Amareswara Temple

The Amareswara Temple is a Hindu temple in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. Situated on the bank of the Krishna River, it is one of the most important places of worship in Andhra Pradesh and a famous tourist spot in Amaravati. It is also famous as the Amaralingeswara Swamy Temple. As one of the places to visit in Amaravati, it attracts many devotees and tourists.

What are the architectural features of Amareswara Temple?

The Amaravati Temple is in the Dravidian style. It has four gopurams and a Vimana all around it. The place accommodates a 15-foot-tall marble Shiva Lingam, who is accompanied by Goddess Bala Chamundika, believed to be Lord Shiva in human form. The lingams of the temple, which are Praneswara, Agasteswara, Kosaleswara, Someswara, and Parthiveswara, are considered by the faithful to exist. There is a red mark on top of the lingam, resembling a cut made by a nail that allowed blood to ooze out.

Three concentric circles surround the temple's sanctum. These include Mahishasura Mardini, Veerabhadraswamy, Omkareswara Swamy, Guru Dattareya, Agasteswara Swamy, Vinayaka, Kalabhairava, Anjaneya, Nagendraswamy, Kumaraswamy, Kasi Viswanatha, Mallikarjuna, Pushpadanteswara Swamy, and Kalahasthiswara.

What is the history of Amareswara Temple?

People consider Amaralingeswara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, to be one of the Pancharama Kshetras of Lord Shiva. The other four are Draksharama, Kumararama at Kotipalli, Bheemarama at Samalkot, and Ksheerarama at Palakollu. The story goes that when Subramanya killed the demon Tarakasura, the Shiva Lingam in his throat broke and fell in five different places. These five spots are now famous as the Pancharama kshetras. People think that Lord Indra himself put the holy Shivalinga in the Amareswara Swamy Temple.

The Puranas don't say much about how the temple came to be. However, Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu, the zamindar of Chintapalli and Dharanikota in 1796, fixed it up and made it bigger. The walls of the temple feature inscriptions about some of the people who lived in Amaravati, including the great Vijayanagara ruler Sri Krishnadevaraya. A stone column in the Mukha Mandapa has a writing about the wife of Proli Naidu, who served as Kota King Ketaraja's minister.

The best time to visit

The best time to visit the temple is from October to March, as it is less hot. The weather is great during this period of the year, and there is not much rainfall, hence providing an excellent opportunity for tourists to roam about the temple and places surrounding it with ease.

The most important event at Amareswara Temple is Maha Shivaratri. Every year at this time, thousands of people visit the shrine, adding a divine air to the celebrations. Many also enjoy Navratri and the Kalyanotsavam with great devotion. For those planning a visit, an Amaravati tour package often includes these vibrant festival experiences.