Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is located in Srirangam island town near Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) in Tamil Nadu. The temple is dedicated to Lord Ranganatha, a reclining form of Lord Vishnu, and is considered the first and most important of the 108 Divya Desams (sacred Vishnu temples mentioned in the works of Alvar saints). The temple complex is enormous, covering about 156 acres, with multiple concentric enclosures, streets, and towering gopurams.

The temple developed over centuries under the Cholas, Pandyas, Hoysalas, and Vijayanagara rulers, which explains its massive architecture and fort-like layout. It contains 21 gopurams, including the Rajagopuram (236 ft) which is one of the tallest temple towers in Asia. Srirangam functions like a temple town, with houses, markets, and chariot streets inside its outer prakarams. The temple attracts large numbers of pilgrims during festivals like Vaikunta Ekadasi, when the special “Paramapada Vasal” gate is opened.