Amaralingeswara Temple, Amaravathi – The Temple
The temple located on Krouncha Shaila, a small hillock
on the banks of the Krishna, is a blend of Buddhist and Dravidian architecture,
with four lofty gopurams in its outer circumambulatory path. Rajagopuram is of
7 tiers. The sanctum sanctorum which is at an elevation from the ground, is
accessed by a flight of steps. Presiding Deity is called as Amareshwara / Amaralingeswara
/ Krouchandha. He is 15 ft tall white marble lingam with a circumference of 3
ft, is the biggest of the Pancharama Lingams. A legend states that this was
originally the Ayaka Stambha or an Ayaka pillar, and which was later
consecrated as a symbol of the Shivalinga.
The Shivalinga here is very tall that the archakas mount
a pedestal platform and perform the daily rituals as well as Abhisheka. The top
of the Linga has a red stain on it. It is said that Shivalinga was growing up
in size and to stop its growth, a nail has been hit onto the top of the Shivalinga.
When the nail dug into the Linga, blood started to ooze from the Shivalinga it
seems. The stain can be see even today.
Mother is called as Bala Chamundika / Bala
Chamundeshwari Devi. She is housed in a separate shrine in the prakaram. She is supposed to have been installed by Adi
Sankara. Also, she is considered as the fourth of the 18 goddesses. The
temple has three circumambulatory paths or prakaram where there are shrines to
several gods, including one for Vishnu as Venugopalaswamy, in keeping with
Agama sastra. The first prakaram houses the shrines of Mahishasura Mardini, Veeerabadhra,
Omkareswarar, Dattatreya, and Agastheeswarar. The second prakaram houses the
shrines of Vinayaka, Kalabhairava, Anjaneya, Nagendra Swamy, Kumaraswamy along
with the statue of Lord Krishna under a tree.
Third Prakaram is situated is bit above the second prakaram
and houses the shrines of Kasi Viswanathar, Mallikarjuna,
Pushpadanteswara Swamy and Kalahasthishwarar.
This Temple has numerous inscriptions on its walls like those of the Kota
chiefs of Amaravati and of Krishandevaraya, the great Vijayanagara emperor. On
a pillar in the Muhamandapa, the wife of Proli Nayudu, who was minister
of Kota
King Ketaraja, has left an inscription.
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