SriRangam.

 

The abode of a deity often described as Nam Perumal and Azahagiya Manavaalan, Tamil for “our god” and “beautiful groom”, the magnificent Ranganathaswamy Temple is home to Lord Ranganatha, a form of Lord Vishnu in a reclining pose.

Considered as one of the eight sywayambu kshetras of Lord Vishnu as per Alwar – the tradition of Tamil Nadu’s poet saints – its glory has seen it become the only temple to have been praised by all of them in their hymns. Together, they created as many as 247 pasurams or hymns in praise of the temple and its presiding deity.

Often referred to as the world’s largest functioning Hindu temple spread over a155 acres complex, it is also home to the tallest gopuram or temple tower across all South India. In fact, its rajagopuram makes for architectural grandeur at 237 feet above the complex base, moving up in 11 ascending tiers.

Tiruchirappalli is the fourth largest state in the city of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the oldest inhabited cities of the state. Situated amidst the Shevaroy Hills and the Palani Hills, it is surrounded by agricultural lands. Famous for its rich and varied cultural and architectural heritage, the city boasts of various significant sites that accentuates the influence of dynasties that reigned over the city, especially that of the Chola Dynasty and the British Raj. And a landmark epitome of this culture and history, right from the Chola dynasty to the reign of Krishnadevraya, has been the Srirangam temple. Srirangam Temple shows the intricacies of the architectural changes throughout its inception to the present-day. Each wall of the pillars is an architect’s and archeologist’s paradise. You can find historic inscriptions on the walls in various languages such as Sanskrit, Kannada, Tamil and Marathi. Apart from the temple, you can also visit the Butterfly Park which is home to some of the most beautiful butterflies. It also includes a collection of trees that resemble the zodiac signs and stars in Indian astrology. You can also visit the Rockfort which stands tall on an ancient rock and was built by the Pallavas and Pandyas. 

Srirangam temple is known as one of the world’s largest functioning Hindu temple. It is also one of the most significant of the 108 Divya Desams or Vishnu temples. It is the resting place of Lord Vishnu and includes over 80 shrines of Goddesses like Laxmi and Saraswati across the vicinity.The Srirangam temple is heavily influenced by Dravidian architecture and is enclosed by humongous rampart walls and gopurams. The Rajagopuram which is the tallest in Asia is at 237 feet above the complex base.Along with that, visitors can find themselves surrounded by seven prakarams that portray the seven chakras that run through our physical beings. Inside the compound area, you also have 39 grand pavilions. Millions of people from across the world come to take in the scenic beauty of the temple and blessings of the Lord Ranganatha.  

The preserver of universe

Known as the 'preserver' of the universe in the Hindu Triad, Lord Vishnu is revered as the supreme god amongst Hindu community of Vaishnavas or Vaishnavites. Along with Shiva and Brahma, Lord Vishnu form the 'Trimurti' aka, Triumvirate. Within it, Brahma is the creator of the universe, Shiva is the destroyer and Vishnu god is the preserver and protector of the universe.

 

The supreme god

Lord Vishnu is believed to possess powers that are greater than any other Hindu god. He is also said to have the power to maneuver energies on a universal scale, hence, one can immediately relate how his powers make him the preserver of the universe. Hindu god Vishnu is usually portrayed in a dark blue hue having 4 arms, a pair in the front, depicting his relationship with the physical world and the material world. The other pair is behind him, portraying his presence in the spiritual realm. He is said to have been married to Goddess Laxmi, Saraswati, and Ganga.

His many avatars

It is believed that Sri Vishnu god returned to earth in different avatars during troubled times and restored the balance of good and evil. As per believers, lord Vishnu has been reincarnated nine times. The first was Matsya the fish; the first physical being on Earth. He also took the form of Kurma, the tortoise to carry the weight of the mountain on his back. The third time, lord Vishnu returned to Earth as Varaha, the boar, to fight a war with a demon for 1000 years. In the next life, he was reincarnated as Narasimha, the Man-Lion, to protect a young devotee from a demon. Vamana was Vishnu's very first human incarnation. He later came back to Earth as Parshurama, the Lumberjack. After this, he came as one of the most famously known avatars, lord Rama. During the battle of Kurukshetra, he played a crucial role as Lord Krishna. Buddha is said to be the ninth and the last of his avatars on Earth. Hindus believe that Lord Vishnu will be reincarnated one last time before the world comes to an end.

Lord Vishnu’s most famous abode: Srirangam Temple

Lord Vishnu is worshipped as Ranganatha in the southern part of India. Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple or Thiruvarangam is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha, a reclining form of Vishnu, standing tall in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu. Constructed in the Dravidian Architecture, this temple is glorified by Alvars in their Divya Prabhanda and has the unique distinction of not only being the foremost among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu, but also of being the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world. Millions of visitors come to his shrine to be a part of various prayers and take in his divinity. The temple has such a spiritual vibe that one can sense the power of his presence not just at the place where the Lord rests but all around the temple as well

He rests in a reclining pose on Adisesha, the coiled serpent with five hoods. A unique feature of his idol is that it is crafted using stucco and thailam, a paste made of musk, camphor, honey, jaggery and sandal.

His sanctum is adorned with a gold-plated vimanam or crown tower and shaped like the term Om in Tamil. Its gable features Paravasudeva or the Supreme Being as well as an etching of Ramanuja, the 11th century religious scholar.

Devotees can also expect to get a darshan of other deities at each of the 81 shrines within the temple complex. These include various forms of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi as well as religious scholars and Alwar or Bhakthi poet saints.

 

These include Chakkarathazhwar, Narasimha, Rama, Hayagreeva, Gopala Krishna, Sridevi, Bhudevi and Alagiyamanavalan.

Here, they can get a glimpse into the temple’s history, which goes back to 3rd century B.C. as per some historians. Alternate views suggest it was built later in the 9th century A.D. by the Gangas, the ruling dynasty based at Talakkadu on the banks of the Kaveri. Nevertheless, the temple became an important hub for both, religion and culture over the next few centuries.

Though its location on an island lodged between two rivers saw it being invaded several times, it remained an influential centre for the growing Bhakti movement. Today considered among the largest Hindu temple complexes in the world, it was rebuilt in the late 14th century. It also saw additions to its original structure in the 16th, 17th and 21st centuries.

The temple offers testimony to the cultural diversity and exchange that was prevalent during its early period; modern day visitors can expect to find historic inscriptions not just in Tamil, but also Sanskrit, Telegu, Marathi, Oriya and Kannada. The scripts used for these inscriptions include Tamil as well as a Grantha – a script used by Tamil and Malayalam scholars to write Sanskrit since 6th century A.D.

Apart from its religious and cultural significance, the Srirangam Temple also merits a visit for its architectural glory. The world’s largest functioning Hindu temple, the complex is designed in the quintessential Dravidian architecture style.

Spread over 155 acres, it welcomes guests with seven prakarams or compounds, representing the seven chakras related to our body and soul. Inside the compound area stand 81 shrines, 21 stunning gopurams and 39 grand pavilions. Built in stone with elaborate carvings, the complex has over 800 inscriptions that offer insights into religious and social influences during the medieval era. The complex is also home to frescoes depicting scenes from Hindu scriptures and legends as well as those from the life of religious scholars.

A noteworthy architectural element within the temple complex is the Hall of 1000 Pillars. Built between the 13th and 15th centuries, this granite structure features a mandapam (hall) as well as water tanks in the centre. Guests should especially look out for the eight monolithic pillars that feature marvelous sculptures of warriors in action.

 The grand complex continues to be home to special features that are great examples of civic facilities for locals and visitors. These include water tanks and granaries. It is also home to several temple chariots that play an integral role during festivals and special occasions.

Of the temple’s 12 major water tanks, the surya soc, named after the sun and chandra pushkarani, after the moon, deserve a special mention in every guest’s itinerary. Together, these two water tanks can hold as much as two million litres. The complex is also home to multiple granaries. This ensures the temple kitchen is well-equipped to serve visitors, the lesser privileged as well as the local population.

 

Temple chariots such as the Garuda vahana, Simha vahana, Hanumantha vahana, and Sesha vahana are some of the most significant ones present in the temple complex. These play an especially important role during festivals and occasions.

Srirangam Temple

The 4 distinct phases of South Indian style of architecture in South India

Throughout history, the southern part of India was home to changing kingdoms and dynasties who invariably left their mark and influence on the temples and architecture of the region. Here’s a look at some of the most prominent features of the South Indian order or style of architecture.

Historically speaking, there are 4 prominent styles of architecture. The history of South Indian style of architecture dates to the Pallava dynasty, around the 6th century AD and can be traced through 4 phases. The rock-cut architecture was one of the most significant styles within caves. Soon after, temples started to come into existence.

The basic South Indian style of architecture temple was made up of just the “Mandapa” with nothing else surrounding it. Later, these mandapas evolved into raths. Mahabalipuram is home to 6 such raths in a single cave. The largest rath is called “Dharmraja” and the smallest rath is called Draupadi. The Dharmraja ratha marked the inception of South Indian style of architecture.

Phase :1

During the rule of the Chola dynasty in the 11th century, the first phase begins to flourish. The style belonging to this time consisted of a "Vimana", a pyramid tower and a "Gopuram", which is a huge entrance to the temple built with multiple tiers, adorned with sculptures of gods and goddesses. Within the vicinity of the temple, a tank was deemed sacred and was used by priests followed with a "mandapa” built at the center of the temple. The Brihadeswara temple at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, is a prime example of the Cholapuram style, demonstrating a shift towards a South Indian style of architecture.

Phase :2

The Vijayanagara school of architecture is where one can identify real structured temples with carvings on rock surfaces and more animal representations across the walls and pillars of the temple. The then-ruler, Krishnadevraya commissioned various temples and pillared mandapas and gopurams around the main sanctum, which came to be known as Rayagopurams. Sculptures of supernatural horses were constantly used within the pillars of these temples. The Kailashnath Temple at Kanchipuram is predominantly structured on similar lines.

Phase :3

The Meenakshi-Sundareswara temple at Madurai is a fine example of the Nayaka’s architecture. Although influenced by the Cholas and the Pallavas style, it still maintains a distinct elegance with its surface carvings and engravings. Each story is delineated by a parapet of miniature shrines and barrel-vault roofs at the center in this style of architecture.

Phase :4

The Chalukya phase combines both, Nagra and South Indian styles. It consists primarily of the Vimana and Mandapa from the South Indian architecture. Various temples at Badami, Karnataka were constructed in this style. To conclude, South India is rich in its cultural and varied heritage. It’s each structure is unique than the previous ones, brimming with a vast historical and cultural significance and only the ones with a keen sense of architecture can realize the differences between the styles.