Sri Rajagopalaswamy Temple – Mannargudi

Travel for 36 km from Kumbakonam to reach Sri Rajagopalaswamy Temple in the town of Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu. The temple is a Vaishnavite shrine dedicated to Rajagopalaswamy, an incarnation of Lord Krishna. The temple witnessed its initial construction by Kulothunga Chola I, which was then expanded by the successive kings of the Chola Empire, Rajaraja Chola III, Rajendra Chola III and kings of Thanjavur Nayaks, Achyuta Devaraya. The temple holds some of the unique inscriptions of the Hoysala kings and some Vijayanagara grants and many records of the later Nayaks and Marathas. This holy temple covers a wide area of 23 acres. It also holds the prestige to be called as Dakshina Dwarka along with Guruvayoor by Hindus. Inside the sanctum, one can witness a 7 feet high image of Vasudeva with his consorts Sri Devi and Bhoodevi. The temple houses 24 shrines, 7 mandapams, 9 theerthams, 16 gopurams, and 7 prakarams. Being rich in the artistic carvings and sculptures, the temple also holds great place in the hearts of the devotees of the region. There is a tank inside the temple that is believed to be one of the largest temple tanks in India. Festivals- The temple commences annual Panguni Brahmotsavam (Mar 15-Apr 15) for 18 days, in which a bronze idol of Lord Krishna dated back to Chola period is taken out for the procession during the chariot festival.