Srirangam
Of course the most famous temples in South India are Madurai and Tirupati, but T-Bone had been to Madurai about a half dozen times before and Thirupati was geographically out of my range. And those two places are on routes for two different trips I have planned out for the future (I have a bunch of India trips worked out in my head, there's still 100 places I want to see.)
This trip we started out in Trichy and worked our way up to Madras. And we started off big at the Vaishnava Vishnu temple at Srirangam, its the largest temple complex in India and has the tallest Gopuram (gateway) too.
The 236 feet (72 m) tall gopuram at Srirangam. Pretty impressive huh?
Temple towns are just that, there are small towns inside the walled complexes. Srirangam has seven concentric walled sections each one inside the other, closing in towards the sanctum. The temple complex of Srirangam is huge, taking over 600 acres or a half mile square inside.
this is another gopuram inside the temple town and you can see another gopuram in the distance through the gateway. Motor vehicles are not allowed inside the temple town.
This is a detail from one of the gopurams showing lord Krishna (who is one of the incarnations of Vishnu) playing out one of the famous stories from his youth. The young Krishna has stolen the milk maiden's clothes while they were bathing. And here he sits in a tree teasing them as they plead for their clothes. (Chloe, this event took place at Vrindavan near Mathura!)
Incarnations of Vishnu, Narasimha (half-lion), Lord Rama (with bow), and Lord Krishna (with flute). To Ram's right is his (insepable brother Lakshmana (with folded hands) and to Ram's left is Sita. Above them are a couple erotic scenes.
One of the wooden "cars" used in festivals when the gods of the temple are driven in a circiut around the temple town.
This is the final gopuram on entering the main temple. On the bottom right of the picture sits Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu, and always proceeds him. When you see Garuda you know you are entering one of the abodes of Vishnu.
Next, inside the temple!
This trip we started out in Trichy and worked our way up to Madras. And we started off big at the Vaishnava Vishnu temple at Srirangam, its the largest temple complex in India and has the tallest Gopuram (gateway) too.
The 236 feet (72 m) tall gopuram at Srirangam. Pretty impressive huh?
Temple towns are just that, there are small towns inside the walled complexes. Srirangam has seven concentric walled sections each one inside the other, closing in towards the sanctum. The temple complex of Srirangam is huge, taking over 600 acres or a half mile square inside.
this is another gopuram inside the temple town and you can see another gopuram in the distance through the gateway. Motor vehicles are not allowed inside the temple town.
This is a detail from one of the gopurams showing lord Krishna (who is one of the incarnations of Vishnu) playing out one of the famous stories from his youth. The young Krishna has stolen the milk maiden's clothes while they were bathing. And here he sits in a tree teasing them as they plead for their clothes. (Chloe, this event took place at Vrindavan near Mathura!)
Incarnations of Vishnu, Narasimha (half-lion), Lord Rama (with bow), and Lord Krishna (with flute). To Ram's right is his (insepable brother Lakshmana (with folded hands) and to Ram's left is Sita. Above them are a couple erotic scenes.
One of the wooden "cars" used in festivals when the gods of the temple are driven in a circiut around the temple town.
This is the final gopuram on entering the main temple. On the bottom right of the picture sits Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu, and always proceeds him. When you see Garuda you know you are entering one of the abodes of Vishnu.
Next, inside the temple!