Sarangapani Temple

Sarangapani Temple
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DistrictThanjavur
DeitySarangapani
(Vishnu)

Komalavalli Thayar
(Lakshmi)

Aravamuthar
Location
LocationKumbakonam
StateTamil Nadu
CountryIndia
Sarangapani Temple is located in Tamil Nadu
Sarangapani Temple
Shown within Tamil Nadu
Geographic coordinates10°57′34″N 79°22′29″E / 10.95944°N 79.37472°E / 10.95944; 79.37472
Architecture
TypeDravidian architecture
CreatorCholas

The Sarangapani Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, located in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham by the 12 poet saints, or Alvars.[1] This temple is along Kaveri and is one of the Pancharanga Kshetrams.[2]

The temple is one of the Pancha Kshethram where the goddess Lakshmi was born as Bhargavi- the daughter of Maharishi Bhrigu. The other four temples of the Pancha Kshethram are Sundararaja Perumal Temple, Salem, Oppiliappan temple, Nachiyar Koil and Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala.

The temple is believed to be of significant antiquity with contributions at different times from Medieval Cholas, Vijayanagara Empire and Madurai Nayaks. The temple is enshrined within a huge granite wall and the complex contains all the shrines and the water bodies of the temple. The rajagopuram (the main gateway) has eleven tiers and has a height of 173 ft (53 m). The Potramarai tank, the temple tank, is located opposite to the western entrance of the temple.

Sarangapani is believed to have appeared for sage Hemarishi. The temple has six daily rituals at various times from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and twelve yearly festivals on its calendar. The temple chariot festival is the most prominent festival of the temple, celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai (March–April). The twin temple chariots are the third-largest in Tamil Nadu, each weighing 300 t (660,000 lb).

  1. ^ M. S., Ramesh. 108 Vaishnavite Divya Desams: Divya desams in Malai Nadu and Vada Nadu. Tirumalai-Tirupati Devasthanam.
  2. ^ "Pancharanga Kshetrams". Indiantemples.com. Retrieved 20 June 2007.