Vishnu temple of Srirangam Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India

Located in the city of Tiruchirappalli, on a small island between branches of the rivers Kaveri and

Coleroon, stands the massive temple of Srirangam.

The most revered of the 108 pilgrimage shrines of Vishnu, and the largest temple complex in all of India,

it is surrounded by seven concentric walls (the outermost wall having a perimeter of over 3 kilometers)

and 21 towers called gopurams.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple complex is

composed of 7 concentric walled sections and

21 towers gopuram

The southern gopuram of the temple, called

the Rajagopuram, is 239.5 feet tall and, as of

2016, is the tallest in Asia. The construction of

the Rajagopuram began during the reign of

Achyuta Deva Raya of the Vijayanagara

Empire.

However, construction was halted after his

death and the structure of the Rajagopuram

remained incomplete for over 400 years. The

monumental task of completion of the

Rajagopuram was undertaken and completed

successfully by Sri Vedanta Desika Yatheendra

Mahadesikan, the 44th jeeyar of Sri Ahobila

Matha.

The construction spanned 8 years before it

was consecrated on 25 March 1987.

Sacred Sites of India Amarnath Cave, Kashmir

Buddhist Pilgrimage in India

The Golden Temple, Amritsar

Muruga Shrines of South India

Shakti Pitha Temples