SRIRANGAM

N. Ramakrishna

The sacrcd shrines sung of by the Alwars (Vaishnavite Saints) are 108 in number. These Vishnu Temples are called' Divya Desams. The foremost among them is Sri Rangam. It is a famous shrine of all-India importance. North Indians who go to Rameswaram do not fail to visit this place. It is in Tiruchirapalli District of Tamil Nadu. There is a railway station of the same name on the Tiruchirapalli - Villupuram Chord Line of the Southern Railway. The temple is situate half-a-mile from the Railway Station. Buses ply from Tiruchirapalli town and Railway Junction. 

"Srirangam " is composed of two words, Sri' and 'Arangam '. ' Sri' means beautiful. The land lying between two rivers which is in the form of an island is called "Arangam". This Kshetram lies between the rivers Cauvery and Coleroon. 

The traditional account of how the temple at, Srirangam came to be established is interesting. Sri Ratna, king of Ayodhya, gave permission to Vibhishana to remove Sri Ranga Vimana with Sri Ranganatha to Lanka with the express condition that it should not be put down anywhere on the way. But when Vibhishana reached the island of Srirangam he was forced by circumstances to entrust it to a Brahmin lad for a few moments. As Vibhishana exceeded his allotted time of absence the Brahmin boy put it on the ground. On return Vibhishana tried to lift it but as it had already got firmly rooted to the ground he could not do so. He got angry with the youth and chased him. The youth was no other than Vigneswara who came in disguise. This is the Vinayaka for whom a shrine had been built on the top of Tiruchirapalli Rock-Fort. Malik Kafur invaded South India in the 14th Century and captured Tiruchirapalli. Fearing destruction at their hands the priests of Srirangam Temple removed the deity to Tirupati via Thirunarayanapuram in Karnataka and kept it at Tirupati for some time. After the Mahomedans left Tiruchirapalli, it was thought safe to bring the deity back to Srirangam. This was done by Gopanna, the chief of Gingee, a vassal of the Vijayanagar King Kampanna II. Gopanna took the image from Tirupati and kept it in the Hill Temple of Singavaram near Gingee for some days and then brought it to Srirangam and re-installed it in the temple after performing the consecration ceremony. This was done in A.D. 1371-72. So says Guruparampara Prabhava, a Vaishnavite work of great renown. An inscription in the temple also testifies to this fact. 

The temple lies in the middle of the island town of Srirangam. All the essentials necessary for the construction of temples according to Silpa Sastras have been observed in the building up of Srirangam Temple. There are seven prakaras (inner circles) in the temple apparently representing the seven worlds. The Vimana over the sanctum sanctorum is called the Pranava Vimana representing the Ashtakshara. 

There are as many as 21 gopuras (towers) in the temple of which the Villai Gopuram in the east is the tallest being 165 feet high. The seven prakaras in the temple have been named after the persons who constructed them. There are many inner shrines in the temple. Those for the Garuda, Hanuman, Sriranga Nachiar (Goddess) and Alwars are important. The image of Sri Ramanuja, the great Vaishnavite philosopher who spent his last days here, is also worth seeing. 

Architecturally the temple of Srirangam is unique among the great temples of South India. The Sculptures found in the temple are some of the finest. The 1000 pillared mantapa, Horse Court, Garuda Mantapa, Ranga Vilasam, Vasantha Mantapa, the mirror room are worth seeing. Sri Ranganatha in the Sanctum - Sanctorum in the lying posture is a charming idol of great beauty and grace. 

Except Madhurakavi Alwar, all the other eleven Alwars (the Vaishnavite Saints) have sung about this holy shrine and God Sri Ranganatha. No other temple has got this unique honour. References to the greatness of this place abound in Tamil Literature starting from the Sangam works of the early Christian era down to the present day. Silappathikaram, a great Tamil epic beautifully describes the Sayana (lying posture) of Sri Ranganatha. Kambar, the great Tamil poet, had the rehearsal of his Ramayana done in this temple. The incidents connected with the lives of two Vaishnavite Saints, Sri Andal and Tiruppan Alwar, reveal the glory of this temple. Sri Andal of Srivilliputhur, daughter of Perialwar, made a vow that she would marry only Lord Ranganatha and none else. Her desire was fulfilled. Tiruppan Alwar was a Harijan. As a Harijan he could not, in those days, enter the temple. He used to worship Lord Ranganatha standing at a distance and sing devotional songs. Sri Ranganatha in order to bless this devotee appeared in the dream of a priest and asked him to carry the Harijan Saint on his shoulders to His very presence in the temple. It was done and that Saint attained bliss. 

There are a large number of inscriptions in the temple which range from the 9th century to 16th century. They belong to the periods of Chola, Pandya, Chera, Hoysala and Vijayanagar dynasties. They relate to large endowments made for the maintenance of daily worship, performance of festivals, upkeep of flower gardens, singing of devotional songs etc. 

The Vaikunta Ekadasi Festival in the Tamil month of Margali (December-January) attracts large crowds.