The History of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam

Set on a sacred island in the Kaveri, encircled by that river and its tributary the Kollidam, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam is revered as the foremost among the 108 Divya Desams — the holiest shrines of Vaishnavism — and is regarded by many as the spiritual headquarters of Sri Vaishnavism itself. It has been glorified across centuries in the hymns of the twelve Alwar poet-saints, and is known to devotees as Bhooloka Vaikuntham, Vishnu's own heaven brought down to earth. What follows is the temple's story, as it has come down through legend, inscription, and unbroken tradition.