjacent to the
sanctum sanctorum for whom,
chappathis are made daily.
• Total of 21 Gopurams, largest in the first wall is
13- tiered and about 73 m tall.
• 39 Pavillions
• 50 sanctums to various Gods.
• 1000 Pillard Hall (actually has 953 pillars) all carved
with horses.
• Several Water Bodies inside
•The physical body of Sri Ramanujacharya is preserved
inside the temple, in a shrine dedicated to him
Pictures of 1000 pillared Hall
Inside the hall
contains a large
seated figure of
Garuda; the eagle
headed Vehicle ,
facing the sanctum.
The Orlov Diamond
The Orlov Diamond
• The Orlov diamond is 189.62 carats (~ 38 g)
• This diamond served as the deities eyes, that
looks like half an egg.
• Legends say that a French soldier disguised as
a Hindu convert and stole it in 1747 .
• It is now part of the Diamond collection of
Moscow Kremlin.
Festivals Celebrated
• Has festivals 250 days a year .
• The annual gold ornament cleaning festival
called Jyestabisheka
• Gajendra Moksha festival in the month of
Chaitra
• Temple Car Festival, when the deity is taken
around in the Chariot
Composers
Several poems and works have been written
about the Lord of this temple.
Some of the famous composers are :
• Vaishnava Acharya Sri Ramanajucharya
• Eleven of the Alwars
• The temple is a center for the Vishishtadvaita
school
Ramayana by Kambar
• Kambar , 12th century Tamil poet composed
Kamba Ramayanam, a work inspired from the
epic, Valmiki Ramayana. To get the approval of
his work from scholars he came over to this
temple and recited his verse in the open Hall
close to the Ranganayaki shrine . A Jain
scholar named Tirunarungundam honored the
work and it resulted in Tamil and Sanskrit
scholars approving the work.