Shri Ranganathaswami Temple (Pancharanga Kshetra) at Srirangapatna in Mandya district is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. This temple is said to be one of the 108 Abhimana Kshetras of the Vaishnava tradition. Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is about 128 km from Bangalore and 16 km from Mysore and 28 km from Mandya.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is 500m from Srirangapatna Railway Station and about 1.5 km from Srirangapatna city.
Darshan timings of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple are from 7:30 AM – 1:00 PM, and from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
It is also one of the five major pilgrimage sites of Smarta Vaishnavas and Sri Vaishnavas along the river Kaveri for devotees of Ranganatha. These five sites are collectively known as Pancharanga Kshetras in South India. As Srirangapatna is the first temple to start from the upper bank, this deity is known as Adi Ranga. It is located on an island in the Kaveri river. Surrounded by river Kaveri, the river adds to the beauty of the temple. It is massive and is built on 156 acres.
An inscription in the temple states that the temple was built in 984 CE by a local chief named Tirumalaya, a vassal of the Western Ganga dynasty. In the early 12th century, the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana gave the village of Srirangapatna as an agrahara to the Vaishnava saint Ramanujacharya. Renovations were made to the temple during the time of the great Hoysala king Vira Ballala II. The structure has carvings indicative of the architecture of the Vijayanagara Empire and the Mysore Empire.
The tower above the entrance is a characteristic feature of Vijayanagara architecture. The temple has a magnificent tower over the entrance and two large concentric rectangular enclosures around its perimeter. The entrance to the sanctum sanctorum has a multi-pillared mandapa. Porch, hall and front hall are the other main structures of the temple. The roof of the porch is framed by “garland” decorative towers, the niches of which contain stucco images of Lord Vishnu.
In the sanctum sanctorum, the idol of Vishnu depicts the Lord smiling in a reclining or reclining position on the serpent Adisesha seven serpents. Consort Sri Lakshmi Devi can be seen near his feet. Other idols seen next to the idol are Bhudevi and Neela Devi of the two wives.
Within the complex are other small temples dedicated to Narasimha, Gopalakrishna, Srinivasa, Hanuman, Garuda and Alwar saints. Adi Shankara and Ramanujacharya have glorified the deity in their hymns. The following temples are considered as the sacred five places of worship of Lord Ranganatha and are collectively known as Pancharanga Kshetra (Five Ranganatha Kshetra Places).
Sarangapani Temple in Kumbakonam, Appakudathan Temple in Trichy and Parima Ranganathaswamy Temple in Myladuthurai. Srirangapatna is known as Adi Rangam, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam as Anthya Ranga, and Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Shivasamudra as Madhyarangam. All the sins of the devotees who take a holy bath in the Kaveri river here are removed.
Shri Ranganathaswami Temple (Pancharanga Kshetra)
