Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple

The Ranganathaswamy Temple, also known as Arulmigu Ranganathar Thirukovil, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganathar and his consort Ranganayaki. The temple is located in Srirangam, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India. Constructed in the Tamil architectural style, the temple is glorified by the Tamil poet-saints called the Alvars in their canon, the Naalayira Divya Prabhandham, and has the unique distinction of being the foremost among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to the god Vishnu. The Srirangam temple stands as the largest functioning religious complex in the world in active worship with a continuous historical presence as a Hindu temple. Some of these structures have been renovated, expanded, and rebuilt over the centuries as a living temple. The latest addition is the outer rajagopuram (tower) that is approximately 73 metres (240 ft) tall, which was completed in 1987 with support from the Ahobila Mutt among others. The temple is a thriving Hindu house of worship and follows the Thenkalai tradition of Sri Vaishnavism, based on the Pancharatra Agama. The annual 21-day festival conducted during the Tamil month of Margazhi (December–January) attracts one million visitors. The temple complex has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is in UNESCO's tentative list. In 2017, the temple won the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Merit for cultural heritage conservation, making it the first temple in Tamil Nadu to receive the award from UNESCO. The temple is notable for its vibrant colors; the BBC ranked it as "one of the most colorful buildings in the world."