Temple

On the banks of river Krishna, stands the temple of Amaralingeswara, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The place was believed to have been an important pilgrimage site for the Buddhists, with the architecture of the temple and surroundings  showcasing strong influence from Buddhism. Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu, King of Chintapalli and later Dharanikota, was a great devotee of Amaralingeswara. He expanded and renovated the temple. Inscriptions are there on the walls during the times of Kota chiefs and Vijayanagara empire. It is one among the famous Pancharamas temples of Andhra Pradesh.

Legend

The legend regarding the origin of temple describes the war between Lord Kumara Swamy and Tarakasura. As per the legend, Kumaraswamy broke the Lingam worn by Tarakasur as instructed by Lord Vishnu as he could not defeat the demon who had the Lingam on him. One of the places where the fragmented Lingam was placed by Lord Indra, is the Sri Amaralingeswara Temple. It is hence known as one of the Pancharama khsetras of Lord Shiva.

This temple is part of the famous Pancharama Kshetra Darshan Yatra.

Architecture

On the four sides of the Amaravati temple are tiered gopurams adorned with sculptures, in Dravidian  architectural style. The temple has influences of Buddhist style and homes a 15 feet high white marble Shiva symbol. The top of the Linga has a red stain on it. The Shivalinga which was  believed to be growing in size, was hit with a nail to stop its growth. It is said that blood started to ooze from the Shivalinga, which accounts for the stain on the top. There are inscriptions from various eras as well as sculptures, carvings from various eras around the temple. On a pillar in the Mukhamantapa the wife of Proli Nayudu, who was minister of Kota King Ketaraja, has left an inscription. There is a shrine for Bala Chamundika, the consort of Amaralingeswara.

Picture Courtesy: commons.wikimedia.org

Darsan Info

Sri Amaralingeswara Temple timings : 9.30 AM to 1.30 PM and from 4.30 PM to 7.30 PM.
The temple is part of the Pancharama darshan yatra, which covers five shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva in the state of Andhra Pradesh

Darsan Dresscode

Devotees are advised to wear clean and conservative attire. Short dresses are not permitted.

Famous Festival

March - Shivrathri
October - Navrathri

Culture

Amaravathi is an important historic town, and served as the capital of the Satavahana kingdom in ancient times. It is a revered Hindu as well as Buddhist pilgrimage site. The historic  Amaravati Mahachaitya stupa, built between 2nd to 3rd century can be seen here.

Temple Rituals

The priests perform regular pujas and rituals to the deity. Abhishekam is an important ritual of the shrine in which the milk is poured over the Shiva Lingum, chanting the holy mantras or just 'Om Namah Shivai'. It is believed that Lord Amareswara Swamy fulfil the good wishes of the people. Worshipping at this temple is believed to resolve family issues.

Special Rituals

The priests ascend steps to perform puja and abhisheka to the Lingam because of its height

Additional Info