Pushpagiri Temple Complex, Kadapa – History

Pushpagiri Temple Complex, Kadapa – History

There is a lot of documented history about the Pushpagiri Temple Complex. The temple has been mentioned in the Srisaila Khanda of Skanda Purana and Sriranga Mahatmya of Garuda Purana. It has been mentioned as the Dakshina Dwara (Southern gate) for the famous Jyothirlinga site of Srisailam in Ikshvaku inscriptions that were later excavated from the site. The place has been considered sacred from the ages of Karikala Chola of the early Chola Dynasty.

It is said that Sri Adi Shankaracharya, one of the greatest philosopher, visited Pushpagiri and installed Sri Chakra in Kamakshi Shrine of Vaidyanathesvara Temple. The Srichakra is believed to have been worshipped later by Vidyaranya Swamy, the founder of the Vijayanagar Empire. The Temples in Pushpagiri received extensive patronage from Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Cholas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Vaidumbas, Kayasthas, Vijayanagara Kingdom and local chieftains who ruled over this region.

Somadeva of Vaidumba Dynasty and Pallava king Chiddana Devaraja have provided grants to the temples. The earliest reference to the Indranatha Swamy Temple was made in an inscription in 1078 CE which registers a land by the Ahavamalladeva of Vaidumba dynasty. Another inscription dated 1182 CE grants some land in the area of Mulakanadu for the daily worship of the presiding deity of the Indranatha Swamy Temple.

The Vaidyanathesvara Swamy temple built by Chola Dynasty and was patronized by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna Vallabha, who gifted lands for the daily maintenance of the temple. The Kamaleshwara Temple, Hachaleshwara Temple and Pallavesvara Temple in the Trikuteswara temple complex were built in 1255 AD. The inscriptions in the Sanathana Malleswara temple mention the existence of five shrines dedicated to Vaidyanatha Swamy.

Gangaya Sahini and Ambadeva, the chieftains of Kakatiya dynasty built various other temples in Pushpagiri in the names of themselves, their wives and their daughters. The Chennakesava Swamy temple was built by the Musunuri Nayaks under the rule of the later Vijayanagara kings. King Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya of the Vijayanagara Kingdom has made multiple grants to the Chennakesava Swamy temple and to other temples in this temple complex.

Aghora Sivacharya, a tantric saint had built the Rajagopuram of the Chennakesava Swamy temple as per the inscription available in the temple. Pushpagiri is used to be a very popular pit stop for the pilgrims traveling the Varanasi – Rameswaram route. There were instances of disturbances to the pilgrims in this region from the dacoits during Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya. He ordered his feudatory Vankara kumara Dhuli Basivi Naidu to safeguard the pilgrims who are on their way to this place.

The successors of Naidu after a couple of generations joined hands with the dacoits during the reign of Krishnadevaraya. Krishnadevaraya summoned Musili Naidu and advised him against such activities. Naidu initially revolted against the rulers of Vijayanagara Empire and used to harass the pilgrims as a way to show his disloyalty but started to obey the king once he was made  in charge of the surrounding villages with the capital at a place called Jillella.

Krishnadevaraya visit to the Pushpagiri temple has brought to light some of the interesting social conditions then prevailing. The priests at the temple were Tambalas by caste, but Krishnadevaraya discovering that they were Tambalas and not Brahmins replaced them with the latter and granted them Goturu and Pushpagiri as Agraharams.

Pushpagiri is an important seat of Advaita Mutts that have large following both within and beyond Rayalaseema region. It has as many as 24 Sarva Agraharams and several other imams dispersed over various districts in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Pushpagiri was once a great seat of the Saivites. Aghora Saivacharya, a great seer is said to have lived here. Pushpagiri Thianna, great Telugu poet hails from this place.