Ranganathaswamy Temple,
Shivanasamudra, Karnataka
Ranganathaswamy Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to
Lord Vishnu located at Shivanasamudra Town in Mandya District in
Karnataka State, India. The Temple is built in the Dravidian style of
architecture. While there are numerous Ranganatha temples in South India, and
many of those are located along the banks of river Cauvery, there are three
temples within the islands that are formed within the river itself. The temple
is one of a such three major temples that are built on three different islands
on the River Kaveri, the others being those at Srirangapatna (Adi
Ranga) and Srirangam (Anthya Ranga). The
Temple is also referred to as Madhya Ranga as it is situated between Srirangapatna and Srirangam. Among all the
three Rangas, the deity here is believed to represent the youth form of the God
and hence is also fondly referred to as 'Mohana Ranga' and 'Jagan Mohana
Ranga'.
Legends
For brief details, please refer below link;
History
The Ranganathaswamy Temple at Shivanasamudra dates back
to the Chola period with modifications by later rulers like the Hoysalas. The
most interesting thing about this temple is that the entire history of this
temple is carved on a pillar in the Someshwara Temple at Ulsoor in Bengaluru.
The Temple
This Temple is the smallest of all the Rangas. Presiding
Deity is called as Ranganathaswamy. The Deity housed in the sanctum represents
the youthful form of the God. Hence, he is called as 'Mohana Ranga' and 'Jagan
Mohana Ranga'. The Idol is about 8 feet in reclining posture. The main deity,
Jagan Mohana Ranganathaswamy is believed to be carved in black fossil stone
(Saligrama Shila). The idol isn’t as large and intimidating as the ones at
Srirangapatna or Srirangam but is equally beautiful.
The goddess Lakshmi is depicted as Kaveri, the personification
of the namesake river and sits near the feet of the reclining Vishnu. The
serpent has a seven-headed hood unlike the five-headed hood at Srirangapatna
and Srirangam. There is a separate shrine dedicated to the main deity’s
consort, Ranganayaki. There is also a small Utsava Mandapa in the temple
compound.
Outside the temple is a tall, four-pillared structure in
stone and further away along the same line of sight is a pillared mandapa which
is now used by the villagers to store their harvest and tie their cows. Both
these structures are neglected and need to be restored. There are shrines for Cauvery,
Takshaka, Ramanujacharya and Alwars in the Temple premises. There is also a
statue of Sugriva in the temple. Close to the temple is Gaganachukki and Bharachukki
falls. With the falls near the temple, it is the most picturesque of all the
Ranganatha temples.
Festivals
All Vaishnavite festivals are celebrated here with much
fanfare. On Vaikunta Ekadashi, the Alankara or decoration of Ranganatha with
pure butter is a treat to watch.
Religious Significance
The Lord Vishnu appears as Ranganatha, reclining on the
majestic Sesha, at three different locations on Bhooloka, on islands surrounded
by Cauvery. They are Srirangapatna, Shivanasamudra and Srirangam which are
known as Adiranga, Madhyaranga and Antya Ranga respectively. It is considered
highly auspicious if one can offer prayers to the Lord at all three locations
on the same day (Triranga
Darshana).
Connectivity
For brief details, please refer below link;
Location
