Temple Location :
About the Temple:
Situated in Trichy district near Trichy in Tamil Nadu.
3/4 miles away from SriRangam railway station which is in between Vizhupuram - Trichy railway lane. Plenty of buses and lodging facilities.
Appearance of the Sthalam:
There are 7 big walls found around this temple covering next to next each other. 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).
Total area of this temple is alomost 155 1/2 acres, and 6 miles in area.
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.
Explaination of Raja Gopuram:
The Gopuram of Sri Rangam is popularly called as "Raja Gopuram" and it is the biggest gopuram
in the Asian Sub - Continent.
It took almost 7 years to complete the Gopuram. When coming out of the 7th Veedhi, all the 4
entrances of the Gopura Vaasal.
The height of the Gopuram is 236 feet high with 13 Nilays. 12 Kalasams are kept on the top of
the Gopuram.
Specials:
- Biggest gopuram in Asia.
- All the 11 Alwars did Mangalasasanam here.
- Udayavar (Ramanujar) guru periyanambigal, Buttar Vadakuthiruveethi pillai, Pillai Lokachariyar - Birth Place.
- Kula sekara Alwar, Thondaradipodi Alwar, Soodikodutha Naachi Aandal, Thuluka Naachiyaar, Udayavar (Ramanujar) Thirupaan Alwar - Paramapatha Sthalam.
Moolavar:
Sri Ranganathan. Other names of their god is Periya perumal, Nam Perumal, Azagiya Manavalan.
Moolavar in Kidantha Kolam facing south direction.
Prathyaksham for Dharmavarma, Ravindharman, chandiran and Vibeerhanan.
Thayaar
Sri Ranga Nayaki (Ranga Nayakiyaar).
Utsavar
Namperumal.
Sannadhis:
- Veli Aandal
- Periyazhvar
- Kanna peruman
- Manavala Mamunigal
- Alwargal
- Naathamunigal
- Aalavanthaar
- Thiruvaranga perumalarayar
- Amirtha kalasa Garudan
- Thondaradipodi Alwar
- Thiru Paan Alwar
- Chakkarathalwar
- Sriranga Naachiyaar
- Ul Aandal
- Metty Azhagiyasinger
- Vedantha Desikar
- Periya Garudan
- Nammazhwar and
- Danvanthari.
Mangalasasanam:
Except Mathirakavi Alwar, all the other eleven Alwars have done Mangalasasanam here.
- Periyalwar - 31 Paasurams
- Sri Andal - 10 Paasurams
- Kulasekara Alwar - 31 Paasurams
- Thirumazhisai Alwar - 14 Paasurams
- Thondaradipodi Alwar - 55 Paasurams
- Thirupaan Alwar - 10 Paasurams
- Thirumangai Alwar - 72 Paasurams
- Poigai Alwar - 1 Paasuram
- Boothathalwar - 4 Paasurams
- Pei Alwar - 2 Paasurams
- Nammalwar - 11 Paasurams
Total - 246 Paasurams.
Pushkarani:
- Chandira Pushkarani
- Cauveri
- Kollidam
- Vedacchurangam.
Vimanam:
Pranavaakruthi. It took almost 7 and half years to build this huge vimanam (Gopuram). It is also called as "Raja Gopuram".
This Raja Gopuram is 236 feet high with 13 Nilais (Partition) and 12 Kalasams at its top.
Sthala Puranam:
Once on the base of Himalaya, River Ganga, Cauvery, Yamuna and Saraswathi are playing in the
sky one ghandharvan (person who belong to Deva logam) saw these rivers playing and worshipped
them. Seeing this all the 4 river women started saying themselves that he worshipped them only.
They started arguing on whom actually he worshipped. The arguement continued but didnt stop.
Yamuna and Saraswathi stopped their quarrel. But to Ganga and Cauvery it continued. Finally, they
both went to sriman Narayanan.
River Ganga told to Narayanan since she was originated from the feet of Narayanan, she is bigger
and mightier than cauvery. Sriman Narayanan accepted it. But, cauvery doesnt accept it and she
did tapas on Sriman Narayanan. Finally, Narayanan gave seva to her and told him that he will
sleep on the bank of Cauvery and at that time, river Cauvery will be the garland (Maalai) in his
chest, which will the better position than Ganga, who is found in his feet. This is the
sthalapuranam said here.
Emperumaan gave the Vimaanam of Srirangam to Brahma Devan. Brahma Devan gave this to "Itsuvaghu"
who is one of the King of Sooriya family. From Itsuvaghan to Lord Rama time, this Vimaan was
worshipped and belonged to Ayodhya Kings.
Sri Ramar who took the avathaar as an ordinary human being, worshipped Sri Ranganathan, the
god is also named as "Periya Perumal". After his pattabishekham (crowned as king), he gave the
Thiru Aranga Vimaanam to King Vibeeshan, which belongs to Ayodhya Kings and their followers.
Coming along with the thiruvaranga temple vimaanam, he kept the vimaanam in the midst of Cauvery
river to worship it. During the worship, Chozhan Dharmavarman and lots of Rishis also joined.
After finishing all the poojas, tried to take the vimaanam along with him to Lanka, he was
unable to take it and he could not even move.
At that time, Sri Aranganathan told since he had given varam to River Cauvery and since he has
to purify her, he has to be all along the Cauvery River. And told that he will not be in a
position to move from there. But on hearing this, King Vibeeshan became sad, for which Sri
Aranganathan says that inspite of not coming to Lanka, but he will be facing the south
direction of Lanka. This is the history explaination of Sri Rangam.
The position which Sri Ranganathar is found in this sthalam is one of the great thing that
has to be explained.
In this sthalam, Aranganathan is found inside the Aranga Vimaanam, Keeping 5 headed Aadhi
seshan as the bed, his legs stretched along the direction of the sun's upcoming side (East)
direction from where the moon in the evening rises and Lord Yaman, who is the demon king and
cool breeze and wind which are said to be found from the South direction are seen by
Aranganathan and he sees Lanka. behind him, is Guberan (North Direction) and Selva Magal
(Sri Lakshmi) are found. His right hand is kept under his head as a "Pillow" and the left
hand is on his lap and it is pointed to his feet. This position explains to the world that
all the Jeevathmas are finally getting terminated only in his feet.
Till now, if we stand at the top of Srirangam Temple Gopuram, we can find that the Eyes of
Arangan as still seeing the south direction of Sri Lanka.
As the year go an history is said that Srirangam Gopuram and Sri Ranganathar got into the
river and when Dharma Varman came along that side, a parrot came to him and told that the
Gopuram is lost in the river and finally it is taken out from it is one of the story said here
but not sure, how much true it is and since the parrot helped him to get out the temple, a
mandapam for that parrot is build.
Srivilliputtur Pattarbiraan periyaalwar's daughter Sri Aandal, who sang Thiruppaavai and
called as "Soodi Kodutha Sudar Oli", Kulasekara Alwar's daughter Cherar Vali, Nandha Chozhan's
daughter Kamalavalli and Delhi Badhusa's daughter Thullaka Naachiyar all loved Sri Aranganathan
and finally they got in to Sri Aranganathan's Body.
The temples outer walls are built by Thirumangai Alwar and Nandhavan (Park) was constructed
by Thondar Adippodi Alwar.
In this sthalam, Mettu Azhagiya singar (Narasimar) Sannadhi is found and in front of it is
found the 4 pillared mandapam (Nallu Kaal Mandapam). In this mandapam, Kambar explained for
the first time, his great work "Kamba Ramayanam" and in that "Iranya Vadhai Padalam" is also
included in that. (Iranyavadhan is the story about the killing of Iranyan by Lord Narasimha).
But on hearing the inclusion of it, all the people around the Mandapam protested against it.
At that time, a voice that belong to Lord Narasimha arised and it said there should be no
Prostestation on that and he accepted the inclusion of it. It is also one of the said story
here. No where is found a seperate sannadhi for Sri Dhanvanthri (doctor for god and God of
medicine) in this temple.
Thiruppaan Alwar got his paramapadha mukthi (left his life and went to paramapadham) here.
Arayar seva, which is one of the type was created by Naadha muni in this sthalam. It is the
type by which Naalayira Divya Pprabhandham is sung in a musical manner.
Krishna saynar, thulasi dhasar, Maadhavar had also sung songs on Sri Ranga nathar. Manavaala
Maamuni did Kaalatshebham here. (Kaalatshebham means explaining some good things on the
basis of god to everyone).
When explaining about Sri Ranganathar and the temple, one more special person has to explained
and he is Sri Ramanujar.
Sri Ramanujar says that Gnanam is Arangan and Gnana Teacher is Arangan and the follower is
also Arangan and the person who follows it as also Arangan. And finally on the command given
by Arangan, he left the earth and terminated into Aranganathan. Eventhough his soul was out
from the world, his body was still found inside a sannadhi. Inside it, he is sitting and his
eyes are opened and he giving his blessings to the world.
The temple servers are applying a kind of Oil (thaylam) all along his body to protect it from not being
destroyed. Like this same way, in Russia, Lenin's body and in Goa Saint Fransis Saviours bodies
are also protected by applying proper oils.
Sri Ramanujar is given some names such as Udayavar Ramanujar, Yathirajar, Emperumaanar, when
he was in Melkottai, Karnataka district, his bhakthas and relatives kept a statue like him to
remember him and because of his memory. Its name is "Thamar Ugandha Thirumeni".
And then, he himself wanted to make a statue and ordered for it. Finally after seeing it, he
gave the approval for it and its called as "Thaan Ugandha Thirumeni" and it is kept in Sri
Perumbhutoor. (Thaney Aana Thirumeni).
All the devotees are said to wash their feets when going into the Sannadhi of Sri Ranganathar,
because the artistic works on Sri Ramanujar are found in the floors here.
Sri Desikar sung a song on Sri Ranganathars Paadhukai (feet) and its called as
"Paadhukasahesram". To appreciate this, he was given the name as "Kavitharkkitha simhan" by
the God itself and as "Sarvathantira Swathanthar" by pirattiyaar.
Sri Rangam is more special than Paarkadal and Vaikundam. It is called as "Bhooloka Vaikundam".
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