Ranganathaswamy Temple

Srirangam is the first of Lord Vishnu's eight self-manifested sanctuaries (Swayam Vyakta Kshetras). It is also the first, primary, and most significant of the 108 great Vishnu temples (Divyadesams). Thiruvaranga Tirupati is also known as Periyakoil, Bhoologa Vaikundam, and Bhogamandabam. The title "KOIL" solely refers to this temple in Vaishnava terminology. The temple is massive in scale. The temple complex covers 156 acres. There are seven prakaras, or enclosures, in total. The tall and massive rampart walls that surround the sanctum construct these enclosures. All prakaras have 21 gorgeous towers that provide a one-of-a-kind spectacle to any visitor.This temple is located on an islet formed by the Cauvery and Coleroon rivers. Sri Ranganathaswami Temple at Srirangam has a rich history of ancient kingdoms and civilizations dating back thousands of years. The Pallavas' reign was defined by the establishment of a strong religious foundation; for example, the dynasty's encouragement appears to have aided the spread of Aryan institutions in Southern India, particularly in the Carnatic. For almost three hundred years, the Cholas ruled over the Coromandel Coast and a large portion of the Eastern Deccan, where they supported the flourishing of an advanced Hindu culture. Source: srirangam.org The Pandyas of Madurai and the Hoysalas of Mysore conquered the cholas in the thirteenth century. The Hoysalas were particularly interested in the construction of the Srirangam Temple, leaving behind both inscriptions and structures. In the early fourteenth century, the Pandyas drove the Hoysalas out of India. Later, the Mohammedans began raiding the Deccan on a regular basis, encountering heavy opposition from the Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar, which was founded in 1336. Until 1565, the Kingdom remained independent. During this time, Europeans began to appear in India's south. A handful of foreign visitors and traders travelled through in the sixteenth century, but they were uninterested in the hinterland except for the commercial routes it provided with the Kingdom of Vijayanagar. The English East India Company was founded in 1600, and the French East India Company was founded in 1664. King Aurangazeb (1658-1707) began a campaign in western Deccan in 1680. The fortified cities of Bijapur and Golconda fell to him after long sieges and a considerable waste of human life, and the campaign lasted until his death. The war of Austrian succession, on the other hand, pitted the English and the French against one other in Europe. Duplex took Madras in 1746, but it was returned to the English two years later. In 1752, the French were forced to surrender, and Duplex was disavowed and recalled the following year. A second French attempt, commanded by Lally-Tollendal, failed in 1760, and the French trading post was decommissioned in 1763. The English Company steadily seized the entire Indian land from then on. Despite coming close to triumph, the French were eventually beaten in 1798 by the English, headed by Wellesley, who invaded Mysore and conquered the port of Srirangapatnam in 1799.After then, England ruled over the entire southern part of India. The Carnatic was incorporated into the Madras Presidency's direct administration, where it stayed. Structure Srirangam Temple is located on an island formed by two arms of the Cauvery River at 10 degrees 52'N and 78 degrees 42' E, near the southern tip of India. The temple is approximately 6,31,000 square metres in size (156 Acres). The temple includes seven rectangular concentric enclosures surrounding the sanctum sanctorum. Srirangam's temple is the only one in India with seven enclosures, a sacred symbolic number that for modern Vaishnava followers signifies either the seven centres of Yoga or the seven elements that make up the human body, in where the soul resides. Seventh Enclosure The seventh enclosure's gopuras are unfinished. Rayagopuram is the name given to them. The massive size of their foundations indicates that when completed, they would have reached a height of at least 50 metres. Sixth Enclosure The sixth enclosure features four gopuras, the largest of which, on account of its size and inscriptions in thirteenth-century characters, is the most magnificent. This is where the closing ceremony automobiles are maintained. Fifth Enclosure The fifth enclosure houses the Chola-style Shrine of Manavala Mamunigal. Fourth Enclosure Non-Hindus can admire the Temple of Venugopala Krishnan in the fourth court's southern wing, whose outside walls are embellished with very beautiful high relief sculptures of young women attempting to play the Zither (Veena) or with a parrot or putting the finishing touches (Tilaka) to their appearance before a looking glass. A trek to the terrace overhanging this temple provides a panoramic view of the Srirangam Temple. This court also houses a museum filled with fascinating artefacts. Non-Hindus are also permitted to enter the enclosure's eastern courtyard, which is dominated by the Vellai gopura. The well-known Sesharayar Mandapa can be found towards the south.Opposite this mandapa is the Hall of Thousand Pillars, which houses the Statues of God and Goddesses, Alwars, and Acharyas during the grand annual festival of Ekadesi, which takes place in December and January. Third Enclosure The third enclosure contains the Karthikai gopura, which leads to the Garuda Mandapa, which is the most beautiful Mandapa in the Temple. Kitchens and rice storage facilities can be located in the western wing. The sacred tank (Chandrapushkarani) is located in the eastern half of this wing and has been hollowed out in the shape of a circle with flights of steps in the east and west. Several solitary sanctuaries and mandapas can be found on the eastern wing. Second Enclosure To go to the second enclosure, visitors must first pass through the Southern Aryabhattal. The visitor is struck by the pervasive full light that pervades the entire second enclosure, which is fairly narrow because there is an almost broken series of mandapas. The god's kitchen premises are located in the northeast corner; here in the past, milk and food presents were kept and handed to pilgrims. First Enclosure The visitor eventually arrives at the first enclosure, which, like the second, has only one entrance, through a gate in its southern portion; the Nazhikettan Gopura, and on either side features images called Sankhanidhi and Padmanidhi, the conch and the lotus, which are Vishnu's qualities. Storerooms have been built to the southwest. Large mirrors have been installed in the corners to reflect the god's statue as it emerges from the sanctum. The Yagasala and Tondaiman Mandapa are located in the northwest quadrant, and their ceilings are ornamented with paintings of figures. The eastern section is home to two Mandapas: Arjuna Mandapa and Kili Mandapa.