The temple monuments are located inside the inner five enclosures of the complex, surrounded by living area and infrastructure in outer two enclosures. Rampart walls were added after medieval centuries that saw its invasion and destruction. It is vast and planned as a temple town with Sapta-Prakaram design where the sanctum, gopuram, services and living area are co-located in seven concentric enclosures. The temple site is on a large island bounded by the Kaveri River and Kollidam River. Srirangam temple complex across the river on left. The temple complex has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is in UNESCO's tentative list. The annual 21-day festival conducted during the Tamil month of Margazhi (December–January) attracts 1 million visitors. The temple is an active Hindu house of worship and follows Thenkalai tradition of Sri Vaishnavism. Srirangam temple is often listed as one of the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world, the still larger Angkor Wat being the largest existing temple. The latest addition is the outer tower that is approximately 73 metres (240 ft)tall, completed in 1987.
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Some of these structures have been renovated, expanded and rebuilt over the centuries as a living temple. The Srirangam temple is the largest temple compound in India and one of the largest religious complexes in the world.
THILLAI NATARAJAR 108 DIVYA DESAM FREE
Numerous inscriptions suggest that this Hindu temple served not only as a spiritual center, but also a major economic and charitable institution that operated education and hospital facilities, ran a free kitchen, and financed regional infrastructure projects from the gifts and donations it received. The temple town is a significant archaeological and epigraphical site, providing a historic window into the early and mid medieval South Indian society and culture. The temple occupies an area of 155 acres (63 ha) with 81 shrines, 21 towers, 39 pavilions, and many water tanks integrated into the complex making it the world's largest functioning Hindu temple.
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It was one of the hubs of early Bhakti movement with a devotional singing and dance tradition, but this tradition stopped during the 14th century and was revived in a limited way much later. The temple was rebuilt in late 14th century, the site fortified and expanded with many more Gopurams in the 16th and 17th centuries. The temple was looted and destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate armies in a broad plunder raid on various cities of the Pandyan kingdom in early 14th century.
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Its location, on an island between the Kollidam and Kaveri rivers, has rendered it vulnerable to flooding as well as the rampaging of invading armies which repeatedly commandeered the site for military encampment. The temple has played an important role in Vaishnavism history starting with the 11th-century career of Ramanuja and his predecessors Nathamuni and Yamunacharya in Srirangam. It is the most illustrious Vaishnava temples in South India rich in legend and history. Constructed in the Hindu architectural style, the temple is glorified by Alvars in their Divya Prabhanda and has the unique distinction of being the foremost among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to The Supreme God Vishnu. The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha, a form of the Supreme God, Maha Vishnu, located in Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India.