Relationship Between Temple Architecture and Cosmology

[Mani Varadarajan]

Vidyasankar Sundaresan wrote:
> Yes. The Srirangam Ranganatha temple is said to represent Vishnu's abode
> in Vaikuntha ...

At least for Srirangam, this equivalence is more symbolic
and metaphorical than actual.  Vishnu in Srirangam is reclining
on the serpent AdiSesha (tiru-anantAzvAn), which corresponds
to his pose in kshIrAbdhi (tirup-pArkaDal), not in Vaikuntha.
Vishnu in Vaikuntha is said to be in a sitting pose, with one leg
folded, one leg on the ground, with Lakshmi at his side.
Typically, Vishnu is known in this form as parama-pada-nAtha.
There is a shrine dedicated to the parama-pada-nAtha form in
many large Vishnu temples.

It is true, however, that Srirangam is known as bhUloka-vaikuNTha.

Mani