Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple (Great Temple)

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple (Great Temple) Review

With outer walls that are more than 2 mi long and incorporating a village within it, Srirangam's Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is the biggest temple in India. It was built by various rulers of the Vijayanagar Empire between the 13th and 18th centuries, with a few 20th-century additions. Dedicated to Vishnu, the single-sanctum temple has seven concentric walls and 22 gopurams. Non-Hindus aren't allowed into the inner sanctum, and photos can't be taken there either.

Just as the Pallavas had rampant lions, the Vijayanagar dynasty had rearing horses, magnificently displayed here in the Horse Court, the fourth courtyard of the Seshadgiri mandapam. At the time of the Festival of Vaikuntha Ekadasi (in honor of Vishnu's paradise), pilgrims can see the idol of Ranganatha brought into the mandapam from the inner sanctum under the golden dome. During the January Car Festival, Srirangam's magnificent temple carts—exceptional in their artisanship—are taken out for a series of processions. The temple's extensive and beautiful collection of precious gems is included in the cart display. An island of temples, Srirangam was also a center of religious philosophy and learning. The great Vaishnava Acharya Ramanuja taught and wrote in the Srirangam school at the end of the 11th century.