Chintala Venkataramana Temple, Tadipatri – The Temple

Chintala Venkataramana Temple, Tadipatri – The Temple

This temple is facing towards east with five tiered rajagopuram. The temple measures 225 feet in length and 135 feet in width. Dhwaja Sthamba, Balipeedam and Garuda shrine can be seen immediately after the rajagopuram. The Garuda shrine is designed in the form of a stone chariot with rotating granite wheels. It is smaller in size when compared to the famous stone chariot found in the Vitthala Temple of Hampi.

The temple consists of sanctum, ardha mandapa with entrance porches on either side and mukha mandapa. The mukha mandapa is supported by forty pillars in the Vijayanagar style. There is an octagonal shaped flower on the roof of the mukha mandapa. The outer walls of the ardha mandapa and the sanctum are carved with beautiful reliefs depicting the incidents from Ramayana & Mahabharata and various incarnations of Lord Vishnu.

The sanctum enshrines an image of the presiding deity Chintala Tiruvengala Natha Swamy / Chinthala Venkateswara Swamy. The idol is about 10 feet tall. He is depicted in a standing posture holding the conch (Sankha) and discus (Chakra) in the upper hands. The lower right hand is in abhaya hasta (reassuring devotees) and the lower left hand is in kati hasta (resting on the waist).

On Mukkoti Ekadasi day, the sun rays touch the feet of the presiding deity for 3 days continuously ( Ekadasi, Dwadasi, Trayodasi), which happens once in a year. The vimana over the sanctum is of two tiers. Mother is called as Anandhavalli Thayar. She is housed in a separate east facing shrine. Her shrine is situated on the left side of the sanctum. It is unusual to have the goddess shrine on the left side.

There is a sub shrine for Chakra to the south of the mukha mandapa. The shrine is currently empty. There is a shrine for Chenna Kesava in the northern prakara of the temple. There are shrines for Anjaneya, Sita Rama, Padmavathi, Lakshminarayana, Varaha and Ramanuja in the temple premises.

There is a Thulabharam pillar of Vijayanagara era can be seen in the temple premises. There is a secret underground passage from this temple to Gooty Fort. The entrance of the secret passage has been sealed by the ASI. The earliest inscription can be dated to 1551 CE recording gifts made to the temple. Other inscriptions in the temple are dated 16^th and 17^th centuries CE.