How Ranganatha came to face south at Srirangam

The temple's own account explains its oddest feature. The shrine of the reclining Vishnu was not built but born: it came up out of the milk ocean while Brahma performed austerities, and remained in his world until Ikshvaku, founder of Ayodhya's line, carried it down to his city. There the solar kings worshipped it until Rama, home from Lanka and crowned, gave it to his ally Vibhishana as a parting gift. On the way south Vibhishana set it down on the island in the Kaveri to rest, and it would not be lifted again. The Chola king Dharmavarma had long begged the god to stay, and the god consented on one condition — that he lie facing south, toward the friend he could not follow. That is why Ranganatha alone among the great reclining images looks south. The island shrine is already in the Silappadikaram, and the 247 verses the Alvars sang of it make it the only temple all twelve praised; Andal is said to have entered the god at the end of her Thiruppavai.