Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Trichy, Tamil Nadu India

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam is located about 7 km from Trichy (Tiruchirapalli) in Tamil Nadu, India. Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple is the first and foremost among the 108 Divya Desams, the holy abodes of Lord Vishnu, and also considered as one among the eight Svayam Vyakta Ksetras (self-manifested shrines) of Lord Vishnu. According to Sri Vaishnava philosophy, the eight Svayam Vyakta Ksetras of Lord Vishnu are Srirangam, Srimushnam, Venkatadri, Saligram, Naimisaranyam, Totadri, Pushakara and Badrinath Temple.

Trichy Srirangam Temple is also known by the names Thiruvaranga Tirupati, Periyakoil, Bhoologa Vaikundam and Bhogamandabam. Sri Ranganatha Temple at Srirangam lies on an island, enclosed by the Kaveri River and Kollidam River. Lord Vishnu is enshrined as Ranganatha - the reclining position of Lord Vishnu over the Shesha Nag (serpent Adisesha). It is believed that this is the form in which Lord Mahavishnu is open to listening to all of his devotee's woes, and blesses them. Lord Ranganatha or Ranganathar is also called by various names such as Nam-Perumal and Azhagiya Manavalan by the devotees.

 The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu India is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ranganatha, a reclining form of Lord Vishnu. It is the first and foremost among the 108 Divya Desams, the holy abodes of Lord Vishnu.

  The temple occupies an area of 156 acres (6,31,000 square meter) with a perimeter of 1,116m (10,710 feet) making it the largest temple in India. Srirangam temple can be easily termed as the biggest functioning Hindu temple in the world (it's termed as biggest "functioning" because Angkor Wat is the biggest but non-functioning Hindu temple in the world).

  The temple is enclosed by 7 concentric walls and the total length of these seven walls is 32,592 feet or over six miles. There are total of 21 gopurams in this temple. The weight of the Gopuram is 24,880 tons and the entrance is 11 3/4 width and height is 24 3/4. The 7 walls are referred to as the 7 worlds. The 7th wall is the outer wall which can be seen and it is 3072 feet in length and 2521 feet in breadth. For 7 prakaarams, 7 thiruveedhi (streets) are found. 7th thiruveedhi is called "Chitthirai Thiruveedhi" where bigh houses and bunglows are found. Sixth Veedhi, which is found in Sixth prakaaram is called "Thiru vikraman thiruveedhi" fifth veedhi om 5th prakaram is Agalangan Thiru veedhi". Fourth veedhi in 4th prakaram is "Aalinaadan Thiruveedhi". Third veedhi in 3rd prakaram is "Kulasekaran Thiruveedhi". Second veedhi in 2nd prakaram is "Raja Mahendran". And in the first prakaram, Emperumaan Sri Ranganathan in Kidantha Kolam gives seva and this is called "Dharma Varman Thiru chuttru (circle). Among the marvels of the temple is a "hall of 1000 pillars" (actually 953).

  The Gopuram of Sri Rangam is popularly called as "Raja Gopuram" and it is the biggest gopuram in the Asian Sub  Continent. The height of the Gopuram is 236 feet high with 13 Nilays. 12 Kalasams are kept on the top of the Gopuram. It took almost 7 years to complete the Gopuram. The Rajagopuram did not reach its current height of 73 m. until 1987, when the 44th Jeer of Ahobila Mutt initiated the process with the help of philanthropists and others.

     There are in total eight Svayam Vyakta Ksetras ("self-manifested shrines"), of Lord Vishnu, according to Sri Vaisnava philosophy namely, Srirangam, Srimushnam, Venkatadri, Saligramam, Naimisaranyam, Totadri, Pushakara and Badrinath. Of these, Srirangam is the first and of foremost importance. The temple is situated in an island  enclosed by Kaveri river and Kollidam river.

Srirangam Temple White Gopuram The Srirangam history occupies an important place in the spiritual history of India as one of the majority worship place of Vishnuism (vainavam in Tamil), which Grow vigorously particularly in the south from the seventh to the thirteenth centuries. It was the seat of a school of philosophy whose most outstanding leader was the famous Vaishnava teacher (aacharyar in tamil) Ramanujar (Eleventh to Twelfth Centuries.

The origin of the temple srirangam history is entirely mythological and acceptable evidences are there, that its first architectural from is traditionally attributed to Chola kings of whose existence there is no historical proof. But in to ancient times the references to the temple in Silappdigaram, a Sangam Work (Tamil Sangam) in the collection "the four thousand Hymns" (NalayarathivyaPrabatahngal) they explain the god of Srirangam lord Sri ranganatha, Vishnu reposing (Tharisanam in Tamil) with the goddess Lakshmi on the coach of the thousand hooded serpent (in tamil aayeram thalai nagam), known as Ranganatha in its southern form , or as the Seshasayanamurti or the Anantasyasna of the Vishnu-Narayana of Classical northern Vishnuism; a cosmic god who is one of the specific figures of the cult of Vaishnava Bhakti, a concept of which goes back to the Rig veda.