Why Srirangam is the first of the 108 Divya Desams

When Sri Vaishnavas list the 108 sacred abodes of Vishnu, the list always begins in the same place: Thiruvarangam, Srirangam.

What the Divya Desams are

Devotional tradition

The Divya Desams (divine places) are 108 abodes of Vishnu celebrated in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, the four thousand Tamil hymns of the twelve Alwars. For a temple to be a Divya Desam, at least one Alwar must have sung of it, an act called mangalasasanam. Most of the 108 are in Tamil Nadu; others are in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, northern India and Nepal. The last two, Thiruparkadal (the ocean of milk) and Paramapadam (Vaikuntham), are beyond the earthly world.

Why Srirangam comes first

The most hymns, from the most Alwars

According to published counts, Srirangam received 247 pasurams, more than any other Divya Desam, from eleven of the twelve Alwars. The Alwar whose hymns do not include it, Madhurakavi, is known for singing of his own teacher, Nammalvar. Thirumangai Alwar contributed 73 hymns, Thondaradippodi Alwar 55 and Periyalwar 35.

The "first" temple

The HR&CE portal describes Srirangam as the first and foremost of the 108 Divya Desams and the first of the self-manifested (svayam vyakta) shrines, notes that in Vaishnava usage the word Koil, temple, refers to Srirangam alone, and calls it Bhooloka Vaikuntam, Vaikuntham on earth. India's submission to UNESCO likewise describes it as the first and foremost among the 108 Divya Desams.

The seat of the acharyas

Traditional account

From Nathamuni in the tenth century to Manavala Mamunigal in the fifteenth, the great teachers of Sri Vaishnavism lived at Srirangam, and tradition holds that it is where the Divya Prabandham first became part of temple worship, through Nathamuni. Read about Ramanuja at Srirangam.

In the Alwars' voices

The Alwars' hymns to Srirangam are some of the most loved in Tamil. Thondaradippodi Alwar composed two works entirely about Srirangam: the Thiruppalliyezhuchi, sung at dawn to wake the Lord, and the Thirumaalai. Thiruppaan Alwar's short hymn, the Amalanadhipiran, describes the Lord of Srirangam from his feet to his face. Andal is believed to have been united with Sri Ranganatha at Srirangam.

Visiting Divya Desams around Srirangam

Several other Divya Desams lie within a drive of Srirangam, and many pilgrims visit them together. Check each temple's timings before you go:

• Thirukkozhi (Uraiyur): Kamalavalli Nachiyar Temple, associated in tradition with Thiruppaan Alwar.
• Thirukkarambanur (Uthamar Kovil): with shrines to Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva.
• Thiruvellarai: the Pundarikakshan Temple.
• Thiru Anbil: the Sundararaja Perumal Temple.
• Thirupper Nagar (Koviladi): the Appakkudathaan Temple on the Kaveri.

Planning a pilgrimage? Start with our visitor guide and the official timings. For the history of the Alwars at Srirangam, see early references and the Alwars.