Ranganathaswamy Temple, Aluru – Legends

Ranganathaswamy Temple, Aluru – Legends

As per legend, Sage Vishwamitra was living in this place near the forest of Thadaka and was doing penance and yajna with his disciples. They were being tormented by Thadaka and her sons. Unable to tolerate the menace any longer, Vishvamitra approached Dasharatha, the King of Ayodhya for help. He requested Dasharatha to send his eldest son, Rama to protect his yajna. Though Dasharatha was initially reluctant to send his 16-year-old boy, he finally sent Rama and his younger brother Lakshmana with Vishvamitra on the advice of the royal guru Vashishta.

Vishvamitra trained them in warfare and taught them various mantras. When Vishvamitra and the princes were passing through the forest of Thadaka, Thadaka attacked them. Rama, aided by Lakshamana, slew her with his arrow. Vishvamitra blessed Rama, as the gods rejoiced in the end of Thadaka. The sage gave him divine weapons as a reward. Vishvamitra then began his six-day yajna, with the princes standing on guard. While the first five days passed without incident, on the sixth day the sacrificial fire suddenly faltered, indicating trouble.

Maricha and his brother Subahu, with a horde of rakshasas, appeared from the treetops like black clouds, roaring and making a thunderous noise. They tried to destroy the yajna fire by showering it with blood and flesh. Rama fired his Manavastra (astra which could hit a target miles away) from his bow. The arrow struck Maricha's chest and threw him a hundred leagues away, into the ocean. Subahu and the other demons were killed by Rama, using various other weapons. The sacrifice was completed successfully. To commemorate this event, Yerrama Timmaraju, a feudatory of Vijayanagara King Bukka Raya I built the current temple in 1334 CE.