Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna

 

During my visit to Karnataka, I had the privilege of visiting one such temple – Ranganathaswamy Temple Srirangapatna, Karnataka .The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Vishnu in the avatar of Ranganatha and thus the town gets its name from here. Located in historic town Srirangapatna. Inside the Srirangapatna Fort, the temple is situated on the banks of Kaveri River. This beautiful ancient temple situated about 14 km from Mysore, 5 km from Sri Nimishambha Temple, 3.5 km from Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, 18 km from Brindavan Gardens, 36 km from Somanathapura, and 125 km. from Bangalore.It falls in the Mandya district of Karnataka. Earlier it was known as Srirangpuri.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangapatna is considered as one of the five most important and sacred shrines devoted to Lord Vishnu. These sites are called Pancharanga Kshetram and are of very high religious importance. The presiding deity of this temple is the Adi Ranga, or the 'first Ranga'. The temple has a rich history associated with it and is visited by devotees from all over the world. It comes under the Archaeological Survey of India.

 (Idol of Pic taken from  Google Image)

The idol of Lord Ranganatha is seen in a reclining posture over the Sheshanaga. An inscription in the temple premises indicates that the shrine was first sanctified around 984 AD. Innumerable architectural intricacies make the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple an enthralling architectural marvel and must be included on your list of places to visit. The entrance of the temple is grandeur and inspiring. Its Gopuram means very good workmanship in the upper part. To reach the sanctum sanctorum, we had to go through a narrow path made of steel pipes. In the sanctum sanctorum, The main shrine consists of the idol of Lord Vishnu in a reclining posture. The idols sit the coils of the snake Adishesha Naag with seven hoods. There is an idol of Goddess Lakshmi at its feet. 

 

Also, you can see various smaller shrines inside the complex, such as those dedicated to Narasimha, Garuda, Gopalkrishna, and Hanuman. A golden layer statue of Garun Dev is also a centre of attraction here.

History of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple

As per one of the inscriptions, which are the oldest inscription on the temple complex Among them the main temple is that of Sri Ranganatha. The inner apartment of SriRanganatha temple was built in 817 A.D by a lady by name Hambi, of the class of dancers in the year 894 A.D. When a king of the Ganga dynasty was the ruler, a person by name Thirumalaraya got constructed the Navaranga mantap and the temple of Lord Thirumala(Srinivasa) at the left side portion of the great Mahadwara. In the year 1117 A.D when Sri Ramanuja came to this part after escaping from the chole country here a join by name Hoysala Bittideva was the ruler, Sri Ramanuja got him converted to a Vaishnava and named him Vishnuvardhana.

Architecture of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple

The Temple is also renowned for its fine architecture. Around 1210 AD, King Veera Ballala II of Hoysala Dynasty made some additions and renovations to the temple complex. These have been documented in various inscriptions on the structure. The structure also possesses intricate carvings signifying architecture of Vijayanagara Dynasty and the Mysore Kingdom (Wodeyar Kings).

 

The entrance of the temple has a striking tower and two huge Prakarams which is a very typical structure in Hindu architecture that forms the outer part of the temple, around the sanctum. There is a Mandapa (pavilion) lined by numerous intricately carved pillars that lead to the main shrine. The temple complex also consists of two more halls, one of which is the Mukhamandapa (the front hall) and a Sukhanasi (an Antechamber).

 

Built-in the Dravidian style, this temple is a marvelous specimen of Hoysala and Vijayanagara architecture. The Gorupam of the temple with fort-like walls and intricate carvings impressed me the most. It has 4 pillars with carvings of 24 avatars of Lord Vishnu called Chaturvimashti.

After Sri Jayachamarajendra wodeyar came to the throne these ustavas were being celebrated even up to 1953-54 and on the day of the ustavas that was being done in memory of the mummadi King the Courtiers vidwans and other important persons of the Palace would attend the celebrations.

The main festival of this temple is Kotarotsava, which is celebrated with great enthusiasm. In this, Lord Ranganath is adorned well. More and more people come from far and wide to witness this grand event. I feel a wonderful peace and relaxation in the temple

Tips for Visiting Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple

1. There is no dress code as such, but it is advisable to follow a conservative dress code.

2. The temple is visited by devotees all through the year, and there are long lines almost every day, but the temple gets extremely crowded during the weekends.

3. Garlands, flowers and other offerings can be bought from the kiosks outside the temple complex.

4. Carry enough water to keep yourself hydrated.

5. Mobile phones and cameras are not allowed inside the temple complex.

6. A decently large area nearby is used as parking space. Visitors can park their vehicles at minimal charges.

o reach here, you can take help of rail, road and air routes.

There are some small shops nearby where you can buy statues and a memento as a remembrance. Be careful not to negotiate.

Visitation time at the temple from 8 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm.

There is a lack of places to eat and drink around, so take some food and water.

Chamundi Hills-Mysore

 

Chamundi Hills: Early morning, Friday we went to Chamundi Hills, and the views from there were quite breath taking.. It has been named after the Goddess who was worshipped by Mysore Maharajas for centuries. Chamundeshwari (Durga) is the fierce form of Shakti who killed the demon Mahishasuran. The Hills stand tall measuring about 3,489 feet above sea level and look down upon Mysuru city from a height of about 800 feet above.. This temple is located at the highest point in the temple.

 

 

The temple of goddess Chamundeshwari is a Shakti Peetha or powerful energy centres, and one of the eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas of the world. It is also called Krouncha Peetham because the area where it is located was known by the name of Krouncha Puri in the Vedic Era.

 

The temple history:-

Skanda Purana, the holy ancient texts, talks of a pious place known as Trimuta Kshetra which is believed to be enclosed by eight hills and Chamundi Hills is believed to be one of those eight sacred hills. Long ago, the hill was also known as Mahabaladri to adulate Lord Shiva who is worshipped in the Mahabaleswara Temple, the oldest shrine situated atop the eight holy hills in the region. Later, however, the hill was renamed as Chamundi Hills to honour, Goddess Chamundi, one of the main protagonists of the Devi Mahatmayam. Goddess Chamundi is a manifestation of Devi Parvati, the divine spouse of Shiva. The temple of Goddess Chamundi possesses supreme powers to grant boons, therefore, every year a score of people take a pilgrimage to the shrine across Karnataka and the whole of India.

 

A great legacy of Karnataka, the 1000-plus year-old shrine of Chamundeshwari was initially small-sized. Its fame spread far and wide when the Wodeyar clan took over the reign of the kingdom of Mysuru in 1399 A.D. Due to their fondness for Devi worship, the Wodeyars accepted Goddess Chamundeshwari as their guardian deity. In 1659, a steep staircase having one thousand steps was built to reach the 3000-feet high hills where the shrine is located.

Art and architecture:-

The gem in the crown of Mysuru, Chamundi Hills, is like heaven itself. Its forests are rich in fauna, flora and avifaunal wealth. As for the architecture of the Chamundi temple, it is a quadrangular edifice constructed as per Dravidian style. It has a main door, an entrance, Navranga Hall, Antharala Mantapa, Sanctum Sanctorum, and Prakara.

 

An enchanting seven-tier Gopura (pyramidal tower) is located at the entrance and a Vimana (small tower) can be seen on top of the sanctum sanctorum. Onto the Shikhara (the tower at the entrance) are placed seven golden kalasha (sacred urns).

Krishnaraja Wodeyar III renovated the temple in 1827 A.D and the blessed king also installed a Sinha-vahana (mount of lion), cars for the deities and loads of other valuables to the temple. The cars donated by the king are still used during special religious occasions and grand events.

The Gopuram of the temple has an image of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, on the silver-plated doorway. The doorway is flanked by the Dwarpalakas (divine doorkeepers). On stepping inside the temple, a small statue of Lord Ganesha is kept. After walking a few steps, a flagstaff of the Goddess, her footprints and a small statue of Nandi can be seen in front of the sanctum sanctorum. Also, an image of Lord Hanuman can be seen close to the holy chamber. The twin Dikpalakas – Nandini and Kamalini are also present at the entrance. Before the sanctum sanctorum, a statue of Lord Bhairon, a manifestation of Lord Shiva, is also visible. A 6-feet-long statue of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III along with his three queens namely Ramavilasa, Lakshmivilasa and Krishnavilasa is also present in the shrine.

The sanctum sanctorum houses a stone image of Durga in a seated pose and having eight-hands. Legend has it that the image was enthroned by the immortal sage Markandeya. An image of Sri Chakra, which symbolises the Great Goddess herself, is also worshipped in the temple.

 

In the premises of the shrine, there is a statue of Nandi, the divine bull and mount of Lord Shiva. It is a beautiful, gigantic, black granite statue of Nandi on the 800th step on the hillock in front of a Shiva shrine situated quite close-by. The statue of Nandi is 15 feet high, 24 feet long and is wearing a garland of lovely bells around its neck.

 

 

Avoid Fridays and weekends to visit the temple, as it can get really crowded.  We stuck up for 3 hrs in Queue .try to visit the temple as early as possible, before the crowds arrive. There are special entry tickets available which help you jump the queue, but even this can entail a long wait once the crowd turns up.

The crowning glory of Mysuru, Sri Chamundeshwari Temples is an enchanting place surrounded by natural beauty.