Rajagopalaswamy Temple, Mannargudi
| Rajagopalaswamy Temple | |
|---|---|
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 Rajagopalaswamy Temple
Location in Tamil Nadu
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| Name | |
| Tamil | tamil |
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 10°40′1″N 79°26′32″E / 10.66694°N 79.44222°ECoordinates: 10°40′1″N 79°26′32″E / 10.66694°N 79.44222°E |
| Country | India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Tiruvarur |
| Location | Mannargudi |
| Culture | |
| Primary deity | Rajagopalaswamy(Krishna) |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | Dravidian architecture |
Rajagopalaswamy temple is a Vaishnavite shrine located in the town of Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu, India. The presiding deity is Rajagopalaswamy, a form of Lord Krishna. The temple is spread over an area of 23 acres (93,000 m2) and is one of the important Vaishnavite shrines in India. The temple is called Dakshina Dwarka (Southern Dwarka) along with Guruvayoor by Hindus.
This ancient temple was massively expanded by Thanjavur Nayaks during the 16th century. The temple has three inscriptions from the period and also mention in the religious texts. A granite wall surrounds the temple, enclosing all its shrines and seven of its nine bodies of water. The temple has a 192 ft (59 m) rajagopuram, the temple's gateway tower. Haridra Nadhi, the temple tank associated with the temple is outside the temple complex and is considered one of the largest temple tanks in India.
Pundarikakshan is believed to have appeared as Krishna to sages Gopillar and Gopralayar.
Six daily rituals and three yearly festivals are held at the temple, of which the chariot festival, celebrated during the Tamil month of Panguni (March-April), being the most prominent. The temple is maintained and administered by the Hindu Religious and Endowment Board of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
The image of the presiding deity is 156 Feet tall. There is a big tank at the entrance of the shrine where rain water is collected. The temple complex has 16 gopurams (tower gateways), 7 prakarams (outer courtyard), 24 shrines, seven mandapams (halls) and nine sacred theerthams (temple tanks). The utsava (festival deity) is a bronze figure from the Chola period. It shows keshabanda type of coifure and restrained ornamentation, atypical of the Chola bronzes of the 11th century. The temple tank is called Haridra Nadhi, 1,158 feet long and 837 feet broad (23 acers), making it one of the largest temple tanks in India
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