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Temples Of Andhrapradesh -
The State of Andhra Pradesh abounds in archeological remains and religious monuments.
The Satavahanas of the 1st century AD left behind them many works of art, the
remains of which are seen at Amaravati near Guntur. The Ikshvakus succeeded
the Satavahanas and the monuments left behind by them were discovered at excavations
at Nagarjunakonda.Some of the best known Buddhist monuments of Andhra Pradesh
such as the Mahastupa and some Hindu temples were found in these excavations.
The oldest temples in the State, Tirupati Venkateswara Temple and the Kalahasteeswara
Temple date back to the pre Christian times. The Chalukyas of Badami (Karnataka)
of about the 6th century built the Alampur Bhrama temples. These are excellent
examples of Chalukyan art and sculpture. The Vengi Chalukyas ruled coastal Andhra
Pradesh from the 7th to the 11th centuries.
The Badami Chalukyas of Deccan were succeeded by the Rashtrakutas and the later
Chalukyas. The Kakatiyas who succeeded the later Chalukyas and ruled from Warangal
(11th - 14th century AD) constructed several beautiful temples that show a profuse
display of sculptural work.. The North Eastern region of Andhra Pradesh was
under the rule of the Ganga Kings and the temples of this region show influences
of the Orissa style of architecture.
The Vijayanagar Empire caused a number of monuments to be built and patronized
in the State. Mention must be made of the Sree Sailam temple and the ornate
Lepakshi temples. The flat stuccoes granite ceilings of the Vijayanagar Empire
provided a suitable background for frescoes as seen at Lepakshi.
Thus, the temples that line the length and breadth of the State stand in silent
acknowledgement of centuries of history and the patronage of various kingdoms
such as the Cholas and Pallavas of Tamilnadu, the Chalukyas of Deccan , the
Eastern Gangas and the Vijayanagar Kings. Some of these temples have been visited
and sung by the
Alwar (Vaishnavite) and the Nayanmar (Saivite) Saints of Tamilnadu.
The following list is a pointer to some of the temples in Andhra Pradesh.
Navabhrama Temples at Alampur near Kurnool
Deities: Navabhramma (Shiva)
This shrine is considered to be a gateway to Sreesailam, and it has a cluster
of 9 temples dedicated to Shiva - called the Bhrama temples. These were built
by the Badami Chalukyas (7th century AD).The entire complex is a treasure house
of history and art. These temples do not follow the Dravidian temple style and
are closer to the Northern and Western Indian styles of architecture. Alampur
is known as Dakshina Kashi. A Suryanarayana Temple and a Narasimha temple are
also in the complex.
Access and Accommodation: Kurnool
Amaravati Amareswara Temple at Amaravati near Vijayawada
Deities: Amareswara (Shiva)
This ancient temple dedicated to Shiva enshrines a 15 feet high white marble
Shiva Lingam and is surrounded by massive walls with towers. The Satavahanas
and the Vijayanagar kings have made great contributions to this temple.This
temple constitutes one of the five Pancharama Kshetrams in Andhra Pradesh. Amaravati
is known for its archeological remains of the ancient Budhist era.
Access and Accommodation: Vijayawada
Annavaram Satyanarayana Swami Temple at Annavaram near Kakinada
Deities: Satyanarayana
This temple dedicated to Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swami is built atop the
Ratnagiri hills and is accessed by a motorable road and a flight of steps. The
presiding deity installed along with Shiva represents the oneness of Shiva and
Vishnu.The temple is built to resemble a chariot and it attracts innumerable
pilgrims statewide.
Access and Accommodation: Kakinada
Basar Saraswathi Temple at Basar near Nizamabad
Deities: Saraswathi
This is an ancient temple dedicated to Saraswathi - one of the few of its kind
all over India. It is said to have been installed by Sage Vyasa in the days
of the Mahabharata. Another legend relates it to Valmiki the author of Ramayana.The
current structure dates back to the Chalukya period. There is an image of Lakshmi
beside Saraswathi. Mahakali temple, Papahareswar Temple and Pathaleswar Temple
are the other places of worship here.
Access and Accommodation: Nizamabad
Bhadrachalam Rama Temple at Bhadrachalam near Khammam
Deities: Rama
Significance: This ancient shrine is built on a hill, accessed by a flight of
steps. It is vast in size and is well visited. The Vimanam, and the mandapams
within are of exquisite craftsmanship. This temple is associated with Bhadrachala
Ramadas an ardent devotee of Rama.This shrine has been visited by Kabir. Legend
has it that Rama's hermitage in exile was situated here at Bhadrachalam.This
temple is associated with Bhadrachala Ramadas an ardent devotee of Rama.This
shrine has been visited by Kabir. Legend has it that Rama's hermitage in exile
was situated here at Bhadrachalam.
Antiquity: This temple underwent a lot of renovation in the
17th century.
Other shrines in the vicinity: Parnasala, 32 km near Bhadrachalam is said to
be the site of the hut where Rama, Sita and Lakshman lived in exile. Ushnagundam,
a hot water spring 6 km near Bhadrachalam is another site visited by these personalities
from the Ramayana.
Access and Accommodation: Khammam
Birla Mandir at Hyderabad
Deities: Venkateswara
Location: Hyderabad the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
Significance: This is a modern temple built of white marble on top of a hill,
dominating the skyline of Hyderabad. The Birlas (industrialists who have also
built several temples in India in this century) built this temple. The presiding
deity here is Venkateswara (Vishnu).
Antiquity: This is a modern temple consecrated in 1976.
Architecture: This temple displays a mixture of architectural
styles. A Rajagopuram built in the South Indian style greets the visitors. The
tower over the main shrine of Venkateswara called the Jagadananda vimanam is
built in the Orissan style while the towers over the shrines of the consorts
are built in the South Indian style. The brass flagstaff rises to a height of
42 feet. The granite image of the presiding deity is about 11 feet tall and
a carved lotus forms an umbrella for this image. There are several carvings
in marble, in the adjoining mukha mandapam - depicting scenes from Indian mythology.
The temple is floodlit at nights.
Other shrines in the temple: The consorts of Venkateswara Padmavathi
and Andal are housed in separate shrines.
Worship and festivals: Although modern in construction worship is carried
out as per the traditional Agama rules, the Pancharatra Agama in particular.
Access and Accommodation: Hyderabad
Kotilingam Temple at Panchadarla near Anakapallee
Deities: Shiva
This temple is situated close to the 'five fountains' - five jets of water fed
by a perennila spring. The presiding deity Shiva has 12 rows of 85 lingams carved
on a lingam. This temple has inscriptions dating back to the 15th century Eastern
Chalukyas.
Access and Accommodation: Anakapallee
Mangalagiri Narasimhaswami Temple at Mangalagiri near Vijayawada
Deities: Narasimha
This is a rock cut shrine on a hill dedicated to Narasimha. The deity is also
referred to as Panakala arasimha, as panaka made of jiggery is offered to the
deity. It is said that the entire shrine is free of ants & flies although
mounds of jaggery and sweets are stored within. This temple has been visited
by religious leaders such as Sankara and Ramanuja. At the foot of the hill is
the ancient Rajya Lakshmi Narasimhaswami temple, with an imposing Raja Gopuram,
supposedly the tallest in Andhra Pradesh.
Access and Accommodation: Vijayawada
Mukhalingam Temple at Mukhalingam near Sreekakulam
Deities: Shiva
This is a group of 3 temples built by the Eastern Ganga Kings in the 10th century
AD. The deities are Mukhalingeswara, Bhimeswara and Someswara. All these temples
show evidence of the Orissa style of architecture. The Mukhalinga temple is
a veritable art gallery. The temple entrances are marvels in themselves.There
is a plethora of sculptural work and perforated windows. The Bhimeswara temple
lacks such grand splendor. Someswara temple is rich in sculptural work.
Access and Accommodation: Sreekakulam
Venkateswara Temple at Tirupati
Significance: Tirupati/Tirumala is a pilgrimage center of great significance
and is visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims throughout the year.Venkateswara,
or Srinivasa or Balaji as the presiding deity Vishnu is known, is enshrined
in this temple, located on a range of the Eastern Ghats, called the Seven Hills.
It is an ancient temple and its glory has been sung by the saints of the yesteryears.
Said to be the richest temple in India, this temple is a vibrant cultural and
philanthropic institution with a grand history spanning several centuries. It
attracts pilgrims from all over the country and it is not unusual for pilgrims
to stand in line for hours together to obtain a glimpse of the presiding deity
for a few fleeting seconds.
TTD, or Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam manages the affairs of the temple, the
well being of the pilgrims, the upkeep of the environs in and around the Tirumala
hills and sponsors several undertakings that are religious, charitable, social
and educational in nature.
References to Tiruvenkatam abound in early Tamil literature(Tolkappiam and Silappadikaram)
. Explicit reference to the Lord of Tiruvenkatam is found in the works of the
early Tamil Saint Poets Poigai Alwar, Bhuthathu Alwar and Pay Alwar as well
as in the poems of the later Alwars. The great religious leader Ramanuja Acharya
is said to have visited here in the 11th - 12th century AD.
References to Venkatachalam are also found in several of the Puranas. Tirumalai
constitutes one of the 108 Sri Vaishnava Divya Desams - sacred shrines in the
Sri Vaishnavite tradition. Krishna Deva Raya of the Vijayanagar Empire is said
to have visited this temple 7 times. An image of his is also found in the temple.
The Venkatesa Itihasa Mala and the Varaha Purana contain several legends connected
with Tirumalai.
Location: Tirupati is a town in the Chittoor district of the
Southern portion of Andhra Pradesh and is at a convenient train journey away
from Chennai (formerly Madras) in Tamilnadu. Tirumalai, on the last of the seven
Hills, is home to this temple and is connected by a well maintained and picturesque
mountain road constructed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam.
Veerabhadraswami Temple at Lepakshi near Anantapur
Deities: Veerabhadra
This temple dates back to the 16th century AD and is built on a mount. The shrine
abounds in sculptural wealth in its intricate mandapams, The Natyamandapam has
pillars with life sized images of dancers musicians etc. The monolithic Nandi
here is also of significance. The ceilings have works of art too. The mural
paintings hold the visitors spell bound. This temple is an excellent specimen
of Vijayanagar art. Lepakshi is situated near Hindupur in Anantapur District.
Bangalore is the closest large city.
Access and Accommodation: Anantapur, Bangalore
Rudreswara Temple at Palampet near Warangal
Deities: Rudreswara (Shiva)
This temple dedicated to Shiva was built by the Kakatiyas in the 13th century
AD. This temple is an art gallery in itself with beautifully carved works of
art, exquisite ceilings and columns adding beauty to the grand architecture.
The man made lake from the Kaktaiya period is of significance and so are the
other temples in this town.
Access and Accommodation: Warangal
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