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Somarama Temple Bhimavaram Guide – Timings, Poojas, and History

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Somarama Temple Bhimavaram (Someswara Temple) is one of the Pancharama Kshetras in Bhimavaram of West Godavari district. Many believe that Chalukaya Bheema constructed it. People also believe that Lord Chandra installed the Shiva Lingam of the temple. A tinge of modernity becomes conspicuous due to the paintings and sculptures.

What is the history of Somarama Temple Bhimavaram?

The history of the Somarama Temple Bhimavaram is that according to beliefs, during Tarakasura vadha, the Shivalingam which was present on the throat of Tarakasura, a powerful asura, was divided into five pieces. The Pancharama Kshetras are present in the place where the five pieces fell.

There are two famous legends about the temple. The legend says that, the Shivalinga was owned by Rakshasa King Tarakasura and he was so powerful that no one could win over him due to the power of Shivalinga.

Lord Kumara Swamy used his powers (Sakthi Ayudha) to kill Tarakasura into pieces but failed as they reunited again and again. On the guidance of Lord Sriraman Narayana who informed him to break the Shiva lingam worn by Tarakusura into pieces first and then place them in five different places forming the sacred temples (PancharamaKshetras).

Lord Chandra installed Shivalinga in Bhimavaram temple and hence the name SomeshwaraSwamy.

Another legend says that Lord Shiva when destroyed Tripura’s during ‘Tripura Samharam’, all that was left was a Shivalingam in the throat of the Lord of Tripuras was broken into five pieces and installed for worship in five different places as Pancharama Kshetras.

What is the significance of Somarama Temple Bhimavaram?

Here is the significance of Somarama Temple Bhimavaram:

  • The Pancharama Kshetras are: Amararama at Amaravati, Guntur Draksharama at Draksharama, East Godavari Somarama at Bhimavaram, West Godavari Ksheerarama at Palakol, West Godavari Bhimarama at Samarlakota, East Godavari.
  • Within the premises on to the left side of the entrance lie the shrines of Lord Hanuman, Lord Sriram, Lord Kumaraswamy and Navagrahas in a hall. On to the right is an open hall with a huge statue of Nandi.
  • One of the most special features of this temple is that the color of the Shivalingam will change its color regarding the lunar aspects, the shape of the illuminated (sunlit) portion of the Moon. And hence during Pournami (full moon days), the color of the Shivalingam will be in white and during Amavasya (dark nights), the color of the lingam will be black.
  • Other deities are Goddess Adilakshmi, Lord Anjaneya Swamy, Lord Kumara Swamy, Sun God, Lord Ganesha, Navagraha and Nandi. The Pushkarani (temple tank) of Somarama Temple is Soma Gundam Pushkarani.

What are the timings of Somarama Temple Bhimavaram?

Here are the timings of Somarama Temple Bhimavaram:

TimingsFromTo
Morning Darshan5 AM11:00 AM
Evening Darshan4:00 PM8:00 PM

Which festivals are celebrated at Somarama Temple Bhimavaram?

Some of the festivals celebrated at Somarama Temple Bhimavaram are:

  • Maha Shivaratri is a foremost festivals taking place in the months of February/March.
  • Sarannavarathri is another grand event that takes place during the months of September/October.

How to reach Somarama Temple Bhimavaram?

Here’s how to reach Somarama Temple Bhimavaram:

  • Road: The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) runs buses frequently from Palakollu, Rajahmundry as well as Vijayawada.
  • Air: The nearest airport is Rajahmudry or Vijaywada from where one can avail regular flights.
  • Rail: Also, the temple is 2km away from Bhimavaram railway station.

Where to stay nearby?

One can stay at ‘Visiv Stay’. This lodge is in Bhimavaram. It offers polished, sophisticated and a visual pleasure to its guests. The rooms are neat and are replete with all basic amenities.

What are some places to visit near Bhimavaram?

Some of the places one can visit near Somarama Temple Bhimavaram are:

  • Dwaraka Tirumala is popular for Chinna Tirupati Temple, a Lord Venkateshwara Temple on the top of the Seshachala Hill.
  • Dindi is about 80 km from Rajahmundry and has a village with virgin backwaters, lakes, lagoons, and rivulets around it.
  • Pithapuram and Draksharamam are two pilgrimage centers that people usually visit together with Kakinda as the base town for a stay.
  • The Bhadrachalam Temple Seetaramachandra Swamy temple is a 17th Century Lord Rama temple and is another important pilgrimage center.

Ahobilam Temple Timings, Poojas, and History

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Ahobilam Temple is dedicated to Lord Narasimha and is located in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. There are two sects – the upper Ahobilam and the lower Ahobilam.  In total there are nine Narasimhasthalams. They are:

  • Jwala Narasimha
  • Ahobilam Narasimha
  • Malola Narasimha
  • Kroda Narasimha
  • Karanja Narasimha
  • Bhargava Narasimha
  • Yogananda Narasimha
  • Chatravata Narasimha and
  • Pavana Narasimha.

Also, the main temple- Ahobilam Narasimha Swamy temple is a holy place that enthralls visitors every time they visit the place. It is a majestic sight to see through bare eyes. The temple is also one of the earliest, falling under Narasimhasthalams. It is at a distance of 70km from Nandyal and 150 km from Kurnool.

What is the history of the Ahobilam Temple?

According to the history of Ahobilam temple’s, there is a legend according to which this is the place where Lord Narasimha blessed Prahlada and killed the demon Hiranyakshipu. Mythology says another story that Lord Vishnu once appeared as half-lion and half-man which is one of his incarnations.

The Devas seeing him shouted crying “Ahobala” (powerful) and “Ahobila” (the cave where currently the sanctum is located) . so this place thus got its name Ahobilam or Ahobala.

What is the significance of Ahobilam Temple?

The significance of Ahobilam Temple is that:

  • The temple follows the Vadakalai mode of worship.
  • The shrine of the Ahobilam temple is on the top of the first range and is also popular as Upper Ahobilam and down below is the Lower Ahobilam.
  • The “sacrosanctum” at Upper Ahobilam was carved out of a big egg-like rock with mandapams.
  • According to beliefs, the presiding deity is a ‘swayambhu’.
  • The Lord is also popular as ‘Ugra Narasimha’ or the ‘Fierce One’ as the Lord appears in his fierce avatar.
  • Also, there are two Devis residing within the temple. They are Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Senjulakshmi.
  • The temple also projects intricate stone art where the entire history of its building has been carved out in the stone form. The temple also is the abode of Adivan Sathagopulu.
  • Also, the tower above the sanctum sanctorum of the temple is famous as Guhai Vimanam and the Pushkarani (temple tank) of this temple are Pavanasini, Bhargava, Indra, Nrisimha and Gaja Pushkarani.

What are the timings of the Ahobilam Temple?

Here are the timings of Ahobilam temple:

TimingsFromTo
Open5:30 a.m. 8:30 p.m.

Which festivals are celebrated at Ahobilam Narasimha Swamy Temple?

There is one major festival famous as Brahmotsavam whose celebrations take place with much grandeur and splendour during the month of February.

How to reach Ahobilam Temple?

Here’s how to reach Ahobilam Temple:

  • Road: The state buses from Hyderabad, Tirupati, Chittoor, Cuddapah, Kurnool, Nellore and Chennai are available.
  • Rail: Nandyal town (74 km. on Guntur-Hubli line) and Cuddapah (118 km. on Madras-Bombay line) are the ones to avail.
  • Air: Hyderabad and Tirupati are the nearest airports where regular flights are available.

Where to stay nearby?

Here are some places where one can stay near Ahobilam Temple:

  • The Haritha Hotel at Ahobilam is a great place to check-in. It is a very suitable and homely place.
  • Malolan guest house at Sannithi street, Ahobilm is another place where one can stay. It also has a very soothing atmosphere with great amenities.

What are some temples nearby?

Some of the temples near Ahobilam Temple are:

  • Bhargava Narasimha Temple is on a hill near a pond popular as Bhargava Theertham where Bhargava Rama performed his penance. Hence the Lord of the temple is Bhargava Narasimha Swamy.
  • Yogananda Narasimha Temple is another place at a distance of 2km from Lower Ahobilam. it is the place where Lord Narasimha appears in yogic posture.
  • Further, The Prahlada Varda temple has its design as per the architectural style of the Vijayanagar Temple. Moreover, it is in the Lower Ahobilam and primarily dedicated to Prahalada Varada. A beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara also exists in the southwest direction of the Narsimha temple.

Kapila Theertham Tirupati Guide – Timings, Poojas, and History

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Kapila Theertham is located in Tirupati. Sri Kapileswara Linga is the self-created form of Lord Shiva which is also known as the Svayambhu form of Lord Shiva. There is also a sacred lake Sarovara that came into existence in front of Kapila Theertham temple. It came through the opening created by the lake Kapila maharishi arrived on the earth. From 1008 theerthams in Tirumala, Kapila Theertham Temple is the only holy theertham that is located at the foot of Tirumala hill. This theertham is very sacred and devotees visit this temple in a large number.

Kapila Theertham History

  • The description of Kapila Theertham temple goes back to 10th century. It also has been referred as the ancient inscriptions of Kulottunga Chola Kingdoms. The history of this temple also depicts that many great empires and sages have worked for the development of the temple which included Pallava kings, Vijayanagara kings and Tirumala Mahants.
  • As the kapila theertham temple comprises of seven lakes, it is also known as the Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabhadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri. The temple is situated on Venkatadri which is the seventh peak and so it also is known as the ‘Temple of Seven Hills.’
  • Medieval history The Pallavas of Kanchipuram (9th century AD), the Cholas of Tanjore (10th century), and Vijayanagara pradhans (14th and 15th centuries) were committed devotees of Lord Venkateswara. During the invasion of Srirangam by Malik Kafur in 1310–11 AD, the Ranga Mandapam of the temple served as the shelter for the presiding deity of Srirangam, Ranganatha Swamy.
  • Later, under the rule of the Vijayanagara emperors, was when the temple gained most of its current wealth and size, with the donation of diamonds and gold.
  • In 1517 Vijayanagara ruler Sri Krishna Deva Raya, on one of his many visits to the temple, donated gold and jewels. This enabled the Vimana (inner shrine) roofing to be gilded. Statues of Sri Krishna Deva Raya and his spouse stand in the premises of the temple. After the decline of Vijayanagara Empire, kings from states such as Mysore and Gadwal gave ornaments and valuables to the kapila theertham temple.
  • There are many stories associated with the manifestation of the Lord in Tirumala. The temple has a murti (deity) of Lord Venkateswara, which it is believed shall remain here for the entire duration of the present Kali Yuga.

Significance of Kapila Theertham

  • There is a big statue of Nandi that is seated when one enters to the darshan of Kapileswara Swamy Temple. Also, there are seven hills of Tirupati, Kapila Teertham waterfalls and a sacred lake directly ahead.
  • The huge Kapila Theertham Temple stands at the mouth and the mountain cave in a steep and vertical face where waters of the mountain stream Paapa Vinasam fall as the huge waterfall Kapila Theertham or Alwar Theertham. It is a very calm and beautiful place where you can enjoy nature with the divine.
  • On the auspicious occasion of full moon day of the Karthika month, all the teerthas ( holy water) on the three worlds of heaven, earth and underworld converge on the Kapila Teertham. If you take a dip in the holy water during this period, you will be released from the worldly bonds of sin to attain Moksha at the mercy of Lord Shiva.
  • In earlier times, devotees used to bathe in the Kapila teertham before climbing the holy hills, and even the footpath for the ascent used to begin here. However, the hill being steep here, it was quite a difficult climb, and hence, the steps were moved to the present location near Alipiri.
  • During the month of Kartika on the occasion of its “mukkoti” on the ‘Purnima‘ (full moon) day, all the teerthas situated in the three world’s merge into this Kapila Teertham at noon for ten ‘Ghatikas'(one ghatika is equivalent to 24 minutes).It is believed that persons bathing in it at that auspicious time will attain salvation from the cycle of birth and death (‘Brahmaloka’).

Kapila Theertham Temple Timings

  • The Kapila Theertham Temple is open from morning 5:00 AM to evening 9:00 PM.
  • The morning puja or the Suprabhatam starts from 5:00 AM to 5:30 AM followed by the Abhishekam till 6:30 AM.
  • The Alankaram or the puja of the lord takes place from 6:30 AM to 7:00 AM. The devotees have to pay an entry fee of Rs. 5/- to participate in the Archana and Harathi.
  • Kapila Theertham Temple is open for all for the Sarvadarshanam from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM and 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM. There is also an Ekantha Seva performed from 8 AM to 8:15 PM.
  • There are different Weekly and Monthly pujas that are performed. Every Monday there is Rudrabhishekam performed from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM by paying the entry fee of Rs. 50/-.
  • There is Navagrahabhishekam performed on every Saturday from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. There is Ekadasa Rudrabhishekam performed every month from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM.
  • If one wants to perform Nithyabhishekam permanently then he will have to pay Rs. 542/- for it and for one year it costs Rs. 42/-.

Kapila Theertham Temple Food Timings

The timing for Anna Prasadam is from 5:00 AM to 3:30 PM and from 5:00 PM to 10:30 PM when free and unlimited food is offered to all the pilgrims. The Anna Prasadam center is next to the Sri Hygreevar Swamy Temple at Thiru Mada Street. The food here is served in Banana leaf with a variety of options. The cooking is done using Solar Electricity and the quality of the food is well maintained.

Dress Code at Kapila Theertham

Men should wear White Pancha, Dhoti/ Kurta, Pyjama. Women should wear saree with blouse/ Punjabi Dress with Dupatta/ Half saree/

Festivals celebrated at Kapila Theertham Temple

  • Karthika Deepam: Karthika Deepam is celebrated when the full moon is in the conjunction with the constellation Karthika. This constellation appears as the group of six stars. These six stars are considered as the six celestial nymphs, who reared the six babies, who were joined together to form six faced Subramanya Swamy. He is therefore called the Kartikeya. This festival also celebrates Lord Shiva appearing as an endless flame. This festival is celebrated as an auspicious way, and people light the lamps at Kapila Theertham falls the highest point.
  • Skanda Sasti: This festival is celebrated on the sixth day in the bright half of the month of Aippasi in Saivite temples all over Tamil Nadu. It commemorates the destruction of evil by the supreme general Kartikeya who is the son of Lord Shiva. The devotees undertake fasts, prayers and devotional singing to Lord Muruga. The devotees stay in the temple for these six days. The events leading to the conquest of the Asuras are dramatized and enacted.
  • Float Festival: Float Festival is celebrated on the night of full moon between mid-January and mid-February each year. The ornamented icons of both the deities God Sundaresa (incarnation of Lord Shiva) and Goddess Meenakshi (Incarnation of Parvati) are taken out in a splendid possession. Devotees are clothed in yellow and red and they dance among the crowd and spray colored water on each other. After the possession, the icons are floated around the temple tank. This festival attracts pilgrims all over the country.
  • Arudra Darsanam Utsavam: This festival takes place on the full moon night and also considered as the longest night of the year. Unmarried women fast during the daytime and will break the fast after the moon rise. The dancing form of Lord Shiva is taken out on the possession. The cosmic dance of Lord Shiva is enacted on the day.
  • Mahashivratri: This festival signifies the marriage of Lord Shiva and Parvati. It is celebrated in February or March. The devotees keep fast on this day and there are possessions that are held on this day. There are also some special pujas that are performed during the day and the temple is decorated very beautifully. There are large queues of the people to seek the darshanam.

Besides these festivals, the other festivals that are celebrated with great enthusiasm are Vinayaka Utsavam, Annabhishekam and Kamakshi Devi Chandana Alankaram.

Poojas and Rituals at Kapila Theertham

Following are the Poojas and rituals that are performed on the Kapila Theertham Temple:

  • Abishekam: Abhishekam is conducted by the priests, by pouring libations on the idol of the deity being worshipped along with chanting of the mantras.
  • Alankaram / Archana: Alankaram or Archana includes decorating the idol of the lord with ornaments.
  • Sarvadarshanam: Sarvadarshanam means Darshan for all. Devotees stand in the queue to attain the darshan of the lord.
  • Rudrabhishekam: Rudrabhishekam is believed to be a very good Homam performed with powerful mantras and it fulfills all the wishes of the person who gets it performed.
  • Navagrahabhishekam: Navagraha Puja is a Vedic ritual that produces tremendous positive energy and helps people to gain the courage to face any situation in their lives. The Vedic ritual performed traditionally for these nine planets (Navagrahas) dilutes the negative influences and infuses peace and prosperity.
  • Ekadasa Rudrabhishekam: This is a more elaborate Pooja of Lord Shiva. Shiva has eleven forms of Rudra. In this Pooja, all the 11 Rudras are worshiped.

How to reach Tirupati: Road, Rail, and Air

  • By Air: The airport of Tirupati is in Renigunta about 15 kms away from the main city, where flights can be found regularly from Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Then taxis can be used to move from the airport to the city which costs about Rs 300. The International airport nearest to Tirupati is in Chennai, which can be reached from any cities in India and abroad.
  • By Train: The Railway station to reach Tirupati is in Tirupati itself and connects by trains to Chennai, Bangalore, Visakhapatnam, Mumbai and Madurai which is a common balaji temple route. Another railway station can be found 15 kms away at Renigunta. It is in the Trivandrum – Delhi route that the railhead of Renigunta falls and, therefore, is reached from all cities in India.
  • By Road: APSRTC runs free buses from the Tirupati Railway station to Alipiri, with a frequency of 30 minutes. The Free bus services, operated by TTD in tirumala are known as “Dharma Wadhams” There are 12 such buses that pass through cottages, choultries, temples and other places in Tirumala. Even the KSRTC buses are available from towns in Karnataka to reach tirupati.

Hotels in Tirupati: Where to stay

There are different Guest houses that are available where one can stay. There are several large choultries with free rooms for families to stay in reasonable comfort. Electricity and water are provided free of charge. Besides these, the other guest houses are Padmavathi Guest House, Sri Venkateswara Guest House and VarahaSwami Guest House.

Hotel Bliss: Near Ramanuja Circle,Renigunta road, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh 517501

Sri Kapileswara Residency: SKR Residency, Near Kapiltheertham Circle, Tirumala Bypass Road,  Opp. Tirumala Hills, 517507 Tirupati, India.

Nearby Temples

  • Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple (Tirumala): Is located at 20.5 KM apart, which can be covered under an hour.
  • Srinivasa Mangapuram: Srinivasa Mangapuram is an important temple connected with Tirupati. These temples are connected through 13 KM, with distance covered less than thirty minutes.
  • Srikalahasti Temple: Is located at a distance of 39 KM. This distance passing through the National Highway and state highways can be covered less than one hour. This temple is well known for it’s famous Rahu Ketu Dosha Pooja.

Annavaram Temple Guide – Satyanarayana Swamy – Timings, Poojas, and History

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Annavaram Temple is one of the most popular holy shrines of the country and is the second most popular pilgrimage after the Tirupati Temple in Andhra Pradesh. The Satyanarayana Swamy Temple in Annavaram has been built in the Dravidian style. The richness and glory of Lord Satyadeva, the temple’s deity, is described widely in the Revakhanda of the Holy Skandhapuranam.

In Annavaram Temple, Lord Satyadeva sits with his consort Shri Anantha Lakshmi on one side and Lord Siva on the other side. The Lord took his abode on the Ratnagiri Mountain, named after Ratnakara who was the son of Meru, the holy king of the mountains. The Sri Satyanarayana Swamy at Annavaram is followed by the sacred Pampa River which is touching the feet of the hill as is the case with all Divyakshetrams.

Lord Satyadeva is the God of truth and he showers his eternal blessings on all humankind in his beautifully manifested form in the form of the divine trinity which is called Hari Hara Hiranyagarbhathrimurtyatmaka. Therefore, the temple is the only ones attracting pilgrims from both the Vishanava and Saiva Hindu religion.

The Veeravenkatasathya Narayana swami is the main temple on the hill dedicated to Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy. This is a temple of Sri Rama and there are shrines of Vanadurge and Kanaka Durga around. The Grama Devatha (village deity) temple is located in the village foot of the hill.

Annavaram Temple History

According to legend, Raja i.e. Ramarayanam was the then zamindar of the Gorasa and the Kirlampudi estates near Samalkot since he was ordained by Lord in his dream. He then traced the idol on the hill and worshiped and installed it at this spot on Sravanasuddhavidiya in the Telugu year khara 1891.

The temple was constructed on the hill and the Bay of Bengal situated at 11 miles is visible from the hill and row of the majestic Eastern Ghats is visible on other side. The hills and the Pampa River encircle Ratnagiri from all sides. The main hillock is about 300 feet above the sea level and there are about 460 well-laid stone steps that lead to the top.

The main temple has been constructed like a chariot that has four wheels at each corner. The main temple’s front has the modern architecture including a Kalyanamantapa. Down the way, there is a Ramalaya and then there are shrines of Vana Durga which is held in veneration and the Devi is believed to be seen there in the nights according to the holy precincts that a perpetually guard the lord.

Significance of Annavaram Temple

According to the Agni Purana and the Hindu mythology, any temple’s akriti is the manifestation of its Prakriti.  In the ancient texts, the idea is developed and the Slipasastra is based on this principle. The temple’s wall and Vimana should be constructed to remind the devotee of the universe while the supreme spirit is represented by the deity inside who is the core of the entire universe.

These texts believe that the chariot is a symbol of seven lokas which lie underneath and the seven lokas that lie above along with garbhalaya of the lord rule hearts and center that rules over the entire universe.

The Annavaram Temple has been constructed based on these ideas. The temple’s front side depicts the chariot, the Meru is on the floor and the pillar is at the center. The idols at tope are constructed to bring to life the idea that Lord remains at the centre but it also permeates entire universe.

The wheels depict both the Sun and Moon and serve as a reminder us that the Jaggernaut completely moves on wheels of time and this cycle goes on forever. The Annavaram temple satisfies the devotees’ ritualistic values and spiritual aspirations.

There is a dial on the north side of temple’s compound that shows Indian standard time which is easy to calculate. A Mandapam is constructed round the main temple and a Kalyana mandapam on the lower level, that provides space to conduct about a thousand Satyanarayan Vrathams at one time and 500 Vrathams can be conducted by the side of Ramalya.

The foundation of a Galigopuram has been laid opposite to the Kalyanamantapam by left side which lies to the south of the compound wall.

The annavaram temple has also installed NavaGrahams and a bigger temple might be built for them in future. Down the steps, there are office rooms, guesthouse, a Choultry and open-air theatre used for HariKathas. The walls of the Vratha halls and the open air theatre have been painted with figures that represent the story of the deity Satyanarayana Swamy and his devotee called Sadhuvu.

A shed for tonsure ceremony, the Kesakhandanasalahas been built on the eastern side of the temple. A new kitchen is also present behind the main temple where the priests prepare Naivedyam for the lord. Another kitchen prepares Prasadam.

The idol of the main deity is 13 feet high and is in cylindrical form. The base of the idol is in the lower sanctum that represents Lord Brahma and the idol’s top situated in upper sanctum that represents lord Vishnu. The idol’s middle portion represents Lord Siva. This image that represents the 3 Lords in a single idol i.e. the Trimurtis-Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is of great attraction.

One of the most popular temples in Andhra Pradesh, a unique yantra based on Tripadvibhuti Narayan Upanishad exists here the shrine is constructed in two storeys, the lower one containing the yantra and upper one housing vigrahas of the lord. The idol is about 4 meter high is in cylindrical form.

The base in the lower sanctum represents Lord Vishnu and the middle portion represents Lord Shiva. The image of the deity forming a single idol and representing the Hindu trinity is of unique attraction.

Annavaram Temple Timings

Darshan Timings: 6 AM to 12 PM, 12:30 PM to 9 PM.

  • Many Poojas are conducted throughout the day by the temple priests and Abhishekas are performed by the devotees at Rs. 100/- per each ticket in the Yantralayam.

Festivals Celebrated here

Ekadashi is a very auspicious occasion for the annavaram temple as this is the best day to perform the Satya Narayan Vratham. Hindus have been performing the Shri Satyanarayana Vratham for ages throughout India.

The vratham is known to bring wealth, prosperity, education, and offspring. A number of pilgrims visit the temple from far and near and the daily average attendance of the temple is two thousand. Ekadashi is a very auspicious occasion for this vratham, but the individual devotees also perform this vratham on any convenient day. The vratham has become all the more popular due to the experience narrated in stories and also due to the legends and observations of daily life.

The vratham has an important fable according to which Sage Narada was once very much distressed about the immense misery of men in this world. He prayed to Lord Vishnu to suggest a way out. The Lord told him about the Satyanarayana Vratham and he said that this would relieve all men of the troubles.

The vratham was also useful to gain worldly prosperity and to achieve salvation after death. Lord narrated that a pious Brahmin from Banaras had performed this magical vratham first. Other people who had performed the Vratham and had benefitted were King Ulkamukha from Bhadrasila Nagaram, Emperor Tungadhwaja, and a Vaishya business man named Sadhuvu.

The community of Gollas in the kingdom of Tungadhwaja and a poor woodcutter from Banaras had performed this vratham. They were all blessed by the great Lord Satya Narayana Swamy (who is Vishnu himself) and they achieved all they desired in life.

This vratham has hence caught fascination of the millions of devotees who have heard the stories and offer respect to the Lord. These stories are easy to understand for the common people as well as within the understanding of the scholars. Thus, all classes of people can perform the vratham and this has popularized it among them as people have been benefitted by the vratham.

According to the texts of the Vratham, Sadhuvu’s daughter Kalavathi had left the prasadam of Lord Satya Narayan to see her husband and thus the husband drowned in the boat in which he was travelling. Thus, Kalavathi was grieved and decided to kill herself. Sadhuvu was extremely grieved to see his only daughter preparing for sahagamana. He thus realized that only Lord Satyanarayana could come to his relief and thus, he fervently prayed to him.

The lord revealed that this catastrophe was inflicted upon them as Kalavathi did not take her prasadam in the hurry to go to her husband. Thus, Kalavathi rushed home and took the prasadam and when she hurried back to the seashore, she saw her husband Ratnakara who was safe on the shore. She then told him all about the Lord and upon hearing this her husband was so much impressed that he heart fully prayed to the Lord and the Lord’s blessings changed the spot  into Ratnagiri hill on which the Lord took his permanent abode.

According to legend, the River Pampa running by the hill is the form of the devotee Kalavathi who had melted with ecstasy at the grace of the Lord and of her husband’s achievement and thus began to flow as Pampa River.

Poojas and Rituals at Annavaram Temple

The Sathya Narayan Vratham is performed on Ekadashi and has a specific procedure. First Lord Ganesha and the Navagrahas are offered respect and then the image of the deity is placed on a clean spot.

The Lord is appeased through chants, flowers, and prasadam that includes fruits, sweet wheat flour, and sweets are offered to the deity. The story is then narrated and Aarti is performed at the end. After the prayer, a small lamp is lit near the idol is known as the Aratika. The devotees take prasadam at the conclusion of the pooja.

How to Reach Annavaram Temple – By Rail, Road, and Air

Annavaram is a village situated close to River Pampa in the east Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated about 32 kms from Pithapuram, 51 km from Kakinada and 72 kms from Rajahmundry. The Sri Veeravenkata Satyanarayana Swamy Vari Devasthanam, Annavaram is well connected by both rail and roadways. It can be reached by road, rail and airways:

By Air: The nearest airport is at the east side of Annavaram at Visakhapatnam and all flights fly to Vishakhapatnam. Annavaram is at a distance of 3 hrs from Visakhapatnam. On the west side of Annvaram, the Rajahmundry Airport is located.

By Train: Many trains that pass between Kolkata and Vijayawada stop at the Annavaram station. One can also stop at Visakhapatnam.

By Road: There are regular buses to Vishakhapatnam as well as Annavaram from all major cities. Madras to Calcutta, National Highway-5 road is going via Annavaram. Regular bus service is available from all nearby towns.

Hotels in Annavaram

Sun Ray Village resort, Visakhapatnam which is the finest resort and family leisure destination at Vizag. Hotel Daspalla is centrally located in the heart of Visakhapatnam near Jagadamba centre.

Nearby Temples

Talupulamma Talli Temple: It is one of the most famous and a well-known place in Andhra Pradesh and people visit for offering pooja to the Goddess after purchasing a new vehicle.

Sri Kukkuteswara Swamy Temple: This is an ancient Siva temple in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh

Pancharama Sri Kumararama Bheemeshwara Swamy Temple: It is located in Samalkota near Annavaram and is a popular temple there.

Vishakhapatnam is near Annavaram and is also a popular tourist attraction in the region. It has been built along the seashore of the Bay of Bengal. It is bounded and broken by the bold headland which is called the dolphin’s nose (357mts above the sea level).

Vishakhapatnam also has a stunning beach. The region’s surrounding area also very picturesque with the well-forested Eastern Ghats and numerous rivers, major among which are the Godavari and Indravati River.

Yaganti Temple Guide – Timings, Poojas, and History

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Yaganti Temple also known as Sri Uma Maheswara Temple or Yagantiswamy Temple is located in Yaganti which is in Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh. This temple is devoted to Lord Shiva and is supposed to have been built in the 15th century by kings Harihara and Bukka Raya of the Sangama dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire.

Yaganti Temple is extremely beautiful and is in the middle of the Yerramala Hills, surrounded by scenic beauty. Also, there are numerous caves in the hills around the temple where quite a lot of saints reside including the great Telugu saint and astrologer ‘Potuluti Veera Brahmam Garu.’

The temple dates back to 5th and 6th centuries with donations from the Pallavas, Chalukyas, Cholas and Vijayanagara rulers. Apart from this, the temple also received valuable contributions from Vijayanagara Kings Harihara and Bukka Rayalu who completed the construction of quite a lot of structures in and around the temple.

Yaganti Temple has idols of Shiva and Parvathi engraved out of a single stone. This temple is almost certainly the only place where Lord Shiva is adorned in the form of an idol and not in the form of a Shiva Linga. It is a popular belief that Agastya performed the sacrament for Lord Shiva and appealed him Lord Shiva to make an appearance in Ardhanareeswara form. Another very bizarre yet miraculous characteristic of this temple is that the idol of Nandi here keeps increasing in size.

Yaganti Temple History

Lord Agastyar was a preacher, a Vedic saint, the earliest Siddhar & one of the Saptarishis, the seven sages who were extruded at many places in the Vedas. According to the mythology associated with the temple, Lord Agastyar desired to construct a temple for Lord Venkateswara, i.e. Lord Vishnu at Yaganti.

Accordingly, a number of rituals were performed to establish the idol of Lord Vishnu at the explicit place selected at Yaganti but to his surprise, he found that the nail of the foot thumb finger was broken. Lord Agastya was bothered to discover this and made a sacrament to Lord Shiva to be acquainted with the reason behind the incident. Lord Shiva responded positively to his prayer and appeared before him and explained that the place bear a resemblance to Kailash and it is appropriate tobe the domicile of Lord Shiva.

Sage Agastya was enthralled and demanded Lord Shiva to dwell in this place for eternity along with Goddess Parvati. So, since then the place is called as Uma Maheswara Temple where in ‘Uma’ refers to Goddess Parvati and ‘Maheswara’ refers to Lord Shiva.

Yaganti Temple is has been constructed as per the Vaishnava traditions and it demonstrates the artistic dexterity of the ancient Vishwakarma Sthapathis.

Significance of Yaganti Temple

The deities of Yaganti Temple are Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati carved on a single stone. There is also a cave in the name of sage Agastya who performed the sacrament towards Lord Shiva. The idol of Lord Vishnu which was apparently believed to be distorted was also found in one of the caves of the temple known as Venkateswara Cave.

The Nandi also termed as Lord Nandeeswara, the ascend of Lord Shiva, present in the Yaganti temple is considered to be budding in size over the decades. As per the researchers, the rock out of which the idol of Nandi is made has a special characteristic which leads the rock to grow. Furthermore, it was also discovered that the idol of Nandi increases to about 10mm per eight years i.e., 1 inch per 20 years. The Archaeological Survey of India has conirmed that the growing of the size of the idol is due to Geological phenomena as per science.

A very significant and remarkable feature of this temple is that the Pushkarini which is the temple tank consists of sacred holy water flowing from the tank. But, the water is believed to flow from the bottom of the hill.

A very bizarre fact about the place is that crows are forbidden to fly in Yaganti. This is because when sage Agastya was meditating here, Kakusara, the king of crows distracted him from his deliberation and in rage sage Agastya spelled his curse on the crows to prevent them from his entering his premises. Likewise, Shani, the vehicle of crows also could not go through.

It is also a belief that people performed Pradakshinas, rounds around the idol of Nandi years ago. One of the pillars of the temple has been removed due to the increasing size of the idol. As per the Potuluri Veera Brahman, the Basavanna which is the idol of Nandi will come alive and bellow when Kaliyuga ends.

Yaganti Temple caves are also remarkable about the place. The following are the temple caves at Yaganti:

  • Agastya Cave: It is believed that sage Agastya performed the holy sacrament here for Lord Shiva. The shrine for Godess Parvati is also located here and one has to climb 120 steps to reach the entrance to the temple.
  • Sri Venkateswara Cave: The distorted idol of Lord Vishnu can be seen here and it is a popular belief that this idol was carved preceding the arrival of Lord Venkateswara Swamy onto Tirumala hills.
  • Sri Potuluri Veera Brahman Cave: Here, the prophet Sri Potuluri Veera Brahman spent some of his time and that’s why the cave has been named so.

Yaganti Uma Maheswara Temple, Nandi: Also dissimilar to other Shiva temples, the idol of Nandi is not placed right opposite to Lord Shiva, rather it is located to the side of main Mantap. Sri Potuluri Veera Brahmendra Swamy declared in his prophecy that the idol of Nandi would come alive at the end of the Kaliyuga and would shout piercingly.

Yaganti Uma Maheswara Temple Akasha Deepam: The temple priest used to lit lamp using 4 litres of oil and 2-meter thick wick on an everyday basis. This was done in the evening on a ledge behind Veerabhadra Swamy Temple. The lamp burns from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm in an open air on the top of the hill.

What are the timings of Yaganti Temple?

Here’re are the timings of Yaganti Temple:

Darshan Timings: 6 AM to 1 PM, 3 PM to 8 PM.

The customary Poojas and rituals are performed within this time slot on an everyday basis.

Festivals celebrated at Yaganti Temple

The main festival celebrated at the Yaganti Temple is the Maha Shivratri Which is celebrated in the month of February/March. This festival is celebrated every year and a mammoth of visitors and pilgrims come from across the country and abroad to be a part of this ceremonial festival.

How to reach Yaganti Temple

  • By road: It is associated with state transport to Hyderabad, Chittoor, Tirupati, Cuddapah, Nellore, Kurnool and Chennai which is 24km from the place called Allagadda and is also connected to the rest of the major cities. Buses are also available to Yaganti from Banaganapalli twice a day i.e., at 7:00 am and 3:30 pm. One can also find buses to Banaganapalli from Cuddapah, Nandyal, Hyderabad and Kurnool.
  • By Train:  The nearest railway station to the Sri Uma Maheswara Temple is the Secunderabad Railway station which is about 7 km from the temple. Nandyal railway station which is 55 km away from the temple is the nearest railway station connected to connected to major cities like Hyderabad, Howrah, Bangalore, Goa, Machilipatnam, Vijaywada, Puri, Hubli, Vizag and Bhubaneshwar.
  • By Air: The nearest airport to Sri Uma Maheswara Temple is Rajiv Gandhi International airport, Hyderabad and it is about 12km from the temple.

It is believed that the best time to visit Yaganti is in between the months of October to March while the peak season is said to be in between the months of February to March and it generally takes half of the day to explore Yaganti.

Yaganti Temple Accommodation

There are quite a lot of hotels available in and around the Yaganti Temple. Apart from the hotels, Lodges are also available at reasonable costs with all the necessary facilities and every year pilgrims from across the world visit Yaganti on an everyday basis.

Where to Eat

Free and quality food are offered to the pilgrims on a daily basis at Annanda Hall and the timings are from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm and 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm.

Nearby Temples

There are a number of important temples located near by the Uma Maheswara/ Yaganti Temple and visitors from around the country visit these temples as well.

  • Nava Narasimha Temple: This temple is located on the upper Ahobilam at a distance of 8km from Lower Ahobilam. The supervising deity of this temple is believed to be “Svayambhu” who is worshipped as Lord Ahobila Narasimha Swamy and is also known as ‘Ugra Narasimha’ because he appears in his fierce feature.
  • Shikaresvara Temple: Located in Nallamala Hill of Srisailam, Shikaresvara Temple is atop the highest point 2830 feet termed as Shikaram. This temple is bestowed to Lord Shiva and the people residing here have the propensity to believe that Lord Shiva in this temple has great healing powers and accomplish all their wishes. The temple also consists of Garbha Griha, 16 pillared Mukhmandapam and Antaralaya.
  • Sakshi Ganapati Temple: This temple is considered as one of the most holy spots recurrented by pilgrims since time immemorial. Located at a distance of 3km from Srisailam, this temple is positioned on the main road to Sikharam. As per the legend of this temple, the Ganapathi in this temple is believed to keep habitual account of the pilgrims to tender Sakshyam which means evidence of their visit to this Kshetram and so the temple is accordingly termed as Sakshi Ganapathi.
  • Mahanandi Temple: Located in the east of Nallamala Hills near Nandyal in Kurnool district, Mahanandi temple is considered to be the living temple that abides the evidence to the harmony that depicts the Hindu way of life. Lord shiva is depicted as the Lord of Nandi, his bull vehicle. Bull is also considered to be an important aspect of the agricultural world and is also bequeathed with worship because bull here, is correlated to Lord Vishnu and his incarnations
  • Iswaraswami Temple: This is also among one of the famous temples in and around Yaganti. This temple is also most popular because of the scenic beauty and the captivating view. Devotees appear in mammoth to visit the temple on a daily basis.

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