Srirangapatanam – Ranganathaswamy temple

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is dedicated to Lord Ranganathaswamy an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Part of the famed Pancharanga Shetrams, the Ranganathaswamy Temple is located on the banks of the river Cauvery in the historical town of Srirangapatna.

A remarkable fact about this temple is that Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, two of the great Muslim kings of India were Lord Ranganathaswamy’s devotees! This temple looks magnificent during the festival of Makar Sankranti, lit up with a hundred thousand lamps. Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangapatna is one of the most important Vaishnavite shrines in South India. The architecture of Sri Renganathaswamy Temple follows the style of Hoysalas and Vijaynagara Empire. The main entrance is beautifully engraved with 24 forms of Lord Vishnu. There is a sculpture of a couple of well ornamented and majestic elephants standing guard at the entrance. As you enter the queue to get into the main temple, two masterpieces not to be missed are a Gold Plated Garudavahana and Nagashesha. The presiding deity Lord Ranganathaswamy is seen sleeping on Adi Sheshan the 7 headed serpent. The Goddess is Ranganayaki. The temple also enshrines the images of River Cauvery and Sage Gautama. The temple has several other deities including that of Lord Venkateshwara, Narasimha and Panchamukha Anjenaya.