About Srirangapatna Temple Or Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple Srirangapatna
Srirangapatna, in Mandya district, is the site of the celebrated Sri Ranganathaswamy temple. The presiding deity, Sri Ranganatha Swamy, is a manifestation of Vishnu. He is reclining on His snake couch, Adisesha, with Goddess Cauvery at His feet. Also in the sanctum is sage Gowtama. The idol is said to be the longest reclining form of Vishnu in Karnataka. Srirangapatna, which derives its name from the Lord, is an island on the Cauvery. Built by the Ganga chieftain, Tirumalaraya, in 894 CE, the temple was later expanded by the Hoysalas, the Vijayanagar monarchs, the Maharajas of Mysore, and Hyder Ali.
Srirangapatna was the capital of Hyder Ali and his son, Tipu Sultan, and the site of their island fortress. Sri Ranganatha temple, however, continues to be as popular as it was before, during, and after Tipu's time. The temple is one of the biggest shrines in Karnataka, and is an amalgalam of the hoysala-Vijayanagar style of architecture.
Srirangapatna is one of the Pancha Ranga kshetras along the course of the Cauvery. The kshetras are dedicated to Sri Ranganathaswamy, the reclining form of Lord Vishnu. The other four are in Srirangam and Koyiladi, both near Tiruchi. Tiruvindalur, near Mayaladuthurai, and Sri Saranagapani temple in Kumbakonam.
The five-tiered Rajagopuram is in the south Indian style, while the massive walls of the temple resemble a fortress. There are a number of sub-shrines here, chief among them being that of the Divine Consort, Sri Ranganayaki Thayaar, in the northwest corner. There are also shrines for Srinivasa, Narasimha, Hanuman, Rama, Gopalakrishna, etc. The 24 manifestations of Vishnu are carved on four pillars at the main entrance. They belong to the Vijayanagar period while the pillars in the courtyard have the stamp of the Hoysala times. The large, granite Garuda stambha belongs to the late Vijayanagar period. On the front elevation are the different avatar of Vishnu in niches.
Srirangapatna Temple Timings
Srirangapatna Temple Timings: Morning: 7.30 am to 1.30 pm Evening: 4.00 pm to 8.00 pm.
How to Reach Srirangapatna
Srirangapatna is 33km from Mandya, and 20km from Mysore. Srirangapatna railway station is near the temple Most express trains and all passenger trains stop here. Mysore is the nearest airport.
Accommodation: There are quite a few hotels around the bus station, but with arbitrary check out timings. Mysore is a better option.