Sarangapani Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and it is located in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered in Nalayira Divya Prabandham by the 12 poet saints, or Alwars. This temple is along Kaveri and is one of the Pancharanga Kshetrams. The temple is believed to be of significant antiquity with contributions at different times from Medieval Cholas, Vijayanagar Empire and Madurai Nayaks.
Legend
As per legend, sage Hema Rishi performed penance in the bank of Potramarai tank to obtain Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, as his daughter. pleased by his penance Lord Vishnu wished the sage to get Lakshmi as his daughter. Lakshmi emerged from the Potramarai tank among thousand lotuses and was thus named Komalavalli (the one who emerged from lotus). 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 convince Lakshmi to marry him and the couple eventually got married. The name Sarangapani (“one who has the bow in his hand”) derives from the Sanskrit word Sarangam meaning bow of Vishnu and pani meaning hand.
Architecture
The temple is enshrined within a huge granite wall and the complex contains all the shrines and the water bodies of the temple. The rajagopuram (the main gateway) has eleven tiers and has a height of 173 ft (53 m). The Potramarai tank, the temple tank, is located opposite to the western entrance of the temple. 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.
Temple Timings:
The temple is open from 7:00 A.M to 12:30 P.M and from 4:30 P.M to 9:00 P.M.
Pooja Timings
The temple rituals are performed six times a day;
- Tiruvanandal at 8:00 a.m.,
- Kala santhi at 9:00 a.m.,
- Uchikalam at 12:30 p.m.,
- Ntiyanusandhanam at 6:00 p.m.,
- Irandamkalam at 7:30 p.m. and
- Ardha Jamam at 9:00 p.m.
Festivals
The major festivals celebrated in this temple are
- Chithirai Utsav is an annual celebration celebrated during the Tamil month of Chittirai (April – May)
- Vaikasi Vasantha Utsav during Vaikasi (May – June)
- Vaikuntha Ekadashi during Margazhi
- Makara Sankranthi in January
- Masi Magaham – Float Festival during Masi (February – March)
Also, Sri Jayanthi – Uriyadi Utsavam during Avani (August – September), Navaratri Utsavam – Saraswathi Puja – Vijayadasami during Purattasi (September – October), Deepavali – Shraddha of Sri Lakshmi Narayanaswami during Aippasi (October – November), Deepa Utsavam – Unjal Utsavam during Karthigai (November – December) are celebrated in this temple.
How to reach
By Air
The nearest airport Trichy airport is 100 Km away from the temple.
By Rail
The nearest railway station Kumbakonam railway station is 3 Km away from the temple.
By Bus
Regular bus services are available from Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Bangalore and other major cities to Kumbakonam and the temple.
