Discovering Telangana: Chandraghad Fort-‘The Hidden Jewel’

Monsoon is the best time for traveling in India. For travelers like me, I find traveling in this time is most romantic and soothing to the soul. As nature and the pleasant weather along with it adds unbeatable charm. Yes, I’m talking about Telangana the youngest state in India, where travel is highly rewarding as it boasts many unexplored gems in its tablelands.

Happiness is a car, good friends and pleasant roads..

Road less traveled:

For many hyderabadies, the least popular getaway is Mahbubnagar. It is around 90 kms and it can be reached in less than 2 hours on a smooth road.  As we live in Mahbubnagar town we’ve decided to explore the interiors of it.

Road trip with good buddies is never boring..

So, we planned a quick weekend getaway to Chandraghad fort. After about two hours on the road, we reached our first stop Jurala dam. This place is well known for its barbeques. We had lunch here. Then we started to the Chandraghad fort.

Driving through the countryside, dotted with paddy fields and hillocks. I always love exploring new places and Chandraghad fort is one of the best places I’ve been so far in Telangana. It is a Hidden jewel in Telangana.

Mandatory groupfie at Jurala dam

yayie!!

Where is it?

It is a picturesque hill fort and is located on the banks of River Krishna at Chandraghad Village, Mahabubnagar District, Telangana. It is about 8kms from Juraladam. There are no sign boards for this place. One has to take help of Google maps or Locals in order to reach this place. It takes 20 to 30mins of walk to reach the hilltop from the nearest road point.

A Peek into history:

This Fort was built during Peshwas and belongs to Chandrasena Jilledar. This is a strong fort constructed to store the grains and taxes collected from people. The fort offers the remains of the protective walls, gateways and several ruined buildings. The Sri Ramalingeshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is located inside the fort.

View of the fort from the bottom of the hill..

It was a pleasant day!!

Looks magnificent isn’t it?

Chapora Fort of Telangana:

It has a great view from the top. The fort sits on the top of a hill and there’s a magnificent view in all directions. It is a pleasant place to wander. After witnessing the sunset. We almost felt the same when we experienced sunset in Chapora fort. Hence we named it as ‘Chapora Fort of Telangana’.

Sunset time!!

It is a pleasant place to wander.

Road view…

360 shot!!

Old monk_Lord of the drinks? Agree?

Tips from my perspective:

• There’s no public transport facility to this place. Traveling by own vehicle is preferred. If you are traveling by car, there’s a narrow way which leads to the hilltop.
• Use google maps or ask locals
• Best time to visit this place is during the months August to February
• Carry your food and water bottles.
• Reach this place before 6pm.

Discovering Telangana: Andalamma old Temple Peddapalli

Today I’m gonna post about that place which is least explored. And is not even in Telangana Heritage list of monuments. While we were on a road trip to Ramagundam we thought of visiting Hanuman temple but we were lost. After asking the locals for addresses we accidentally discovered this place.

The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization.  -Frank Lloyd Wright

Andalamma old temple, a late medieval period temple is located in Dharmabad village of Peddapalli district.  It is located 39 KM towards East from Karimnagar.

Great buildings that move the spirit have always been rare. In every case they are unique, poetic, products of the heart. -Arthur Erickson

It seems to be the temple and mandapa was constructed during the Qutub Shahi period when Vaishnavism was spreading in the Telangana region. There are no Idols in the temple. It was not at all maintained/worshipped since ages.

It is secluded and is almost deserted.

This temple’s architecture is so unique and beautiful. I hope Archaeological survey of India (ASI) should take over this place and develop it into a tourist destination.

This is one of the best get-aways for all those Karimnagarites. If you are looking for any couple shoot kind of a thing or if you are an architecture lover. Then you can visit this place…

 

That’s me..

Gateway…

Nearby places to visit are:

1. Buddhist stupa
2. Ramagir fort (Built during Kakatiya regime)
3. Siva temple (Temple built of roughly dressed stone), Peddapalli
4. Siva Trikuta temple, peddapalli
5.Sri Vasavi Andal Ranganatha Swamy Temple

P.S: You can find this place on Google maps

2017: A year in review

2 0 1 7…. It is becoming difficult for me to remember when it has started and when it ended. At the hour of closure when I sit back and re-collect the best moments of it, then I realized What a year it’s been. Despite the underlying current of what the hell am I doing, I made some incredible memories in 2017… I have then decided to share few of the events and give a glimpse of the happiest things happened to me….

January: A trip to Goa

Highlights of the trip are:

1. Watching the Sunset at Chapora fort

2. Watching the sunset at Dono paulo

According to a local myth, Dona Paula is entombed in the Cabo Chapel, the residence of the Governor of Goa and is supposed to be seen during a full moon emerging from the moonlit waves wearing only a pearl necklace.

3. Saturday night market at Arpora market.

4. Sunrise at Aguada Fort:

The sky takes on shades of orange during sunrise and sunset, the color that gives you hope that the sun will set only to rise again

Me @Aguada Fort

February : A trip to Chennai

A 3 day trip to Chennai to attend a conference in SRM medical college. Highlights of the trip.

Highlights:

1. Marina Beach &

2. Kapaleeshwarar Temple

Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Mylapore, Chennai is a temple of Shiva located in Mylapore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The form of Shiva’s consort Parvati worshipped at this temple is called Karpagambal is from Tamil, (“Goddess of the Wish-Yielding Tree”). The temple was built around the 7th century CE in Dravidian architecture.

Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Mylapore, Chennai

 

May: My Birthday Month

A Weekend get away to Alampur & Kurnool

Alampur Navabrahma temples are located at alampur in Telangana. There are 9 temples & all of them are dedicated to Lord Shiva. These temples date back to 7th century A.D and were built by the Badami Chalukyas rulers who were great patrons of art and architecture. Even after a time span of several hundred years, these grand temples still stand firm reflecting the rich architectural heritage of the country.

Konda Reddy Burz, also known as Kurnool Fort, is a bastion that establishes the historical importance of Kurnool town in Andhra Pradesh. The rulers of the renowned Vijayanagar Empire built a strategic watch tower here. It is a unique monument due to its singular feature of an underground tunnel which connects the fort to Gadwal, a place 52 km away.  The most remarkable feature of this tunnel is that it passes under the River Tungabhadra, a feat unimaginable during the medieval times!

Konda Reddy Burz is a proof of the architectural acumen and astute military strategies characteristic of the medieval rulers of India. This is one monument you would be truly excited to visit, to learn about its genesis the mystery behind its existence through hundreds of years and its eternal allure..

June: Glimpses of my June road trips…

A Long drive to Indur( Nizamabad) with my family to attend some family event.

Hdr….

Never stop exploring

selfie with my family

Plate in my hands…Sunrise+breakfast=great combo

A drive in Mahbubnagar:

Amazing 200kms ride with no destination in mind.. Far away from all the daily routine life.. Thats what I need for a weekend.

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A Short drive near Jadcherla:

A short drive near jadcherla which is hardly around 20kms from my college just for fun.

Spontaneity is the best kind of adventure..

July:

A trip to Mysore to attend Pulmokarn conference in JSS medical college then a road trip to Wayanad. Highlights of the trip are:

Mysore: The city of palaces

Ambavilas Palace, otherwise famous as the Mysore Palace, is a historical palace and a royal residence at Mysore in Karnataka state. It is the official residence of the Wadiyar dynasty and the seat of the Kingdom of Mysore.

That’s Mysore Palace…

Visited Mysore palace after the conference

Chamundi hills:

The Temple is clean and was very crowded as it was an auspicious day and could not see inside due to crowd. From outside it is very nice looking Temple and am sure it will be same in inside.

View from the hill…

Main gopura

It was very crowdy…

Wayand: An exquisite Hill station

Highlights of the trip are:

Banasura Dam & View point:

Considered to be the largest earth dam in India and the second largest in Asia, Banasura Sagar dam is one of the prime attractions in Wayanad. Positioned at a distance of around 21 km away from Kalpetta, this dam is made up of boulders and huge stacks of stones. The dam is quite close to Lake Karalad, another tourist spot in Wayanad.

There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture in the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more. -Lord Byron

 

Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come

“How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!” ~John Muir

Joy in looking and comprehending is nature’s most beautiful gift. -Albert Einstein

I consider myself to have been the bridge between the shotgun and the binoculars in bird watching.

Edakkal Caves:

Edakkal is the only known place in india with stone age carvings. These caves are located 1200m above sea level on ambukthi hills, wayanad

 

Lakkidi view point:

Lakkidi Viewpoint is a popular viewpoint which offers dazzling views of the surrounding cliffs and valleys.

Beautiful view from Lakkidi view point

August:

Chandragad fort: A hidden jewel in Telangana

A quick weekend getaway to Chandragad fort is best enjoyed when the sky is overcast, which makes the 80km journey from Mahbubnagar delightful. Driving through the countryside, dotted with paddy fields and hillocks.

I always love exploring new places and Chandragad fort stands tall among all the places I’ve been so far in Telangana. It is a Hidden jewel in Telangana, It has a fantabulous views from the top. The fort sits on a prominent position which command the views in all directions. It is a pleasant place to wander. After witnessing the sunset from here..we named this place as “CHAPORA FORT OF TELANGANA”.

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A weekend getaway to Jurala, Jetaprolu , gadval and ranganayaki temple:

Jetaprolu is a small village in Amanaganti Seema and it is a  Land of Temples in Telangana State. This place has a very beautiful sculptures with lots of heritage importance. Tourist attractions of Jetaprolu are mainly two temples which is called as Agasthyeswara Swamy Temple and Madanagopala Swamy Temple. Looking back to the history it states that the temples were built in 10th and 16th century A.D.

Jetaprolu

Jetaprolu

Jurala

Sri ranganayaki temple, Pebbair

September:

My friend and his family conducted a free health camp in Chevella village, Telangana.

During a free Health Camp

After finishing the health camp

October :

I Started my peripheral posting in Hyderabad for 3months. During the postings, First few days are long, the work is grueling, and of course there was a lot for me to learn.

ROR BOYZ TRIP to Thailand and Cambodia:

Every thing in this trip is a highlight for me. Will be posting a video and blogs in detail.

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Kingdom of Cambodia:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

November:

A week trip to Kolkata, West Bengal to attend NAPCON, A national conference in science city.

With our Professors and their families..

 

Then in 3^rd week a trip to Assam & Meghalaya

Kaziranga National Park tucked between Bangladesh and Bhutan, in the Indian state of Assam. It’s not only one of India’s national treasures but a World Heritage Site & is the home to the one horned rhino!!

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December:

A trip to Rajahmundry to attend NATCON(national tuberculosis conference) in Riverbay. Followed by a day trip to Papikondalu

beautiful view of papikondalu

cruise to Papikondalu

dusk view of Godavari river from Pushkar ghat

Sunset over Godavari river.. That’s statue of Telugu talli

view of Godavari river & Papi kondalu from our cruise

Hope the New Year with it brings
happiness for you and not a single tear drop
Since everyone just loves you
May all your problems, never again bother you
This is my special New Year wish for you

Badami Cave temples: ‘A fine balance of versatility and restrain’

After visiting Aihole and Bijapur, we started our journey towards Pattadakal, which was just 10 kms from Aihole. Ever since I read ‘Temples of South India’ book I was very curious and excited about these UNESCO World Heritage Sites and added it to my bucket list. Since we are travelling on our own it was quite easy for us to cover Bijapur-Aihole-Pattadakal-Badami stretch.

Boothnath temple on the green waters of the Agastya lake…

Temples build by Western Chalukyas invoke a sense of peace and tranquility by their systematic and symmetrical approach..

Bagalkot District of Karnataka is blessed with some amazing historical sites of Ancient Indian like Badami, Pattadakal. These places were the most important centers of Chalukyan Empire. These three places are located in the close vicinity of each other and with a bit of planning can be covered in a single day.

Places to Visit in Badami:

Badami can be best experienced simply, by a walk through the ruins. All the major attractions of Badami are located around the Agasthya Lake and sandwiched between two high mountain cliffs on its North and South. It is about 1km walk from the bus stand.

The fort on the Northern hill-top is visible from the main road itself.

Archaeological Museum of Badami:

There is a stone statue of Nandi, Lord Shiva’s bull, at the entrance of the museum. The museum mainly comprises of pre-historic stone implements and sculptures, inscriptions etc. datable from 6th to 16th century AD.

Walking further, we reached to a beautiful lake called Agasthya Lake. This lake is surrounded by the Badami Caves, Red sandstone hills, Bhootnath Temple, small houses of Badami and the beautiful flight of steps (the ghats). The water in this lake is believed to have some healing power too. The sandstone steps (ghats) from three side of the lake make it more beautiful.

There we are…posing for a pic

Badami in Hindu Mythology:

Legend says that there were two demon siblings in the ancient times, one is Vatapi and another one is Ilvala. The older brother Ilvala converted Vatapi in red meat and offered that to the poor souls living in the area. Unaware of the tricks, people ate that meat happily. Then, Ilvala re-converted that meat back into Vatapi who then emerges by tearing through the person’s body causing death. One day they did the same trick to the great saint Agasthya. But, the saint was able to digest the meat, thus causing death of Vatapi. This put an end to the misery of local people. These two hills in Badami to its north and south are supposed to represent the demons Ilvala and Vatapi.

The lake between these hills was named as Agasthya Lake or Agasthya Tirtha in honour of the great saint.

Bhootnath Temple :

This temple is located at the Eastern side of the lake and is believed to be built in 5th century. These temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva. Inside the temple, there are lot of carvings on the wall.

Behind the temple, there are some excellent carvings of the Hindu gods on the rock.

`These carvings are chiseled in a single rock and have the images of Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha, Varah Avtar of Lord Vishnu, Narsingh Avtar of Lord Vishnu, etc.

Badami Fort and Adjacent Area: Again walking along the Agasthya Tank, we moved towards the northern hill through an access road adjacent to the museum. This hill has an amazing package to unfold for its visitors. Top of the hills are almost flat, full of shrubs and thorns, many walkable trails and houses, small water reservoir, some small temples with excellent carvings and Badami Fort. After visiting the Northern Side of the lake, we moved towards the Southern Hill, that houses the famous cave temples.As one walks along the lake,the road leads to an 18th century mosque.

Badami Caves:

Badami is famous for its four cave temples  all cut out of a monolithic (single) rock of sand stone on the precipice of a hill. First three of these temples are dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses and the last one is basically dedicated to JainTirthankars.

monolithic (single) rock of sand stone on the precipice of a hill.

The four cave temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then.

Cave Temple 1 : Moving inside, a long flight of steps took us to the first cave. This cave is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This cave temple dates back to the 5th century CE and was built by Chalukyan King Pulkesin-I. There is a carving of the cosmic dance of Nataraja depicted with eighteen arms. With these 18 arms, Lord Shiva can make 81 dance poses or mudra of Natya Shastra.

There are also sculptures of Hindu gods and godesses.

 

Cave Temple 2 : The second cave temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his avatars (incarnations).

The best carving in this cave is the image of Lord Vishnu in his Varaha avatar (Varaha the pig-faced, human-bodied Lord, half human-half animal). In this avatar, he rescued the Goddess Bhudevi (The Earth) from the demon Hiranyaksha.

On the ceiling of this cave, there are carvings of Vishnu on Garuda and several other scenes from the puranas.

On the ceiling of this cave, there are carvings of Vishnu on Garuda and several other scenes from the puranas…

Cave Temple 3 :  The third cave is dedicated to Vishnu, and is the best and the biggest, and it has splendid giant figures of Paravasudeva, Bhuvaraha, Harihara and Narasimha.  An inscription found here records the creation of the shrine by Mangalesha in 578AD. There are some paintings on the ceiling and the style indicates maturity but has lost its original dazzling colour.

Lord Vishnu statue.. All the statues in this cave are engraved in a vigorous style.

Cave Temple 4 : The fourth cave is Jaina which lies a little east of cave III. The sanctum is adorned by the image of Mahavira.

Tips from my perspective:

• It is approx. 420 kms away from Hyderabad and 500 kms away from Bengaluru.
• Timings: Daily except Fridays through the year from 10:00 Hrs to 17:00 hrs.
• Ticket Price: INR 5 for Indians and INR 100 for foreigners.

A Timelapse Journey through Angkorwat Temple, Cambodia

A Timelapse Journey through Angkorwat temple ‘world’s largest Hindu temple’, Siem reap, Cambodia. Watch it in HD.

More videos and posts will be updated soon. Stay tuned my dear friends.

Mahadev Temple: ‘The Emperor of Temples’

The 12th Century Mahadeva Temple at Itagi in Koppal District with splendid sculptures is said to be one of the finest examples in the country with respect to the magnificence and decorative details. The Mahadeva Temple at Itagi was built circa 1112 CE by Mahadeva, a commander (dandanayaka) in the army of the Western Chalukya King Vikramaditya VI.  Itagi is about 22 miles (35 km) east of Gadag and 40 miles (64 km) west of Hampi.

Western Chalukyan art speaks volumes about the taste of the Chalukyan Artisans.

The well-executed sculptures, finely crafted carvings on walls, pillars and the tower make it a good example of complete Western Chalukyan art which speaks volumes about the taste of the Chalukyan artisans. An inscription dated 1112 CE in the temple calls it “Emperor among Temples” (Devalaya Chakravarti).The temple has a special place on the tourist map of Karnataka. The monument and sculptures that adorn the walls of the temple have a rich architectural value. This temple is dedicated to Hindu God Shiva.

Aesthetic Sense is found in this beautiful temple..

An inscription dated 1112 CE in the temple calls it “Emperor among Temples” (Devalaya Chakravarti)

One can have a glimpse of the high-towered Mahadeva Temple and a cluster of small temples around it while travelling on Koppal-Yelburga Road. It takes a few hours to watch the remnants of the temple and the architectural skill that glitter in daylight.

Towards the north of the Shivalinga, there are five temples, of which two are dedicated to Murthinarayana and Chandraleshwari, parents of Mahadeva. There are 13 temples with Shivalingas around the main temple.

The east-faced main temple comprises a shrine with an antechamber, a closed hall with porches on either side of it towards north and south, and openings on either side with pillared halls. The temple roof is supported by 68 carved pillars. Of them, 26 are on the floor and the rest on the stone bench surrounding the hall and carrying the sloping eaves.

The carved columns are symmetrically arranged. The slabs on the central part of the ceiling have “Makaras” which spring from the jaws of “Kirtimuka” masks.

Sojourn in time..

The walls of the inner hall are adorned with rich sculptures. The pentagon-shaped sanctum sanctorum and its outer walls have beautiful carvings. The 15-foot high main tower of the temple has carvings and projecting cornices.

Beautifully carved…

The Mahadeva Temple is also known for its erotic sculptures. The temple has a “puskarani (teertha)” on its front side, which is still used by the villagers.

Puskarini..

The pillars in this hall bear similarities to the porch pillars at the Dodda Basappa Temple at Dambal and the lathe-turned pillars (whose rounded sections are lathe-turned) at the Kasivisvesvara Temple at Lakkundi.

The Mahadeva temple is officially protected as a national monument by the Archaeological Survey of India. This Temple has a history that is older than Hampi. The temple and its surroundings have been neglected for the past few centuries. The sculptures around the temple are in shambles. Hope Karnataka government takes proper care in protecting these Chalukyan architectural wonders.

Art historian Henry Cousens called this monument the “finest in Kannada country after Halebidu”. These Western Chalukya monuments, regional variants of existing dravida (South Indian) temples, defined the Karnata dravida tradition. 

Temple Travelling: Kadiri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple

Kadiri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple is located in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is said that devotees who offer prayers here get relieved of their sorrows, sufferings and sins. 

History:-
The town got its name from Khadri, in Sanskrit, meaning Indian mulberry. It is believed that Lord Shri Khadri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy came out of this tree. The main deity in this temple is Ashta Bahu Shri Narasimha who has eight hands clawing open the body of Hiranyakashipu.  This was one of the ten avatars or reincarnations of Lord Vishnu.

The specialty of this temple is that after the daily obeisance known as Abhishekam is performed; the Lord Narasimha is seen to be sweating despite being wiped clean by the temple priests.

Narasimha means ‘Man Lion’ as that was the form taken by Lord Vishnu to kill Hiranyakashipu who could not be killed otherwise. It is merely a mention on how truth can overcome evil despite the difficulties. He is envisioned as a half man with the torso and lower body and the face and hands, that of a lion.

The scriptures say that Lord Vishnu, in one of his incarnations as Lord Narasimha , in his rage descended down on to earth as Ugrarupa to kill Hiranyakashipu, who wanted to avenge the death of his brother Hiranyaksha . Hiranyaksha was killed by one reincarnation of Lord Vishnu as Varaha. He took the people to task and tortured the sages and the common people for praying to Lord Vishnu. The sages appeared before Lord Vishnu to end this terror. In the meanwhile Hiranyakashipu got a boon from Lord Brahma after praying fervently for a favour. The boon was that it would be impossible for any human to kill him. Ultimately, Lord Vishnu had to reincarnate as Narasimha to kill Hiranyakashipu, as he was about to kill his own son for showing allegiance to Lord Vishnu.

It is said that Lord Narasimha emerged from the Khadri tree to act his part in killing Hiranyakashipu at this place. The temple was built by one Ranganayudu, a Palegar of Pathariapattanam.

The Rangamantapam has been ornately carved with scenes from the Ramayana and further down, the Lakshmi mantapa has depictions of the Mahabharatha. There are inscriptions on what the rulers have given to the temple. The carvings and scriptures have started fading due to the vagaries of climate and weather.

Infotips: The temple opens at 6:30am until 12:45pm and then it will be closed at 12:45am and  it starts at 16:30hours in the evening and continues till 20:30hours in the night. The temple remains closed from 12:45 to 4:30pm in the afternoon.

North Karnataka: A Heritage tour

This video is just an experimental video because it is mostly shot on Iphone5 and Xiaomi yi & Edited on Iphone. A Trip to some of the Heritage places in North Karnataka which includes Bijapur(Ibrahim Roza, Gol Gumbaz, Jamma Masjid, Barakaman etc), Aihole, Pattadakal, Badami, Dambal & Lakkundi.

The Quality of the video is bit compromised because we shot it in Harsh sunlight and scorching heat.

Discovering Telangana: Mannemkonda-‘The Palamoor Tirupati’

Being a Hyderabadi, I always had this two questions from people during weekends…

• What do you guys do over your weekend?

• Don’t we have any weekend gateways around Hyderabad?

In fact, I used to share few places which most of them are aware of it, I don’t really have many places to share to go out for a drive over the weekends from Hyderabad.

My Beast: The car I drive say a lot about me

I could now realize the fact that most of us haven’t really explored the surreal beauty around Hyderabad. If you are nature lover, yes you have one now which is 2 hours drive from Hyderabad.

Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises. -Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. -Albert Einstein

Mannemkonda is best enjoyed when the sky is overcast, which makes the 20kms journey from Mahbubnagar delightful. The varied hues of Nature and fresh air rejuvenated my senses. The secluded green valley’s surrounding the hold this temple best kept secrets.

“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.” – Kahlil Gibran

Before we arrived our destination, we had several stopovers to capture the nature at its best. I felt exactly like rolling greens spread like a carpet, floating clouds jealously hugged the Hillocks alongside and a seamless path ahead dotted with beautiful nature.

For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree

“Nature itself is the best physician” – Hippocrates. “

Manyamkonda is the hill where the Lord Venkateshwara Swamy Temple is located. This place is very calm, mesmerizing, beautiful and of course a perfect destination for devotees and tourists. It is believed that this ancient temple is more than 500 years old. This temple is located in a cave which is reportedly balanced on top of the three hills. It is considered as one of the important spiritual centres in Mahbubnagar District. Here pilgrims can have a glimpse of the ancient caves where the sages were believed to have practiced penance.Hence this place was called as Munulakonda (Munulu means Saints and Konda means hill) and later as days passed by it has been referred as Mannemkonda or Manyamkonda.

Garuda Statue

A view from inside..

On the heart of the forest and on the hilltop, Lord Venkateshwara Swamy could be found majestically. The shrine is located on a hill which is 915 m high and at a distance of 2 Km from the village.

Trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky..

  One can enjoy the nature’s splendour and scenic beauty at the temple. The temple has a beautiful Rajagopuram with the images of Gods and Goddesses carved on it. Very rarely we can find Lord Venkateshwara as a “Swayambhumurthi” which means self manifested. Seeing Lord Venkateshwara in the forest, with lush greens is truly a blissful experience.

Spending time in nature is healing energy..

Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as if we were looking through the gates of Heaven. -John Lubbock

If you are a nature lover and wanted to spend time peacefully plan for a trip to Manyamkonda. Have a nice week my dear friends!!

Temple Travelling: Yaganti, Ahobilam & Aprameya temple

Sri Yaganti Uma Maheswara Temple or Yaganti:

Is a temple to Lord Shiva in Kurnool District in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The temple is in the Banaganapalle mandal, 14 km west of Banagapalle village. This temple was constructed by King Harihara Bukka Raya of the Sangama Dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 15th century.

History behind this marvel:

One of the story is as follows: Chitteppa, a devotee of Lord Shiva, was worshiping Lord Shiva and Lord Shiva appeared to him as a tiger. Chitteppa understood that it was Lord Shiva in tiger form, and shouted Neganti Shivanu ne kanti (meaning: The story according to the priests is that when the sage Agastya completed his uttara desha yatra and started dakshina desha yatra he found the beautiful and pleasant place called yaganti( Nekanti-i have seen)and thought to build a temple for Lord Venkateswara on this site. while roaming around caves one of the caves was found to have a very old statue of Lord Vishnu. After all the yagna, homa and pooja he found that the statue really contains a small defect as broken nail on the foot thumb finger. To seek an explanation he prayed to Shiva and Shiva explained that at this place which contains natural springs and nature only I can be worshipped. Then the sage Agastya asked a boon to Shiva to reside in this place for eternity with Mother Parvathi. So this place is called as Umamahesware (Uma: parvathi, Maheswara: shiva) temple. The shrine contains the statue of Shiva and Parvathi on a single stone.ning: I saw Shiva I saw), and danced with joy.

Interesting beliefs:

1. Growing Nandi:

The devotees believe that the Nandi idol in front of the temple is continuously increasing its size. The locals say that the idol was initially much smaller than its present size. They say that certain experimentation was carried out on this idol and it was said that the type of rock out of which the idol is carved has a growing or enlarging nature associated with it. According to Potuluri Veera Brahmendra swamy, the Basavanna (stone nandi) of Yaganti will come alive and shout when Kali Yuga ends.

2. Absence of crows:

Legend has it that while the Sage Agastya was performing his penance, crows disturbed him and he cursed that the crows cannot enter the place. As the crow is the Vahana for Lord Shani, it is believed that Lord Shani cannot enter this place.

 

Ahobilam:

Ahobilam is a holy site in the Allagadda mandal of Kurnool district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located 70 km from Nandyal and 150 km from Kurnool, the district headquarters. There are two temple houses, lower Ahobilam and upper Ahobilam. According to legend, this is where Lord Narasimha blessed Prahlada and killed the demon Hiranyakashipu.

According to legends it is believed that when the Devas saw the manifestation of Lord Vishnu as half-lion, half-man, they shouted “Ahobala” (great strength) as well as “Ahobila” (great cave in which the current sanctum is). Hence, this place could be called either “Ahobalam” or “Ahobilam”. The mention of this place is present in Brahmanda Purana. The place where Lord Narayana appeared from the stone pillar to kill Hiranyakashipa can be seen in this place. The name of this pillar is Ugra Sthambha, which is now referred as “Ukku SThambha” in Telugu, which incorrectly translates to iron pillar.

Aprameya Temple:

While returning from Hassan, we saw this beautiful temple in Channapatna which was about 60kms from Bangalore. The presiding deity of the temple is Sri Aprameya Swamy. However it is more popular as the Navneeta Krishna temple. It is believed that Sri Rama had stayed here for many years and worshipped the Lord here and hence Sri Aprameya swamy is also called Sri Ramapreya swamy.

The splendour of the temple takes your breath away. There is a written document in Tamil that is preserved till date which says the temple was built and expanded by the Chola King Rajendra Simha in the 4th century.Happy weekend my dear friends..