Places of Interest

Sri Jogulamba Bala Brahmeswara Swamy Temple, Alampur

Importance of the Destination

Alampur near Kurnool is home to the very ancient Navabhramma temples dating back to the 7th century CE. Alampur is considered to be the western gateway of SreeSailam, the revered Jyotirlinga Shivastalam in Telangana. The southern, eastern, and northern gateways are Siddhavattam, Tripurantakam and Umamaheswaram respectively.

The Tungabhadra and Krishna are in confluence near Alampur, which is also known as DakshinaKailasam (as is SreeKalahasti in Southern Telangana). Nine temples here referred to as the Nava Bhramma temples are dedicated to Shiva

The Nava Bhramma temples were built by the BadamiChalukyas, who ruled for about 200 years from the middle of the sixth century onwards. The BadamiChalukyas built several temples in Karnataka, and the Alampur temples in Telangana.TheAlampur site preserves archeological remains in the form of temples exhibiting a hybrid style of architecture – dating back to the 6th-7th centuries CE. Some of the images from this site are also housed in a museum nearby.

The Nava Bhramma temples areTarakaBhramma, Swarga Bhramma, Padma Bhramma, BalaBhramma, Garuda Bhramma, KumaraBhramma, ArkaBhramma, ViraBhramma and the VishwaBhramma. These temples are all enclosed in a courtyard on the left bank of the river Tungabhadra.

The BalaBhramma temple is the principal shrine of worship. It dates back to the year 702 CE – per the inscriptions seen here. Shivaratri is celebrated in great splendour here.

The TarakaBhramma temple is partly in ruins, and it has no image in the sanctum. It bears telugu inscriptions from the 6th-7th century CE. The Swarga Bhramma temple with an imposing tower is considered to be among the finest in Alampur, and is an excellent specimen of Chalukyan architecture and sculpture. It contains several sculptures in bas relief, and it dates back to the end of the 8th century.

The Padma Bhramma temple partly in ruins, contains a Shivalingam of clear stone with mirror like finish. The ViswaBhramma temple is among the most artistic of the Nava Bhramma temples. The sculptural work here depicts scenes from the epics.

Also in the enclosed courtyard is located the Suryanarayana temple, dating back to the 9th century. This temple has bas reliefs representing the incarnations of Vishnu. There is also a Narasimha temple with inscriptions from the period of Krishna Deva Raya of the Vijayanagar Empire.

Near Alampur, is Papanasam with a cluster of over 20 temples of varying sizes and styles. The most important of these is the Papanaseswara temple.

Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy (Korakondaiah Swamy) :

Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy (Korakondaiah Swamy) has resided at Korakondaiah Hill, who is the main God for all the people residing around this village. The residents, who are living around these villages/mandals trust Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy from past 25 years and from their ancestors. The people come to know about the Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy through Sri Seshadasula Swamy. In the past, the people do not go to top of the hill and did not find the Lord Sri Venkateswara on the top of the hill. Sri Seshadasula Swamy find Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy lying on the Korakondaiah Hill through his power and told about Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy to Sri Timmaiah, who is a Patwari for Revulapalli Village and ordered to perform special pujas on every KarthikaPournima (during November), PallakiSevas and ‘Jathara (Brahmotsavam)’ on the Padyami Day. All these sevas, puja, brahmotsavs, etc have been organising by the Management/Trustees of Sri Anjaneya Swamy Devasthanam of PeddaChintharevulaVillage, Dharoor Mandal, JogulambaGadwal District for a period of two days from past several years.

There are no steps to Konrakondaiah Hill for the devotees to visit Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy. Sri Thimmaiah, Village Sarpanch with the help of villagers constructed steps from bottom to top of the hill to facilitate the devotees to visit Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy during those days.

From the style, structure and appearance, it can be inferred that the temple was built more than 25 years ago. The temple attracts thousands of pilgrims every year and is an ideal place for meditation.

The temple is one of the oldest temples in that area and is surrounded by many villages. According to tradition, a devotee who used to visit Tirupati every year could not do so due to economic conditions, ill-health, far distance, etc visits this temple and perform their purjas, tonsure ceremonies and other functions.

Many worshippers to the temple, to receive the blessings of the Lord Sri Venkateswara and his consorts throughout the year particularly during KarthikaPournima, Padyami, and Brahmothsavams. The unique feature of this idol is that the Lord Sri Venkateswara is between two hillocks.

Recently, the RWS Department constructed Overhead Tank for providing drinking water to the surrounding villages on the top of the hill and laid down road to top of the hill. This facilitates and eases devotees to reach the temple through vehicles.

The Management Trustees of Sri Anjaneya Swamy Devasthanam, PeddaChintharevula have installed new idol of Lord Sri Venkateswara on the top of the hill with the help of Tirumala TirupathiDevasthanam on 02.06.2009 by Sri SriSri 108 VidyadeesaTheerthaSwamyji, ValimaraMatham, Udipi, Karnataka.

Sri Anjaneya Swamy Temple Beechpally (V), Itikyal (M)

Importance of the Destinations

Beechupalli Hanuman temple is located in Itikyala Mandal of Alampur Taluq in Jogulamba Gadwal District at the Confluence of Tungabhadra River with Krishna River. This temple is very famous and situated about one kilometer from Kondapet village on the banks of the Krishna River. Beechupalli is also located about 10 Miles from Itikyala, Puduru and Gadwal Railway stations and in the olden days pilgrims used to come to this place on Bullock carts from the above places. This temple is very close to the bridge across the Krishna River in between Hyderabad and Bangalore on National Highway 7. We don’t have any historical evidence about the existence of name of Beechupalli in the old inscriptions, but we can find the names of Beechamma, Beechanna and Beechupallayya in the names of the local people in all communities.

Beechupalli Hanuman is the family deity for the people of Kurnool, Raichur, Mahabub Nagar and also for the people of far of places. There is a ruined hill fort of medieval time period is located at about one Kilometer in the middle of the KrishnaRiver which is known as Nizam Konda or Hill. It is believed that it was built by Gadwal Kings and it’s an impregnable fort. This temple was patronized by Gadwal Kings till its fall after independence which is under ruins now and their family members are still conducting chariot festival of the temple every year.

As per the available inscriptions in the areas of Krishna and Thungabhadra, this place has great historical importance during the time of Mouryas, Satavahanas, Ikshvakus, Chalukyas of Badami, Rastrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagar Kings and Sultans and witnessed blood shed wars in the history among different dynasties. An inscription in the premises of the temple is attracting the scholars and historians to reconstruct the history and this inscription was mentioned in 1914 A.D by Sri Manavalli Ramakrishna Kavi at the time of announcing about “KumaraSambhava” of NanneChoda.

The idol of Hanuman might have been installed by Sri Vyasa Raya who was guru of Sri Krishna Devaraya lived in between 1457 – 1539 A.D. This temple was built with spacious Mandapam in the sanctum sanctorum by Gadwal Kings around 200 years ago and it is facing south and Hanuman idol is facing East.

History of the place:

Beechupalli Hanuman temple is famous for miracles of the god and people perform tonsuring of head for the children and adults and perform marriages etc in the temple premises. Pilgrims pray the god for fulfillment of their wishes and they offer many things to god after fulfillment of their wishes. As per the belief of the pilgrims, this god cures the diseases if they make pradakshinas or circumambulatory. Earlier, local Valmiki Tribes Community (hunters) people used to work as priests in the temple as per a story but after the advent of Gadwal Kings, they appointed Madwa Brahmins as priests by giving donations to them. Madhwa Brahmins and Valmiki tribes (local) are working as priests till today.

There is a Kamili tree in the premises of the temple, which is located on the top of a termite hill. It is always with buds, flowers and fruits and having platform around it. This plat form believed to be a graveyard of somebody, which is not known. This graveyard is very important as per the local story and at the time of Chariot Festival pilgrims pull the chariot up to this termite hill and Kamili tree.

Pilgrims come to this temple not only from Gadwal, Wanaparthi, Mahabubnagar areas but also from Kurnool, Ulindakonda, Adoni, Raichur, Hubli, Dharwad, which are in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Beechupalli hanuman is the family deity to the most of the people in this area. Pilgrims believe that this god give complete health if they worship for at least 15 days after they have their holy dip in the Krishna River.