Satyanarayana swamy temple is one of the famous holy shrines in India, second in position after Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. The Annavaram Satyanarayana Swamy temple is constructed in the Dravidian style. The glory and richness of Lord Satydeva was wide delineated in Revakhanda of Skandapuranam. The presiding god Lord Satyadeva together with his consort Shri Anantha Lakshmi on one side and with Lord Shiva on the other took his abode on Ratnagiri, that was called once Ratnakara, son of Meru the king of holy mountains.
It is believed that the place was known for constant food distribution (free feeding) by the benevolent people of the locality and therefore the place was called by the name Annavaram (annam means food in Telugu). Another version is that, because the presiding deity of the place blesses the devotees with anina varam (pronounced or wanted boon), the place is called Annavaram.
The hillock by the side of the village is considered to be very sacred. Meru, the king of the hills and his consort Menaka did great penance and begot two sons by the grace of Lord Vishnu. One was named Bhadra and the other Ratnakar. Bhadra pleased Lord Vishnu with his devotion and penance and with his grace became Bhadrachalam on which Lord Shri Rama had permanently settled. Ratnakara desired to emulate his brother and succeeded in pleasing Lord Vishnu by his penance to settle on him as Veera Venkata Satyanarayanaswamy, Ratnakara remaining as Ratnagiri (hill). Ratnagiri hill ranges are said to be connected with two strategic incidents. Tradition says that Shri Krishadevaraya of Vijayanagar used the secret underground passages in the hills to attack the enemy from both the sides during his invasion on Kalinga kings. The Andhra revolutionary late Alluri Seetharama Raju had some of the secret quarters for himself and his followers in these hill ranges, when he rebelled against the British rule.
The temple of Shri Veera Venkata Satyanarayanaswamy is the main temple on the Ratnagiri hill. There is also a temple for Shri Rama and the shrines for Vana Durga and Kanaka Durga nearby. The temple of gramadevatha"Nerellamma" (village deity) is in the village at the foot of the hill.
It is said that one Brahman of the village by name Earanki Prakasam got a dream wherein the Lord appeared and told him that his vigraha was left abandened on the hill without worship and they shall trace it and reconsecrate it. That Brahman informed the said fact to Shri Raja I.V.Ramarayanam,the then Zamindar of Gorasa of Kirlampudi estate, and both of them along with other villagers traced the idol on the hill, worshipped it and installed it,at the present spot on Sravana Suddha Vidiya of the Telugu year Khara that is 1891 A.D (Fasli 1301).
The main temple was constructed on the hill with the pleasing and distant view of Bay Of Bengal (11 miles) on one side and the row of eastern ghats on the other side, surrounded by the green fields and the pampa river encircling Ratnagiri. The hillock itself is about 300 feet above the sea level. About 300 well - laid stone steps lead to the top of it.
Initially a small shed was constructed in 1891 when the idol was found. Later a temple was built in course of time with the cooperation of villagers and other devotees of the nearby villages. Subsequently the temple was reconstructed during 1933-34, with locally available stones. Later when the same reached dilapidated condition, it was reconstructed during 2011-2012.
"The main temple is constructed in the form of a chariot with the four wheels at each of the four corners. In front of the main temple is the kalyana mantapa, constructed and decorated with modern pieces of architecture. As we go down the way, we come across Ramalaya and then the shrines of Vana Durga are held in great veneration. Devi is said to be seen even to this day in the nights, going around the holy precincts, guarding the Lord's premises.
The Akriti of any temple, according to the Agni Purana, is merely a manifestation of the Prakriti. This idea is further developed in the ancient texts, and the entire Shilpa Sastra is based on the principle that the wall and the vimana of the temple should be so constructed as to remind a devotee, of the universe, and the Lord inside representing the supreme spirit which is the core being of the entire Universe. The temple at Annavaram has been constructed to depict this idea concretely. The front side of the temple depicts the chariot. The Meru on the floor with the pillar at the center, and the idols at the top are intended to bringforth the idea, that the Lord not only remains at the heart's center but also permeates through the entire universe. The wheels depicting the Sun and the Moon serve to remind us that, this Jaggernaut moves on the wheels of time, and goes on forever and ever. Thus the Annavaram temple satisfies both the ritualistic values and the spiritual aspirations of its devotees.
The idol is about 13 feet high in a cylindrical form, the base being in the lower sanctum representing Lord Brahma and the top in the upper sanctum representing Lord Vishnu. The middle portion represents Lord Shiva. There are some temples representing the unity of Lords Hari and Hara and this is the place where even Brahma who is generally denied temple worship, is clubbed with the other two and hence the creator (Brahma), the protector (Vishnu) and destroyer (Shiva) are worshipped simultaneously. The image of the Lord forming a single idol representing the Trimurthis-Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is of unique attraction.
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