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Major Temples Of Andhrapradesh -
Andhra Pradesh is an illustration of the diverse styles of temple building in the Indian subcontinent. 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 Tamil Nadu, the Chalukyas of Deccan, the Eastern Gangas and the Vijayanagar Kings. The oldest temples in the State, Tirupati Venkateswara Temple and the Kalahasteeswara Temple that date back to the pre Christian times. |
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Tirupati town is 67-km from Chittoor in Chittoor district, the southern portion of Andhra Pradesh. The most important place of interest at the place is the historic shrine of Sri Venkateswara, the Lord of Seven Hills, who is famous all over the country.
The shrine is located on a hill at Tirumala, a cluster of seven hills known as Seshachalam or Venkatachalam with an elevation of 853m (2,800ft.) above the sea level. Said to be the richest temple in the world, this temple is a vibrant cultural and philanthropic institution with a grand history spanning several centuries. It attracts pilgrims from all over the country who stand in line for hours together to obtain a glimpse of the presiding deity for a few fleeting seconds.
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The temple at Tirumala is believed to have existed from ancient times. The dynasties like the Pallavas of Kanchipuram, the Cholas of Tanjore, the Pandyas of Madurai and the Kings and chiefs of Vijayanagara, vied with one another in endowing the Shrine and offering worship of the presiding deity. The Tirupati temple with its 'gopuram' or tower is a fine example of Dravidian architecture.
The elaborate rituals and mode of worship in the temple were prescribed by the saint Ramanujacharya and are being followed even today. Anointing the idol with camphor, and the offering by pilgrims of the hair on their heads by getting themselves shaved by licensed barbers are the important customs in vogue at Tirupati Temple. |
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The 'Vimana' or Cupola over the sanctum sanctorum is covered entirely with gold plate and is known as "the Ananda Nilayam". The Shrine consists of three 'Prakarams' or enclosures. The outermost enclosure contains the 'Dhvajastambha' or the banner post and, among others, the statues of Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya and his consorts, and of Todarmal, the minister of Akbar. The idol of the deity, the full figure of Lord Venkateswara or 'Venkataramana' or 'Srinivasa' or 'Balaji' (as is called in various parts of the country) has the attributes of both Vishnu and Shiva, preserving and destroying aspects of the Hindu Trinity.
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Saneeshwara Temple
About 38-km from Rajamunday there is a small village called Mandapalli, where there is a famous shrine of 'Sri Mandeswara Swami Temple' is also called "Someswara temple". The presiding diety is Lord Shiva and the linga is consecrated by Someswara. The presiding deities here are Saneeswara, 'Bhrameswara' and 'Nageswara' in the form of black stone Shiva Lingas. This is a small temple attracting a large number of pilgrims . |
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Another legend is sage 'Dhadchi' made a supreme sacrifice in donating his valuable spinal cord for the most powerful weapon known as the "Vajurayudha" of Lord Indra, which was employed by him to kill countless ghostly demons. The sons of demon in retaliation to the death of their father 'Kartabha' called 'Aswartha' and 'Pippala' invaded the places of Mandapalli and brought untold miseries to the people living in there. Looking at the miseries of people, all the sages lead by sage Agastya approached Saturn, the son of God Surya who was doing penance to rescue them from ruination in the hands of these two demon brothers.
Saturn refused to take up the job of killing the demons until the completion of his prayers to gain enough strength for the destruction, but yielded when the sages who approached him gave their 'Tapasshakti' to accomplish the task 'Shani'. He made up his mind and killed Aswartha and Pippala relieving the sages and other people from the tyranny of the demons engulfed from a long time.
People jubilant over the annihilation of these demons praised Saturn in many words and sage Agastya and others showered on him many boons. As a mark of his glorious victory over the demons Saturn installed a "Shiva Linga" which is known as "Sameswara" or "Mandeshwara". |
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