Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Mysore- Timings, How to Reach

Constructed by Tirumalaiya, the Ganaga chieftain in the 894 A.D., Ranganatha Swamy Temple is one of the main attractions in Srirangapatna, near Mysore. It is around 15 km away. A wonderful mix of Hoysala and Vijayanarad styles of architecture, the temple was later on extended by Hoysala rulers, Vijayanagara rulers, Wodeyars kinds of Mysore, and Hyder Ali.

Fort-like walls and a Gopuram with intricate carvings is the highlight of the architecture. The temple lies on the banks of River Kaveri and is dedicated to Lord Ranganath, a manifestation of Lord Vishnu.

Temple’s main entrance has four pillars with carvings of 24 manifestations of Vishnu, called Chaturvimsati.4.5 m long idol of Lord Ranganatah is in a reclining pose on Aadi Sesha, the sacred serpent with seven heads. At the foot of the Lord sits Goddess Lakshmi, his consort. It is supposed that this idol is the biggest statue of Lord Vishnu in the reclining form.

Architecture of the temple

The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is surrounded by Navaranga Mandapam. The primary goddess of this ancient temple is Goddess Ranganayaki. The temple complex has a number of other deities also including Rama, Narasimha, Ranganayaki, Sudarshana, Gopalakrishna, Panchamukha Anjaneya, and Srinivasa. One of the most important Vaishnavite shrines in South India, this temple is a wonderful proof of Hoysala and Vijaynagar architecture styles, offering a wonderful carving site.

The four guarding pillars of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Mysore has 24 forms of Lord Vishnu in a stunningly carved manner. It is believed that the rulers of Hoysala dynasty were huge connoisseurs of the art of carving and supported the artisans. This support can clearly be seen in the temple work. Temple’s parakaram has beautiful paintings depicting mythological events.

History and Festivals

After Ganaga chieftain Tirumalaiya, Vijayanagar, Wodeyar and Hoysala dynasty as well as Hyder Ali made great contributions to the construction of the temple building who made expansions.

According to mythology, River Kaveri on her course forms 3 huge islands- Shivanasamudra, Srirangapatna and Srirangam. There is a belief that those who pay homage to the three temples on these islands in one day will definitely attain salvation.

The main festival of this temple is Kotarothsava festival, dedicated to Lord Ranganatha, which is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Devotees from all across the region visit the temple during the festival.