Aura of India: India's Largest Temples: Srirangam, Thanjavur and How to Visit

Painted gopurams of the Srirangam temple, one behind another

Photo: Writer hit, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons

Srirangam, on an island in the Kaveri, at the hour the gates open.

Some of India's temples are not buildings so much as towns, with streets, shops and houses inside their walls.

A town inside seven walls

The Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam, near Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, is often called the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world. It spreads over about 150 acres, enclosed by seven walls, one inside another. The outer rings hold streets, homes, markets and tea shops; only the inner rings are the temple proper. The great gateway tower at the entrance, finished in 1987, is visible from far across the river plain.

Scale in stone

At Thanjavur, the Brihadisvara temple is large in another way. Its tower, completed around 1010 under the Chola king Rajaraja I, rises more than sixty metres in dressed granite, and its great Nandi is carved from a single stone. At Tiruvannamalai, the Annamalaiyar temple covers about 25 acres at the foot of the sacred Arunachala hill; each year at Karthigai Deepam, a huge lamp is lit on the summit. In Madurai, the Meenakshi temple's gateway towers are covered in thousands of painted figures.

North and east

The Jagannath temple at Puri, in Odisha, stands behind high walls in the middle of the town, and every summer its deities are pulled through the streets on enormous wooden chariots during the Rath Yatra. In Delhi, the Akshardham complex, opened in 2005, is a modern temple of pink sandstone and white marble set in wide gardens. At Vrindavan, the white marble Prem Mandir glows under coloured lights after dark.

Visiting

Large temples take time: allow half a day at Srirangam or Madurai. Shoes are left at the gate, shoulders and knees are covered, and in many southern temples the innermost shrine is open only to Hindus. Photography is usually allowed in outer courtyards and banned inside. Early morning and late evening are cooler, quieter, and the best times to hear the temple at work.

How big is Srirangam?

In India’s submission to UNESCO’s tentative list, the Ranganathaswamy temple covers 156 acres, about 63 hectares. It has seven concentric walled enclosures, called prakarams. The inner five are the temple; the outer two are the town, with streets, houses and shops. There are twenty-one gopurams, or gateway towers. The tallest, the south Rajagopuram, is 236 feet, about 72 metres, with thirteen tiers. Its base was laid under the Vijayanagara kings, and the tower stood unfinished for some four hundred years before it was completed and consecrated in 1987.

Angkor Wat in Cambodia covers more ground, but it is no longer a working temple. That is why Srirangam is often called the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world. Across the river channel, at Thiruvanaikaval, the Jambukeswarar temple is a short auto ride away and can be seen on the same day.

Planning a temple route

The great Tamil temples sit close together. Srirangam and Thiruvanaikaval are on the edge of Tiruchirappalli. Thanjavur’s Brihadisvara temple is about an hour’s drive east, and the Meenakshi temple in Madurai about three hours south. Tiruvannamalai is further north, closer to Chennai. A week covers all four comfortably; see our guide to Tamil Nadu.

Puri and Delhi are separate journeys. At Puri, the Jagannath temple admits only Hindus; others can see into the enclosure from the roof of the Emar Matha building near the east gate. At Akshardham in Delhi, everyone is welcome, entry is free, and the main restriction is on what you carry: phones, cameras and bags are deposited at the gate.

Temples to know

Ranganathaswamy temple, Srirangam: seven walls and a town inside.
Brihadisvara temple, Thanjavur: the Chola tower, about a thousand years old.
Annamalaiyar temple, Tiruvannamalai: at the foot of Arunachala hill.
Meenakshi temple, Madurai: painted gateway towers.
Jambukeswarar temple, Thiruvanaikaval: Srirangam's neighbour, dedicated to Shiva.
Jagannath temple, Puri: home of the Rath Yatra.
Akshardham, Delhi: a modern temple in stone and gardens.

At Srirangam, you pass through the first gate and are still, for a long while, only in the street.

Plan your visit

Entry fee	Free at Srirangam, Thanjavur, Tiruvannamalai, Madurai, Puri and Akshardham. Special-darshan tickets and camera fees vary by temple; check at the gate.
Opening hours	Srirangam: darshan from 6 am to 9 pm, with breaks from 7:15 to 9 am, 12:30 to 2:15 pm and 5:30 to 7 pm; the temple asks visitors to arrive at least an hour before a closing time, and hours change at festivals. Akshardham: Tuesday to Sunday, first entry 10 am, last entry 6:30 pm, closed Mondays.
Best time	November to February in Tamil Nadu, after the heaviest rain. Expect large crowds at Srirangam for Vaikunta Ekadasi in December or January.
Nearest airport and station	Tiruchirappalli airport is about 15 km from Srirangam; Srirangam and Tiruchirappalli Junction stations are close by. Puri is about 60 km from Bhubaneswar airport. Akshardham has its own metro station on the Blue Line.
Where to stay	Srirangam town itself or central Tiruchirappalli; in Thanjavur, near the old town and the temple; in Puri, the area around the beach and Grand Road.
Dress and rules	Shoulders and knees covered. Shoes left at the gate. At Puri, phones, cameras and leather items are not allowed inside, and a dress code has applied since January 2024. At Akshardham, no phones, cameras or bags inside.

Open Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu in Google Maps

Questions people ask

Which is the largest temple in India?

The Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam, at 156 acres, is usually called the largest functioning Hindu temple in India and in the world. Its outer enclosures contain a whole town.

What are the Srirangam temple darshan timings?

On normal days, 6 am to 9 pm, with closing intervals from 7:15 to 9 am, 12:30 to 2:15 pm and 5:30 to 7 pm. Timings change during festivals, so check the HR&CE temple site before you go.

Can non-Hindus enter the Jagannath temple in Puri?

No. The temple administration allows only Hindus inside. Visitors can see parts of the enclosure from the roof of the Emar Matha, near the eastern gate.

Is Akshardham in Delhi open on Mondays?

No. It is closed every Monday. From Tuesday to Sunday, the first entry is at 10 am and the last at 6:30 pm. Entry to the complex is free.

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India's Largest Temples: Srirangam, Thanjavur and How to Visit