The Sacred River
The Kāveri (Kaveri in Tamil — Ponnī, "the golden one") rises in the Coorg mountains of Karnataka and flows through Tamil Nadu, emptying into the Bay of Bengal near Kāveripaṭṭinam. For Sri Vaishnavas, the Kāveri holds the same sacred status as the Gaṅgā holds in North India.
Kāveri and Śrīraṅgam
Śrīraṅgam, the preeminent Divya Desam, stands on an island formed by the Kāveri and its tributary Koluṭum. The Lord of Śrīraṅgam (Raṅganātha) is flanked by the Kāveri on both sides. This geographical arrangement is itself considered auspicious — the Lord residing on an island surrounded by the sacred river.
The Āzhvār literature refers to the Kāveri frequently — its shores as the abode of devotees, its waters as the purifier of pilgrims, its flow as a river of bhakti flowing to the sea of Bhagavān.
The Kāverippaṭṭinam Connection
The Cilappatikāram (Tamil epic) and other sources describe Kāveripaṭṭinam (Puhar) as the great port city at the Kāveri's mouth — an ancient center of trade and Tamil culture. Toṇḍaraḍippoḍi Āzhvār sang the beauty of the Kāveri banks at Śrīraṅgam.
Ritual Significance
Bathing in the Kāveri (snanam) is an important preparatory act for pilgrims visiting Śrīraṅgam and other Kāveri-bank temples. The river is considered to be Lakṣmī herself in liquid form — flowing from the sacred mountains to carry the Lord's grace to the sea.