Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna
This temple is a major pilgrimage middle of Vaishnavism. The entrance of the temple is very grand. Its Gopuram means very good workmanship within the upper part. To succeed in the sanctum sanctorum, we needed to go through a narrow path made of metal pipes.In the sanctum sanctorum, Lord Ranganatha ji is shown lying on a bed made by the seven-faced Sheshnag. He also has Laxmi ji seated.
Together with these, there are other small temples in the complex including Lord Garuna, Bhudevi, Brahma, Narasimha, Sridevi, Gopalakrishna, Hanuman. A golden layer statue of Garun Dev can also be the center of attraction here.
Key points for Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
• To reach right here, you can take the support of rail, road and airways.• There are some small shops close by from where you can buy idols and issues made of wood. Be careful not to negotiate.
• Visitation time in the temple from 8 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm.
• There's a lack of places to eat and drink around, so take some food and water.
After darshan, when we have been waiting for the bus, he saw a brother with a panipuri. When I talked to him while eating, he told his name as Rajkumar. On being asked, it was found that he was from Allahabad. Finally I hugged him, he also despatched us off with a lovely smile.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple style
Built in the Dravidian style, this temple is a marvelous example of Hoysala and Vijayanagara architecture. The gorupam with temple-like walls and intricate carvings impressed me the most. It has 4 pillars with carvings of 24 avatars of Lord Vishnu called Chaturvimashti.It's believed that the rulers of the Hoysala dynasty were nice connoisseurs of the art of carving and were very supportive of the artisans. There is a very grand sculpture on the inside walls which depicts Hindu mythological tales. Such beautiful sculpture can surprise anybody.
History of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
The first sanctum sanctorum of this temple was constructed by a dancer Hambi in 817 AD. During the rule of the Ganga dynasty in 894 AD, King Thirumalaira Ji assisted in its construction. When Sri Ramanujacharya came right here in 1117 AD, there was a Jain ruler named Bittadeva in the Hoysala Empire. He was defeated by Sri Ramanujacharya in a debate. Bitiraiya accepted Sri Vaishnavism and was honored with the name Vishnuvardhana. He was a great devotee of God.King Vishnu Vardhan donated money and land of eight villages to Sri Ramanujacharya. Ramanujacharya designated some functionaries as Prabhu or Hebbar to conduct the service of Prabhu. In 1554 a Habbar named Thinnanna went to Vijayanagar and became an officer in the court of Vijayanagara. He returned from Vijayanagar and constructed an outer fort for the city and a large wall for the temple.
from 1610 to 1699 Srirangapatna was the capital of Mysore state. At that time King Krishnaraja Instrument appointed Hyder Ali as his commander. Hyder Ali was also a devotee of Lord Ranganath. He also contributed to the restoration of the temple. After him Tipu Sultan also looked after and supported this temple.
