Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha, a form of the Supreme God, Maha Vishnu, located in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu.
Constructed in
the Dravidian
architectural style, the temple is glorified by Alvars in their Divya
Prabhanda and has the unique distinction of being the
foremost among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to The Supreme God Vishnu.
The inner apartment of
Sri Ranganatha temple was built in 817 CE by a lady by name Hambi, of the class
of dancers .
The temple was looted and destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate armies in a broad plunder raid on various cities of
the Pandyan kingdom in early 14th century.
The temple was rebuilt in late 14th century, the
site fortified and expanded with many more Gopurams in the 16th and 17th
centuries. It was one of the hubs of early Bhakti movement with a devotional
singing and dance tradition, but this tradition stopped during the 14th century
and was revived in a limited way much later.
The temple occupies an area of 155 acres (63 ha)
with 81 shrines, 21 towers, 39 pavilions, and many water tanks integrated into
the complex making it the world's largest functioning Hindu temple.
The Srirangam temple is the largest temple compound in
India and one of the largest religious complexes in the world. Some of these
structures have been renovated, expanded and rebuilt over the centuries as a
living temple. The latest addition is the outer tower that is approximately 73
metres (240 ft)tall, completed in 1987.
Srirangam temple is often listed
as one of the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world, the still larger Angkor Wat being the largest existing temple. The annual
21-day festival conducted during the Tamil month
of Margazhi (December–January) attracts 1 million visitors. The
temple complex has been nominated as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, and is in UNESCO's tentative list.(wiki)
I am yet to see the
temple. The desire is there.
The temple reminds one of the great sacrifices done by people over the
centuries to maintain and rebuild it from time to time. That is what one should
remember and be proud of. School children should be taken to the temple as part
of their education which will not only give them a glimpse into the rich
religious heritage of this great land but also will help in building vision in
them. Hopefully someone will initiate some steps in those directions.
Be happy. Be safe.
ॐ तत् सत्
8 30 AM
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