Ranganathaswamy Temple

The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple or Thiruvarangam is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha, a reclining form of the Hindu deity Maha Vishnu, located in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India. Constructed in the Dravidian Architecture, this temple is glorified by Alvars in their Divya Prabhanda and has the unique distinction of being not only being the foremost among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu. it is also the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world. The temple occupies an area of 155 acres with 81 shrines, 21 towers, 39 pavilions, and many water tanks integrated into the complex making it the world’s largest functioning Hindu temple. The temple town is a significant archaeological and epigraphical site, providing a historic window into the early and mid medieval South Indian society and culture. The temple complex has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is in UNESCO’s tentative list.