Srirangam
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Srirangam (also Thiruvarangam) is a small town in south India adjoining Tiruchirapalli. It is a 600 acre (2.4 km²) island town, surrounded by the waters of the Cauvery River on one side and its tributary Kollidam (Coleroon) on the other.
Srirangam_temple_kopuram.jpg
It is famous for its Sri Ranganatha temple, a major pilgrimage destination for Hindus especially Vaishnavites and one of the largest temple complexes in India. The gopuram or the gateway of the temple is called the RajaGopuram and is 236 feet (72 m) tall. Myth has it that when you stand at the top - you can see Srilanka coast. The temple is constituted by seven concentric enclosures or prakaras with gopurams articulating the axial path, the highest at the outermost prakara and the lowest at the innermost. The construction of the temple spanned across three centuries from the 14th to 17th centuries and many rulers have had a hand in its construction, including the Cheras, Pandyas, Cholas, Hoysalas and rulers from Vijayanagar.
The three sacred Ranganatha temples on the banks of the Cauvery are:
- Adi Ranga - at Srirangapatna
- Madhya Ranga - at Shivanasamudram
- Antya Ranga - Srirangam
Srirangam is the foremost of the 108 Divya Desams (divine centers) mentioned in Nalaira Divya Prapandham, composed by the Tamil saints known as Azhwars. It is also the foremost seat of the teachings of Ramanuja, who spread the doctrine of Visishtadvaita (qualified monism), considered to be one of the cornerstones of Hindu philosophy.
Iyengars constitute a significant section of the population of Srirangam.
Related links
- Temple Official Site. (http://www.srirangam.org/Index1.Html)
- 108 Divya Desams (http://srivaishnavam.com/divyadesam108/index.html)