South India · Tamil Nadu
Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
Sources: wikimedia
Before you go
Srirangam is the first and foremost of the 108 Divya Desams; Vaikunta Ekadashi (Dec-Jan), when the Paramapada Vasal opens, is the peak.
About Tiruchirappalli
- Riverside
Where it is
Tiruchirappalli, or Trichy, is a city on the Kaveri river in central Tamil Nadu, about 320 km south-west of Chennai, with the temple island of Srirangam lying between the Kaveri and the Kollidam.
History
Uraiyur, now part of the city, was a capital of the early Chola kings, and the Pallavas cut cave temples into the Rockfort in the late 6th or early 7th century. Later ruled by the Cholas, Pandyas and Vijayanagara, it served as a capital of the Nayaks of Madurai in the 17th and 18th centuries, was fought over in the Carnatic Wars, and passed to the British in 1801.
People
Trichy speaks Tamil and is an industrial, educational and railway centre, home to heavy engineering works as well as colleges and temples. Vaikunta Ekadashi at Srirangam, when the Paramapada Vasal is opened, draws vast crowds of pilgrims.
Known for
- The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam
- The Rockfort and Ucchi Pillayar Temple
- Jambukeswarar Temple, the water linga
- The Kallanai dam on the Kaveri
- Samayapuram Mariamman Temple
Did you know?
Srirangam's Ranganathaswamy temple, set on an island in the Kaveri and spread over about 156 acres, is often cited as the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world.
Shrines and sites
- Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam
- Jambukeswarar Temple at Thiruvanaikaval
- Rockfort Temple
- Samayapuram Mariamman Temple
Traditions
- Hindu
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