Friday, September 9, 2016

Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Namakkal

Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Namakkal
Ranganatha Swamy Temple is located right behind Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Temple on the other side of Namagiri. A flight of hundred stairs has to be climbed to access the temple. Lord Ranganatha is lying in the Karkodaya Sayana posture. He is resting on Karkodaka Snake. Karkodaka was a king of snakes. He performed penances in order to please Lord to rest on his coils and hence the Lord blessed him with his desire.

The face of the snake is like a fierce roaring lion. Lord Ranganatha is holding the chakra, conch, bow, arrow, mace and a sword. He has been surrounded by Narada rishi and Devas. The idol is 10’ long and 3’ wide with eyes wide open and two hands again a rare occurrence. Goddess Lakshmi’s shrine is located on the left side of the main temple.

The cave temple is believed to have been built by Pallavas. The roof is carved in a style as if it is made of bamboos. There are three entrances to the Ranganatha temple. The entrance in the middle is the one that is opened every day, while the other two entrances are opened only on Vaikunta Ekadesi day.
Temple Opening Time
Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple is open from 9:00 to 11:00 and 17:00 to 19:00.
Connectivity
The temple is 2 km from the Namakkal bus stop on the Rasipuram road. 
By Bus:
Buses are available for every 5minutes from Salem. Buses ply to cities in Tamil Nadu like Salem, Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai, Erode, Dindigul and Karur. Namakkal is connected to the rest of India through National Highway 7. Buses from Trichy, Madurai will pass through Namakkal to reach Salem and Bangalore.
By Train:
Nearest Railway Station is located at Salem which is approximately 54 Km.
By Air:
Nearest International Airport is Coimbatore International Airport located at a distance of 153 kms and Trichy located at a distance of 85 kms.