Ranganayakula Temple, Udayagiri, Andhra Pradesh

Ranganayakula Temple, Udayagiri, Andhra Pradesh

Ranganayakula Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, located at Udayagiri Town in Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple has been classified as a Monument of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

History

The temple might have been built either by Gajapati Kings or Vijayanagara Kings. The temple was extensively renovated by a Timmaraju in the latter part of the 16^th century A.D. The idol of presiding deity, Ranganatha was removed during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya in 1514 A.D and placed in the Ranganayakula Temple at Nellore to evade an attack during a Muslim invasion. Later, the temple seemed to be abandoned and ruined due to nature’s fury.

The Temple

This temple is facing towards south with four tiered Rajagopuram. There is an another Gali gopuram on the eastern side. The temple has two prakarams and these prakarams are once enclosed with compound walls. Only, the remains of the walls can be seen today. The Sanctum Sanctorum consists of Sanctum, Antrala, Maha Mandapam and Mukha Mandapam. All these structures are in ruined state. The Sanctum once housed an image of Ranganayaka (Anantasayana Vishnu). The pedestal on the floor once housed the presiding deity can be seen in the sanctum. The inner prakara contains two Mandapas, a well and few shrines. All these are in ruined state.

Connectivity

The Temple is located at about 500 meters from Udayagiri Bus Stand, 6 Kms from Udayagiri Fort, 25 Kms from Seetharamapuram, 50 Kms from Badvel, 95 Kms from Nellore Railway Station, 97 Kms from Nellore, 106 Kms from Kadapa, 283 Kms from Chennai Airport and 298 Kms from Vijayawada Airport. The temple is situated on Nellore to Seetharamapuram route.

Location | Photos