Pancharanga Kshetram's - Part 1 - Srirangapattana

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Srirangapattana

This island in the river Kaveri, is referred to as Goutama Kshetram and is located in the vicinity of Mysore. Srirangapatna enshrines Vishnu as Ranganatha in the Ranganathaswamy temple, which is said to date back to the period of the Ganga ruler Tirumalaiya of the 9th century CE.


The town takes its name from the celebrated Ranganathaswamy temple which dominates the town, making Srirangapattana one of the most important Vaishnavite centers of pilgrimage in south India. The temple was built by the Ganga dynasty rulers of the area in the 9th century; the structure was strengthened and improved upon architecturally some three centuries later. Thus, the temple is a medley of the Hoysala and Vijayanagar styles of temple architecture.

Tradition holds that all the islands formed in the Kaveri River are consecrated to Sri Ranganathaswamy, and large temples have been built in very ancient times dedicated to that deity on the three largest islands. These three towns, which constitute the main pilgrimage centers dedicated to Ranganathaswamy, are:

Adi Ranga - at Srirangapattana


Madhya Ranga - at Shivanasamudra


Antya Ranga - at Srirangam

The presence of the Kaveri River is in itself considered auspicious and sanctifying. The Paschima Vaahini section of the Kaveri at Srirangapattana is considered especially sacred; the pious come from far and wide to immerse the ashes of the departed and perform obsequies to their ancestors in these waters.

Srirangapatna is one of the Pancharanga Kshetras in the course of the river Kaveri. The other four are Srirangam near Tiruchirappalli, Tiruvindalur near Mayiladuturai, Kumbhakonam and Koyiladi near Tiruchirappalli all in Tamilnadu, along the Kaveri as the river meanders in an easterly direction. Srirangapatna is also known as Aadi Rangam, Srirangam as Antha Rangam and Sivasamudram in Karnataka as Madhyarangam.

This vast temple has an impressive gopuram and fort like walls and it exhibits a mixture of the Hoysala and Vijayanagar architectural styles. Ranganatha is portrayed as reclining on the bed of Aadi Sesha. Also enshrined are images of Gowtama muni and the river Kaveri. Ranganayaki Thaayaar is enshrined in the north west corner of the temple. There is also a shrine to Krishna here.

The Alwars and the Acharyas of the Sri Vaishnava tradition are also enshrined here. Also seen here are images of Srinivasa and Panchamukha Anjaneya, said to have been installed by Vyasaraya. The Chaturvimsati pillars in front of the inner entrance bear carvings of 24 forms of Vishnu.