About Sri Ranganathaswami Temple
Located in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the city of Tiruchirappalli is the Shri Ranganathaswamy Temple. It is a world-famous Hindu temple in the region. Ranganathaswamy Temple Trichy is dedicated to Lord Shri Hari Vishnu. This temple is also called as ‘Bhoo-Lok Vaikunth’ which means heaven on earth. This temple is one of the largest in the country. 'Shri Rangam temple', 'Tiruvarangam Tirupati', 'Perayakoil' etc. are some of the other names of the temple.
Sri Ranganathaswami Temple History
This beautiful temple was established in the 100 AD to 250 AD and Shilpadikaram of this temple, which is written in one of the five epic epics of the Tamil literature. Situated on the banks of the Bay of Bengal, Tamil Nadu is one of the beautiful states of India, there is a lot to see here at the level of tourism. More than one unique historical heritage is seen here. There are also many grand temples here. One of these temples is the Ranganathaswamy Temple.
Lord Ranganatha is considered to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Ranganathaswamy Temple is located on the banks of the Kaveri River at Srirangam in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. A 1,000-year-old mummy is also preserved in the temple. Millions of tourists come from all over the world to visit the grandeur of the temple and Ranganath’s form of Vishnu. As beautiful as this temple is in appearance, equally interesting is its history and construction story.
The special thing about the Ranganathaswamy Temple is that it is situated between the Godavari and the Kaveri River. Rang Jayanti festival is organized here on the seventh day of the Shukla Paksha of every year with great pomp, which lasts for eight days. It is believed that bathing in the Kaveri River on the day of Krishna Dashami gives fruit similar to bathing in eight pilgrimages.
Architecture of Sri Ranganathaswami Temple
Although the temple is ancient, the inscriptions on the walls of the temple are only from the 10th century. God is here in the most popular posture i.e. sleeping posture. The Ranganathaswamy Temple Trichy is one of the 108 main temples of Lord Vishnu. It is the only temple to be admired in the songs of all the saints of the Tamil Bhakti movement. It is customary to serve free food for over 200 devotees every day. Food is served here under the Anandam scheme.
The temple is built in the Tamil style of architecture. Though the temple is made of granite stone, the idol of the main deity in the temple is made of stucco. Apart from this, there are also temples dedicated to other deities. From architectural art, there is a multiplicity of Tamil style here. The temple also finds mention in Tamil literature from the Sangam era (1000 AD to 250 AD) and Shilappadikaram (one of the five best epics of Tamil literature). The Ranganathaswamy temple Trichy is among the large complex temples. On November 3, 2017, the temple also received the 'UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit 2017' for Cultural Heritage Conservation after extensive reconstruction.
Sri Ranganathaswami Temple Story
According to a legend, a king of the Chola dynasty found an idol of Lord Vishnu chasing a parrot in a dense forest. Then it was built by the same king. On the other hand, the inscriptions present in the temple show the influence of the time of the Chola, Pandya, Hoysala, and Vijayanagara dynasties. Therefore, this temple is believed to have been built and expanded by most of the dynasties that ruled in South India.
Being close to Mysore, it is also believed that the ruler Tipu Sultan may also have contributed to the construction of Ranganathaswamy Temple Trichy. It is said that Tipu had great faith in the priests here. Not only this, but he also thanked the Pandit here for victory in a war with the British. He believed that he was conquered because of his advice. Therefore, the Sultan also gave him financial support with respect.
How to reach Ranganathaswamy Temple
Ranganathaswamy Temple is situated in the Srirangam town of Trichy. The temple is situated at 1 km from the Srirangam Railway station and 9 km from the Trichy Junction which is a major railway station of the city. One can reach there by train and avail of a taxi to reach the temple.
Best time to visit Ranganathaswamy Temple
The city experiences hot and humid weather during the monsoon and summer season. While the winter season is comfortable for visiting ranganathswamy temple. Also, Pongal is one of the most celebrated festivals of the town which also lies during the winter season.
Places to visit near the Ranganathaswamy Temple
Trichy enthralls you with the tourist attractions it owns. There are several places to visit near the Ranganathaswamy Temple are Jambukeshwarar Temple, Kallanai Dam, Rockfort Ganpathi Temple, Samayapuram Amman Temple, Puliyancholai Waterfalls, etc.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple Timings and Entry Fees
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple Timings: 6:00 A.M.to 9:30 P.M.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple Entry Fees: The entry to the temple is free. You can also take pictures and carrying a still camera will cost you INR 50 whereas a video camera charge is INR 100.
Ideal Visiting Time: 2 to 3 Hours
