Sarangapani Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Tiruchirappalli International Airport is the nearest commercial airport, about 91 km away.

• By train

  Kumbakonam railway station has rail connections across South India, including the Mysore-Mayiladuthurai Express to Mysuru and Bengaluru.

• By road

  National Highway 36 passes through the town. Thanjavur is about 40 km away and Chennai about 282 km.

Why devotees come here

Sarangapani Temple stands along the Kaveri river in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. Vishnu is worshipped here as Sharngapani, and the temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams. In religious order it ranks next only to Srirangam and Tirupati among Srivaishnavite Divya Desams.

Sarangapani Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams, the Vishnu temples praised in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by the 12 Alvars. It is counted among the Pancharanga Kshetrams. Legend says Vishnu appeared here to the sage Hemarishi. Another legend says Lakshmi rose from the Potramarai tank among a thousand lotuses and was named Komalavalli.

The earliest inscriptions here date to the late Chola period, between the 10th and 12th centuries. Vijayanagara and Nayaka rulers expanded the structure from the 15th to the 17th centuries. The temple and its Rajagopuram were later renovated extensively. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Tamil Nadu government now maintains and administers the temple.

The rajagopuram, the main gateway, has eleven tiers and stands 173 ft (53 m) tall. The central shrine is shaped like a chariot drawn by horses and elephants. The sanctum is approached through a hall of 100 pillars. The temple car is 102 feet tall, one of the largest in Asia.

Festivals

• Chittirai (March-April)Chithirai chariot festival

  The most prominent festival of the temple. Devotees pull the temple chariots around the streets, a practice that has continued across centuries.

• Masi (February-March)Masi Magaham

  A float festival held during Masi.

Tips for your visit

• The temple lies north of Big Street, and it is one of five Vishnu temples linked to the Mahamaham festival.
• Come during Chithirai if you want to see the temple car pulled, since hundreds of devotees take part.
• The sanctum has two entrances, each open for a six-month period.

Questions people ask