Located in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, Sri Palli Kondeshwara Swami is a famous temple dedicated to Lord Siva. The temple was built by Emperor Vidhyaranyar during the Vijayanagara Era. The unique feature of the temple is the idol of the deity where Lord Siva is resting on the lap of Goddess Parvati.

location Andhra Pradesh, Chittoor, Amaravathi

Legend

During the Samudra Mathan between Devas and Asuras for obtaining the Amrita (Elixir of Immortality), poison came from the mouth of Vasuki (King of Serpents). The poison was so toxic that it might have destroyed the entire universe. To avoid that Lord Siva drank the entire poison. Seeing this, Goddess Parvati came and put her hand on the throat of Lord Siva for stopping the poison from spreading the entire body. Due to that the poison remained in the throat and Lord Siva’s throat became blue in colour. Therefore, Lord Siva is also called as Neelakantha (the blue-necked one). Lord Siva felt dizzy after that and he rested his head on the lap of Goddess Parvati and the whole went dark. As soon as the effect of poison diminished, Lord Siva opened his eyes. Devas and Asuras came to meet Lord Siva after that; however, Nandi (Sacred Bull) did not gave them the permission to see Lord as he was resting and asked to wait. Later, pleased with the prayers, Lord Siva gave the darshan. This period when Lord Shiva gave them Darshan is known as Pradosha Kalam.

Architecture

The unique feature of the temple is the idol of Palli Kondeshwara. Here, the Lord is in reclining position (about 6 feet long) with his head on the lap of Goddess Parvathi. The Son God and Moon God are present on the either side of Goddess Parvati. Many others including Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma, Goddess Laxmi, Sage Maarkandeyar, Sage Agasthair, Valmiki, Indran, Sage Naradhar, Lord Subramaniyam with His consort and Lord Ganapati are also present in the temple. The Lingam is in triangular shape and there is a large Nandi outside the temple. Next to this temple is a stone with many footprints on it. In 1976, Kanchi Mahaperiyavar (a sage), camped here for 40 days and asked some people to dig a particular place. On digging, they found a stone with innumerable footprints on it. Mahaperiyavar disclosed that the footprints belongs to Lava and Khusha - the twin sons of Lord Rama.

Culture

People in Chittoor enjoy a scrumptious platter of Andhra delicacies. A good helping of plain rice accompanied by a variety of gravies, curries, and even dry meat is the traditional food of Chittoor. Andra Pradesh is famous for its spicy food, especially when it comes to curries and gravies. One can find a variety of tasty and finger-licking local delicacies being served in various restaurants in Chittoor. The local people in Chittoor are very fond of Carnatic music. Kuchipudi, Vilasini Natyam, Veeranaatyam, Lambadi, Kolatam, etc. are some of the most popular regional dance forms in Chittoor. The ancient art of Veedhi Natakam is popular till date in Chittoor. The local craftsmen are skilled artisans who create terracotta figures, wood sculptures, and bronze images.

Darsan Info

06:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 04:00 PM to 08:00 PM

Darsan Dresscode

Wear modest clothes and avoid shorts for men

Famous Festival

Siva ratri

Temple Rituals

Morning pooja and arati starts from 06:30 AM onwards

Additional Info

 

SN Foods Restaurant