Sarangapani Temple Thanjavur

Shrine’s History

Sarangapani temple is considered third in the line of Srirangam and Tirupathi temples. The temple is revered in Divya Prabandham,the 7th?9th century Vaishnava canon, by Andal in one, Periyalvar in three, Bhoothathalvar in two, Thirumalisai Alvar in seven,Peialvar in two.

Legends Associated with This Shrine

As per Hindu legend, the Vaishnava deity, Sarangapani, an incarnation of Hindu god Vishnu, appeared for a sage Hema Rishi, who performed penance in the bank of Potramarai tank.The penance was performed to obtain Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, as his daughter. Vishnu was pleased by the penance and he wished the sage to get Lakshmi as his daughter. Lakshmi emerged from the Potramarai tank among thousand lotuses and was thus named Komalavalli. Vishnu descended to earth as Aravamudhan in a chariot drawn by horses and elephants from his abode Vaikuntam. He stayed in the nearby Someswaran Temple to woo Lakshmi to marry him and the couple eventually got married.The name Sarangapani derives from the Sanskrit word Sarangam meaning bow of Vishnu and pani meaning hand.

Architectural Relevance of This Shrine

Sarangapani is the largest Vishnu temple in Kumbakonam and has the tallest temple tower in the town. The temple is enshrined within a huge wall and the complex enshrines all the water bodies of the temple except the Potramarai tank. The rajagopuram has eleven tiers and has a height of 173 ft . There are five other smaller gopurams in the temple. The rajagopuram has figures depicting various religious stories. The temple faces east and the Potramarai tank is located outside the western entrance. The central shrine of the temple is in the form of a chariot drawn by horses and elephants, with openings on either side, showing the descent of Sarangapani from heaven in the chariot. There is a sculptural representation of the sage Hemarishi in the western part of the temple.The central shrine of the temple houses the image of Sarangapani in pallikonda posture, with his head resting on his right hand.

There are other images of sage Hemarishi, Lakshmi and festival images enshrined within the sanctum. There are two stepped entrances to the sanctum named as Utharayana Vaasal and Dhakshanayana Vaasal, each open for a six-month period. From 15 January to 15 July, Utharayanya Vaasal is opened while Dhakshanaya Vaasal is opened during the other half of the year. The Potramarai tank has a central hall called Hemarishi Mandapam The temple has two processional chariots carved out of wood stationed outside the rajagopuram. In Bharatanatyam, a South Indian dance form, 108 karanas form the basic movements. Some of these karanas are sculpted around the walls of the temple. Similar sculptures are found in the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur and Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram.

Shrine’s Map Location and How to Go There

By Road

There are regular government and private bus services to Chennai, Thanjavur, Mannargudi, Tiruchirapalli, Chidambaram, Nagapattinam, Coimbatore, Madurai, Pondicherry, and Tirunelveli.

By Rail

Kumbakonam is connected by rail with most important towns and cities in South India. The Mysore- Mayiladuthurai Express connects Kumbakonam with Mysore and Bangalore. There are regular express trains that connect Kumbakonam with major cities in the state like Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli.

By Air

The nearest international airport is at Tiruchirapalli, which is 91 km from Kumbakonam.

Shrine Timings

8 AM to 9 P.M

Events Celebrated at This Shrine

Akshaya Tritiyai April or May

Vasantotsavam May or June

Pavitrotsavam July or August

Sri Jayanthi August or September

Navaratri Utsavam September or October

Deepavali October or November

Deepa Utsavam November or December

Pongal December or January

Ratasaptami January or February

Masi Magaham February or March

Brahmmotsavam March April

Extra Information About this Shrine

Nearby Temple

Adi Kumbeswara Temple

Ramaswamy Temple

Chakrapani Temple

Kasi Viswanathar Temple

Nageswaran Temple

Someswar Temple

Swamimalai temple

Thiruvalanjuzhi Vinayakar Temple