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Facts to
File
How far
:
150 km
from Hyderabad
How to go
: --------------.
Where to
stay : --------------.
What to see
: Sri
Rajarajeswara Swamy temple and the Mosque inside the
premises
Vemulawada, located 150
km from Hyderabad is known for Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Temple. It
is one of the very few temples devoted to Lord Siva. Popularly known
as Dakshana Kashi (Benaras of South India) the temple attracts lakhs
of devotees from all over the country.
The Sri Raja Rajeshwara
Swamy Temple is a fine example of communal harmony where both Hindus
and Muslims offer obeisance to Lord Siva and Allah.
The temple at Vemulawada
is next only to Tirupati in terms of its revenues. The temple
contributes Rs. 8 lakhs anually to the gram Panchayat for
developmental activities in the pilgrim town.
 Special arrangements are
made for the pilgrims during the festival. Several cultural and
social activities are also organised by the authorities. Free
boarding and lodging is provided to the students. Besides, the
temple also offers donations for other small temples.
On the Sivaratri day, a
record three to four lakh pilgrims throng the sacred temple at
Vemulawada. Special poojas and darshans are held to mark the
festivity. Mahalingarchana is performed by about hundred archakas.
At midnight Ekadasa Rudrabhishekham is performed to the deity. The
temple is brightly illuminated in the night, presenting an aesthetic
look.
LEGEND
The puranic version has
it that Lord Siva after having stayed at Kashi, Chidambaram,
Srisailam and Kedareswaram chose to reside at Vemulawada.
History records that
Vemulawada was ruled by successive dynasties - the Ikshwakus, the
Satavahanas and later by the Chalukyas who made it their state
capital.
The presiding deity is Sri Raja Rajeswara Swamy, also called
Rajanna. To the right of the presiding deity is the idol of Sri Raja
Rajeswari Devi and to the left is the idol of Sri Laxmi Sahitha
Siddi Vinayaka.
In the temple premises
there is a holy tank called the Dharma Gundam. Three mandapas were
constructed on it and the statue of Lord Eshwara resides in the
middle. The Lord is seen in a meditation posture with five lingas
surrounding the holy tank.
The lighting of the holy
lamp or Ganda Deepam is also considered auspicious by the devotees
visiting the shrine.
Although devotees make
offerings to the presiding diety in different ways, the most
important one is Kode Mokku (offering of bull to God). The devotees
who bring the bull take them round the temple and tie it somewhere
in the temple complex. The significance of this ritual is that
devotees will be cleansed of their sins and they can beget children.
This temple attracts
followers of both Vaishnavism (worshippers of Vishnu), and Saivism
(worshippers of Siva), and is also being frequented by Jains and
Buddists. The sculptures on the temples also depict the cultures of
Jainism and Buddhism.
A unique feature of the
temple at Vemulawada is that it also houses a 400 year old mosque
inside its premises.
It is believed that the mosque
was built as a tribute to a muslim devotee of Lord Siva who lived
for many years in the temple precincts and breathed his
last.
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