Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple - Srirangapatna

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, a well-known temple devoted to Lord Vishnu as Ranganatha, is located in Srirangapatna and approximately 500 meters from Srirangapatna Railway Station. One of the biggest temples in Karnataka is protected as a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India and is situated inside the Srirangapatna Fort on the banks of the Kaveri River.

One of the most significant Vaishnavite shrines in South India and a must-see attraction in Srirangapatna is Ranganathaswamy Temple. The temple is one of the Pancharanga Kshetras, along with the Parimala Ranganathaswamy Temple in Mayiladuthurai, the Appakudathan Temple in Trichy, the Sarangapani Temple in Kumbakonam, and the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam. Other names for Srirangapatna include Aadi Rangam, Anthya Rangam, and Sivasamudram in Karnataka as Madhyarangam.

According to history, the sanctum of Lord Ranganatha is said to have been built in 817 AD by Ambi, a dancer. The temple was built by Thirumalaraya in 894 AD, a vassal of the Ganga dynasty. In the early 12th century, Hoysala King Vishnuvardhana granted the village of Srirangapatna to the Vaishnava saint Ramanujacharya as an agraharam. With time, the temple has seen renovations and additions made by the Hoyasalas, Vijayanagara kings, and Wodeyars of Mysore. This temple was also highly revered by Hider Ali and Tipu Sultan.

According to mythology, The River Cauvery accumulated all the sins from the devotees who took a holy dip in the river. Cauvery undertook severe penance and sought the help of Lord Vishnu. The Lord was pleased with her devotion and appeared here in the form of Ranganatha. On seeing the Lord, Cauvery fell at his feet and was relieved of the accumulated sins. Hence one can see Goddess Cauvery at the feet of Sri Ranganatha Swamy in this temple.

The temple architecture is very famous because it is a blend of Hoysala and Vijayanagara architectures. The large temple premises are enclosed by huge walls. It consists of a Mahadwara with a huge tower followed by a mukha mandapa, maha mandapa and Garbhagriha. The four pillars at the main entrance have the cravings of the 24 forms of Vishnu. The ceiling of the Mukha mandapa is decorated with niches containing stucco images of Lord Vishnu.

In the sanctum, the image of Vishnu reclining on the seven-hooded Adishesha with his consort Lakshmi at his feet. This idol is supposed to be the biggest statue of Vishnu in the reclining form in Karnataka. There is a separate shrine for Goddess Ranganayaki, the consort of Ranganatha. There are other smaller shrines within the complex dedicated to Narasimha, Gopalakrishna, Srinivasa, Hanuman, Garuda, and the Alwar saints.

The most famous festival that is celebrated at Srirangapatna Temple is Makar Sankranti.

It is one of the larger Dravidian temples in Karnataka

The reclining posture statue is said to be the largest statue of its kind in the state of Karnataka.

God Ranganatha has self-manifested himself in three places in the East at Srirangam, in the south at Ananthashayanam, and west at Srirangapatna. At these three places, the idols are Swayam Vyaktha Moorthies. 

Temple Timings 

7.00 am to 1.30 pm 

4.00 pm to 8.00 pm 

How to reach 

25 km from Mysore

Nearby Temples

Kannambadi, Sri Venugopala Swamy Temple – 25 km

Melukote, Sri Yoga Narasimha Swamy Temple – 38 km

Melukote, Sri Chaluvanarayana Swamy Temple – 38 km

Hosaholalu, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Temple – 42 km.