history of rangnathan swami temple in tamil nadu

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple Srirangam Tamil Nadu Tourist Attraction Place 

 About :- Tiruchirappalli - about the city

Tiruchirapalli is home to Nagaraj Cholan and many historic temples, monuments, churches and mosques. Uraiyur(also pronounced as Oraiyur) which is the Old Tiruchy has a long tradition. With over 2,500 years of known history, it was the capital of the early Cholas. The oldest man made dam Kallanai was built by Karikala Cholan across the river Kaveri about 10 miles from Uraiyur. It was an important town in the days of the later Cholas, Nayaks as well as during the early days of the British East India Company. The Madurai Nayak rulers changed their capital from Madurai to Tiruchirapalli and back several times. The conquest of Tiruchirapalli by the British East India Company marked a major step in the British conquest of India.


One famous landmark in Tiruchirapalli is the Rock Fort, a huge outcrop of rock of 83 metres high, which is the only outcrop in the otherwise flat land of the city. For this reason, the city is also called Rock City. On top of the rock is the Ucchi Pillayar Koil, a temple dedicated to the Indian God Vinayaka (Ganesha), from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of Tiruchirapalli. The temple was also used as a military fort by the Nayaks for some time. On the southern face of the rock are several beautifully carved cave temples of the Pallava period. On to the eastern side is Sri Nandrudayan Vinayakar Temple, with the powerful Lord Ganesha as the main deity. A big sized Ganesha and other rare deities can be seen in this temple, which hosts festivals every year during the Vinayaka Chathurthi ( birthday of the Lord) and many carnatic musicians and stalwarts have given musical concerts over 70 years in this famous shrine. Around the rock temple is a busy commercial region, specializing in textiles, known as Chatram. The Main Guard Gate is flooded on festive occasions such as Diwali,{Ramzan},(Bakrid) Christmas and Pongal. Trichy is famous for the number of churches in India . It has the most number of chapels in India. The most famous of them are The Holy Redeemer's Church, Lourdes Church and The Cathedral.

Trichy also famous for Arcot Nawab masjid (one of the oldest one) with a huge water storage tank (Ahil). Fort also still exist nearby masjid. This city is famous for various culture where all the faith people enjoy the peace and prosperity.

About Temple


The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple or Tiruvarangam Tamil: is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha, a form of rest of the Hindu deity Vishnu located in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. Built in the Dravidian style of architecture, this temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil literature canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th to 9th centuries AD and is counted as the first and foremost among the Divya Desams 108 dedicated to Vishnu.

It is one of the most illustrious Vaishnava temples of South India rich in stories. Its location, on an island in the river Cauvery, has made it vulnerable to natural disasters, as well as rampant invading Muslim armies - and European - who kidnapped repeatedly military campsite. The main entrance, known as the Rajagopuram (the royal temple tower), rises from the base area of about 13 cents (about 5,720 square feet) and up to 237 feet (72 m), up to eleven levels progressively smaller. The annual 21-day festival held during the Tamil month of Margazhi (December-January) attracts 1 million visitors. Srirangam temple is often listed as the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world, the largest yet Angkor Wat is the largest temple exists.  The temple occupies an area of 156 acres (631,000 m²) with a perimeter of 4,116 m (10,710 feet) making it the largest temple in India  and one of the largest religious complexes the world.


History of Sri Ranganathar Temple - Srirangam.


Srirangam is the foremost of the eight self-manifested shrines (Swayam Vyakta Kshetras) of Lord Vishnu . It is also considered the first, foremost and the most important of the 108 main Vishnu temples (Divyadesams). This temple is also known as Thiruvaranga Tirupati, Periyakoil, Bhoologa Vaikundam, Bhogamandabam. In the Vaishnava parlance the term "KOIL" signifies this temple only. The temple is enormous in size. The temple complex is 156 acres in extent. It has seven prakaras or enclosures. These enclosures are formed by thick and huge rampart walls which run round the sanctum. There are 21 magnificent towers in all prakaras providing a unique sight to any visitor. this temple lies on an islet formed by the twin rivers Cauvery and Coleroon.

The temple of Sri Ranganathaswami at Srirangam boasts an historic past of great kingdom and a civilization thousands of years old. The reign of the Pallavas was marked by the creation of a solid religious foundation, for example the encouragement given by the dynasty appears to have contributed to the growth of Aryan institutions in Southern India more particularly in the Carnatic. Cholas reigned for about three hundred years over the Coromandel Coast and the greater part of Eastern Deccan, where they helped an advanced Hindu Culture to flourish.

The cholas were defeated in the thirteen century by the Pandyas of Madurai and Hoysalas of Mysore. Hoysalas had taken particular interest in the building of the Temple of Srirangam, leaving behind both the inscriptions and buildings. The Hoysalas were then driven away by the Pandyas in the early part of fourteenth Century. Later, the Mohammedans began frequently raiding the Deccan facing strong resistance from the Hindu Kingdom, which was established in Vijayanagar in 1336. The Kingdom maintained its independence until 1565.

During this time, the Europeans had appeared in the south of India. In the sixteenth century a number of foreign travelers and traders passed through but taking least interest in the hinterland except for the routes it provided for their trade with the Kingdom of Vijayanagar. In 1600, the English East India Company was formed, and 1664 the French company.

In 1680, King Aurangazeb (1658-1707), launched a campaign in western Deccan. After long sieges and a great loss of life, the fortress cities of Bijapur and Golconda fell to him, and the campaign lasted until his death.

In Europe, however, the war of Austrian succession set the English and the French at each other’s throats. Duplex captured Madras (1746), which was given back to the English two years later. The French were forced to surrender in 1752 and Duplex was disavowed and recalled in 1754.

In 1760, a further French attempt, led by Lally-Tollendal, was unsuccessful and the French trading post was dismantled in 1763. From then on, the English Company gradually annexed the whole of the territory of India. Though the French came near to victory, later on they were defeated in 1798 by the English led by Wellessley and who invaded Mysore and in 1799 captured the fortress of Srirangapatnam. There after all of the Southern India came under the supremacy of England. The Carnatic was included in the direct administration of the Madras Presidency where it remained.

 

Places to see in & around Srirangapatna


How to Reach 


Srirangapatna is an island fortress-city is of great religious, cultural and historic importance. It is situated about 14 Kms. from Mysore and 125 Kms. from Bangalore. Srirangapatna is nestled in the banks of river Cauvery is about 3 Kms. in length and one Km. in breadth. The town derives its name from the presiding deity of Ranganatha Swamy temple situated at the western end of the island in the Cauvery River.

For a short while the city of Srirangapatna was the capital of the Mysore state, while Tipu Sultan was ruling Mysore. After the death of Tipu Sultan in 1799 the British shifted the capital back to Mysore. The town, temples, mosque and other historical monuments are surrounded by a strong stone fort with four gates. There are remains of Tipu’s palace known as Lal Mahal, a Water Gate, two Dungeons, one at the north-east corner of the fort, another to the east of Delhi gate.