The Sarangapani Temple is the largest of the three principal Vishnu temples of Kumbakonam and one of the 108 Divya Desams — the temples revered in the hymns of the Alvar saints, the medieval Tamil Vaishnavite poet-mystics. The towering eastern gopuram, around 173 feet (53 metres) high and eleven storeys tall, is visible from much of the town.
The inner sanctum is unusual: it is shaped as a chariot drawn by horses and elephants, and the carving on the exterior is some of the finest of its kind in Tamil Nadu. The temple is most active in the morning and evening pujas. Non-Hindus are welcome in the outer courtyards but not in the innermost sanctum.