Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangapatnam.

This is one of the important places in the History of India.
Srirangapatna, a town dedicated to Lord Sri Ranganatha is also referred to as Paschima Ranganatha Sannidhi by the locals. It was also the capital of the Rulers of Mysore, The Great Hyder Ali and His son Tippu Sultan Also referred to as ‘Tiger of Mysore’.

The main Tower in front of the Temple.

The Village is surrounded by the Waters of the River Cauvery. Sri Ranganatha swamy Temple is one of the most important pilgrimage centers for the vaishnavas. The temple is one of the largest in Karnataka, houses the Deity of Lord Vishnu resting under the Hood of the Snake ‘Adhi Shesha’. The snake has positioned itself in such a way that it has circled it’s body to make a bed and raised its hood to provide shelter to the Lord.

The deity of the Lord is very powerful in terms of faith. It is believed that Tippu Sultan often used to talk with the Lord Ranganatha himself. Though I had heard about this by my grandparents, I was curious to find anyone vouching for the facts. I was surprised when some locals whom I met agreed to the fact that Tippu and Ranganatha used to have conversations and that this was told to them by their ancestors. As I had mentioned in my earlier post that Tippu was a great believer of Lord Shiva, this was another incident of Tippu’s faith in and his devotion to the Lord.

It is also believed that there is Secret Passage from inside the Temple Leading directly to Tippu Sultan’s Palace. I heard locals saying that whenever Tippu wanted to talk to the Lord even in the middle of the nights, he could reach the Deity of the Lord through this Passage without being noticed by others.