Pushpagiri Temple Complex

Pushpagiri Temple complex పుష్పగిరి
Rural
In the order from top left to bottom left, Vaidyanatheswara Swamy temple, Reliefs on the temple walls of Chennakesava Swamy, A panoramic view of Pushpagiri overlooking the river Penna, Indrantheswara Swamy temple, Trikruteswara Swamy temple
Pushpagiri Temple complex Location in Andhra Pradesh, India
Coordinates: 14°35′41″N 78°45′47″E / 14.594749°N 78.763004°E / 14.594749; 78.763004Coordinates: 14°35′41″N 78°45′47″E / 14.594749°N 78.763004°E / 14.594749; 78.763004
Country	India
State	Andhra Pradesh
Region	Rayalaseema
District	Cuddapah
Area
• Total	7.5 km2 (2.9 sq mi)
Elevation	380 m (1,250 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	500 (approx)
Languages
• Official	Telugu
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	516162
Telephone code	+91 - 8562
Vehicle registration	AP04

The Pushpagiri Temple Complex is situated in the Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located on the banks of the Pinakini River that meanders through the District which has origins on Nandi Hills in Karnataka^[1][2] and is located at a distance of about 16 kilometres from the district headquarters.^[3]

Etymology

The name Pushpagiri derives from a local legend that to extricate his mother Vinutha from the shackles of slavery of his stepmother Kadruva, Garuda has embarked on a journey to the heavens to conquer Lord Indra and fetch the holy nectar of Ambrosia. Garuda while returning from the heavenly abode passed by the hamlet then called - Kampalle, where he unintentionally spilt a drop into a local pond formed by the river Pinakini.

The pond immediately was granted divine powers of transforming back to their youth, all those that took a dip in it. Consequently, people began to throng the pond for dip in its waters. Upon seeing this unprecedented miracle, the Devas approached God Vishnu who instructs Garuda to cover up the pond with a rock from a nearby mountain.^[4]

The megalith Garuda placed on the pond, started floating like a flower - Pushpa in Sanskrit. To stop it from raising again, God Vishnu and God Shiva drove the rock under with their feet into the land. Thus the name Pushpagiri which in Sanskrit would mean a flowery mound.^[4][5]

Geography

The temple complex is located at 380 metres (1,000 ft) above the sea level and covers an approximate area of 7.5 square kilometres (2.9 sq mi). There is lush greenery surrounding the hamlets that include in the temple complex with crops watered from the rain as well as the river year round.

Despite the hot tropical summers in the region, there is always water in the area due to the underwater level butted by the river. Apart from the small arid mountainous area where the mound is supposed to have fallen, the entire region is full of greenery on all sides with plenty of crops mainly paddy.^[6]

During the rainy season, the area is quite a sight for the beholders. The river Pinakini flows from west to east, changing its course towards south at Pushpagiri and soon after the hamlet of Sivalapalle, the river changes its course again to travel east finally opening into the sea in Nellore District.^[7][8]

Climate

Pushpagiri shares a tropical climate with the Cuddapah district as with the encompassing region of Rayalaseema. The summers are long and hot with temperatures ranging between 37°C and 45°C. The river almost dries up during the rainy season with water left only in some pools made by the previous flow. The summer will occur between the months of April and July.^[9]

With the onset of monsoons the climate starts cooling down and the river swells up during the rains which could sometimes be very hazardous especially during the torrential rains in the months of August to October when the occurrence of hurricanes and low depressions are very common.^[10] The floods to the river can cause the swirling waters to precariously perch on the edges of the banks with all the river bed submerged.^[10]

The months between September and March are relatively cool, December being the coolest with a temperature averaging between 17°C and 23°C.^[11] This is the best time to visit the temples around and many people visit the area to perform spiritual pilgrimages as well as for sightseeing.^[12]

History

The early kings

There is a lot of documented history about the Pushpagiri Temple Complex.^[14] The temple has a mention in the Skanda Purana in Srisaila Khanda, Rasaratnakara of Satyanatha.^[15] 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.^[16] The place has been considered sacred from the ages of Karikala Chola of the early Chola Dynasty.^[17]

A 1463 CE dated inscription before the Vaidyanatha Swamy temple, Pushpagiri

It is famous for the architectural styles originating from the Early Cholas culminating in the modern architecture and houses a variety of temples that has varied ages and significance. Since there is a belief among the later kingdoms that reigned the region that from the joyful cosmic dance of God Shiva at the Bhoga Nandeeswara Swamy temple on top of the Nandi Hills, three rivers took their origin. Pinakini or Penna River (in vernacular language), Arkavati and Palar.^[18]

While the other two rivers took their course to become the tributaries of the Cauvery river, Pinakini asked God Shiva the purpose of her birth and to what direction she should flow. God Shiva then said that his bow will show the river the way and pointed towards east and a gorge evolved on the earth giving way for the mighty waters to flow through. Since the bow of God Shiva is named Pinaka, the river is hence called Pinakini after the bow of the God.

Various kings, rulers and local chieftains that ruled the area have endowed the temple complex with grants and monuments.

Patronage under later kings and chieftains

As the kings changed and new dynasties emerged, various kings from various dynasties have endowed the temple with bountiful gifts and grants. Somadeva of Vaidumba Dynasty who usurped power from the Cholas has provided grants to the temple including the Pallava king Chiddana Devaraja. Other king from the Kesa dynasty Yadava Singana. The temple of Vaidyanatheswara Swamy was patronised by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna Vallabha who provided lands for the daily maintenance of the temple. A rock inscription to this effect has been excavated by the ASI.^[5]

Gangaya Sahini and Ambadeva who were the chieftains of Kakatiya dynasty built various other temples in the names of themselves as well as their wives and daughters which add to the architectural glory of the temple.^[19] The temple of chennakesava has been built by the Musunuri Nayaks under the rule of the later Vijayanagara Kings

In one of the inscriptions, A tantric saint by the name Aghora Shivacharya has been credited with constructing the main Gateway-Tower (Gopuram) of the Chennakesava Swamy temple.^[17]

Culture

Lakulisha at Vaidyanatha Swamy temple holding a staff with a serpent wound to it

Telugu is the main language spoken here. However, when the annual fair happens there are people from various places across South India and the area is flooded with various cultures and practices. From ages immemorial, this place has been a host to various practices including Veerapasupatha. The Vaidyanatha Swamy temple on the west bank of Penna river houses an idol of Nakulisa (also called Lakulisa) which is a testimony that various age old cultures and practices of ancient Hinduism have been in practice in Pushpagiri area since a long time.

Further the links of the local Mutt of Sri Pushpagiri Shankara Peetham to Srisailam temple as the patron-institution corroborate the fact that Veerapasupatha or Shakteya cults of Hinduism have been practiced here by the roaming monks and Sadhus. Srisailam has a temple dedicated to Hatakeswara, renowned as the Lord of Pasupatham cult and is famous for various Vamachara along with Samyachara ways of worship.

Other inscriptions excavated along the belt of Yerragudipadu village to the Chintalapattur village also hold a testimony that these kinds of worship have been practiced by the local folk as well as the visitors to the place.

The temple complex and other villages in the vicinity have dispersed temples that are dedicated to both Shaiva and Vaishnava practices of worhsip. At a time when South India has been experiencing widespread tensions because of the difference of opinion regarding the superiority of their own cults, this area cuddled in almost obscurity of the forests and mountains has been a place of worship for both Shaivas and Vaishnavas alike.

Architecture

The architectural styles of the Pushpagiri temple complex range from the age of Ikshvakus to the modern chieftains that subordinated to the kings of Vijayanagara empire. The geographical position of Cuddapah district with mountainous boundaries gave rise to a lot of local feudal kingdoms that have thwarted the onslaught of foreign rules (both Indian and foreign) for a long time. The temple complex has documented history from early Ikshvakus to the local Zamindars that ruled the area. To name a few, it has remnants from the past belonging to Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Cholas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Vaidumbas, Kayasthas and Vijayanagara empires.^[20][21] The Vaidyanatha Swamy temple is a splendid structure and is adorned by a variety of rock-cut sculptures and reliefs of various Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The most striking and categorically ancient temple is this which has the Srichakra in the shrine of Kamakshi on the left as one enters the temple from the northern tower-gate. The entire temple consists of two shrines one dedicated for Vaidyanatha Swamy and another for Kamakshi Devi which are surrounded by various idols of the Hindu deities and Hero-Stones that were excavated and preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

Indranatheswara Temple, View from the Entrance

Long before the struggle between Shaivites and Vaishnavites started, there was a sense of communical harmony amongst the people of Cuddapah district, especially those in the Pushpagiri region, It is evident from a variety of undamaged structures in the region that have stood side by side with no vandalism instigated by the various communal philosophies. There are various temples that stand testimony to this fact, two of which are just kilometers apart.^[22] The Vaishnavaite temple of Chennakesava and the temples surrounding it are of Indranatheswara, Bhimeswara, Trikuteswara and Vaidyanatheswara.^[23] While the Chennakesava temple stands towards the east bank of the river with its magnificent gateway-tower facing west, the Indranatheswara temple is ducked on the north bank of river just opposite to the village of Pushpagiri.^[24][25] The earliest reference to this 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 temple.^[26]

View of Pushpagiri Village and Chennakesava temple from Indranatheswara Temple

The Indranatheswara temple faces east with a deck of steps arising from the Penna river There is a temple courtyard, a dilapidated gateway-tower. The Gopura of the temple is slightly towards the south-west of the temple and the temple is roughly a square. As one enters the temple there is a Mandapa towards the left supported by 12 pillars sculpted in perfect harmony. In the circumambulation path of the temple, towards the North-west is a "Bilva tree" which was considered sacred for the worship of God Shiva.^[27]

Inline with the ancient architecture, the Linga housed inside a sanctum sanctorum before which is a 16-pillared Mukhamandapa that is surrounded by three subshrines. The Antaralaya emanates from the Mukhamantapa and leads to the main shrine where the Linga is still residing, though there is no worship as such. Outside the structure lies a Mandapa for Nandi. The characteristic feature of this temple is the 16-pillared and vast open-pillared mandapa that leads into the main shrine. All the sub-shrines are vacant with no idols of any sort except the main shrine.^[28]

Inscription on the frontal wall of Indranatheswara Swamy temple, Pushpagiri

The temple of Chennakesava is another standing testimony to the art of ancient scions of dynasties that ruled this place. The detail that has gone into sculpting the rocks and boulders to become beautiful structures is outstanding. The presiding deity is Chennakesava Swamy which is the God that Cholas patronised across the generations. There are more temples dedicated to Chennakesava across the length and breadth of the Cuddapah district and they bear a striking resemblance to the Chennakesava temple in Pushpagiri.

The Chennakesava temple faces west with a tall Dwajasthambam (flag-staff) overlooking the Penna river as it changes course from east to south. From the main gateway-tower, there is a path that leads to the Pushpagiri temples inside the hamlet of Pushpagiri. The temple of Chennakesava is an artistic structure with three Shrines inside and two sub-shrines outside of the elevated platform. The shrines inside the platform has the main deity of Chennakesava and Shrine to the left dedicated for a Shiva Linga. There is another small shrine where it was said that a seated structure of Umamaheswara Swamy was once present which was vandalised and left vacant now. A relief on the back wall of the shrine is supposed to be a replica of the deity that once adorned the Shrine. In the circumambulation path of the temple, there is another sub shrine that houses a Shiva Linga towards the North-east side of the elevated platform.^[29]

Umamaheswara Seated on a Bull, Chennakesava Temple, Pushpagiri Temple Complex, Cuddapah District

The temple is built with elaborate carvings on all side and the shrines that house the Shiva Linga and the Chennakesava Swamy are separated by a ridge so that a Parikrama can be done for individual shrines. However, the characteristic feature of this temple is that both the Shrines have a single flag-staff that has Garuda with folded hands facing the Chennakesava swamy shrine.^[30][31]

The shrine of Chennakesava faces west and houses an idol of standing Chennakesava Swamy towering at almost 10 feet. The elaborate carvings on the stone "halo" of the idol show the ten avataras of Vishnu. The temple is still in worship today with both the Linga and idol revered. As the Parikrama of the shrine is completed, there is a shrine for Rajyalakshmi devi, the consort of Chennakesava Swamy. There is a mandapa towards the right of the shrine for Rajyalakshmi devi and a shrine lowering to the level of the steps into the river for Hanuman which seems to have been added to the complex at a later stage. The Gopuram that faces west has its origins from the time of Aghora Sivacharya^[32] and is renovated multiple times during various periods.^[4][33]

The carvings on the shrines depict various Hindu Gods and Goddesses in various postures and depict the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharatha. Most of the carvings are in a relatively better position than Indranatheswara swamy temple and the temple is currently under the protection of Central Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) catalogued #41 as Sivakesava Swamy temple.^[34]

Below is a gallery of the exquisite detailed carvings on the walls of the shrines at the temple of Chennakesava Swamy (Sivakesava Swamy) temple in Pushpagiri.

• 
  The ridge between the two inner shrines, Chennakesava temple, Pushpagiri
• 
  Chola Style architecture with Puranic sculptures
• 
  Intricate details of Chola style architecture
• 
  Pot shaped ballasts in temple architecture, characteristic of Cholas, Chennakesava Swamy temple, Pushpagiri
• 
  Pot shaped buttress for the temple architecture, Chola age, Chennakesava Swamy temple, Pushpagiri
• 
  Shaivaite sculptures on the walls
• 
  Carvings on the Chennakesava Temple

Apart from the Indranatheswara Swamy, Vaidyanatheswara Swamy and Chennakesava Swamy temples, the Pushpagiri temple complex also has a lot of temples dedicated to Bhimeswara, Hachaleswara, Pallaveswara, Sambeswara, Kamala Sambeswara, Kashi Vishwanatha and more.^[35]

Styles of worship

Predominantly a Shaivate place, Pushpagiri also has numerous temples dedicated to various Vaishnava deities. Apart from the ubiquitous Shaiva and Vaishnava styles there are various other styles of worship have existed here like Jainism, Buddhism, Golaki, Aaradhya, Kapalika, Kalamukha, Rasasaivam, Shakteya and Soura.^[36][37][38]

References

Further reading

Hindu temples in Andhra Pradesh
Anantapur	Veerabhadra Temple, Lepakshi
Chittor	Ardhagiri Temple Boiyakonda Gangamma Temple Kanipakam Vinayaka Temple Kapila Theertham Koneti Rayala Temple Palli Kondeswarar Temple, Surutapalli Kulandeshwara Temple Srikalahasteeswara Temple Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
East Godavari	Chalukya Kumararama Bhimeswara Temple Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Antarvedi Neelakanteshwara Temple, Antarvedi
Guntur	Amaralingeswara Temple Kotappakonda Lakshmi Narasimha Temple
Kadapa	Kodandarama Temple, Vontimitta Pushpagiri Temple Complex Gandi Anjaneya Temple
Krishna	Jaladheeswara Temple Kanaka Durga Temple Paritala Anjaneya Temple Andhra Maha Vishnu Sri Peddintlamma Temple
Kurnool	Yaganti Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple Kambagiri Koulutla Chenna Kesava Temple Sangameswara Temple Mantralayam
Nellore	Ranganatha Temple, Nellore Kodandarama Temple, Buchireddipalem Penchalakona
Prakasam	Gangamma Temple, Dhenuvakonda Tripurantakam
Srikakulam	Arasavalli Srikurmam Mukhalingam
Visakhapatnam	Balighattam Nookambika Temple Simhachalam Temple Padmanabham Panchadharla
Vizianagaram	Ramatheertham Punyagiri
West Godavari	Ksheerarama Somarama Kotasattemma Temple Veerabhadra Temple