This temple, Sri Nareswaraa Swamy Temple, is also called Sri
Kapotheswara Swami Temple at Chejarla Village, Nagarikallu Mandal in Palnadu
District of Andhra Pradesh. This temple is considered Dhakshinakashi. The
temple is on the banks of Nagarjuna Sagar Right Canal.
Moolavar :
Sri Nareswara Swamy/ Kapotheswara Swami
Consort :
Sri Ganga Bhramaramba Parvati
Some
of the salient features of this temple are…
The
temple faces east with a two-tier Rajagopuram and a mandapa.
Balipeedam, dwajasthambam, Lighting stand, and Rishabam are after the
Rajagopuram. Dwarapalakas are on both sides of the ardha mandapam. In sanctum
sanctorum, a Shiva Linga with a unique shape with holes on the top. It is said
that the abhisheka water goes into one hole (where it goes is not known) and
from the other hole a raw flesh smell comes out. A small Rishabam is in front
of the Shiva Lingam.
Ambal
Sri Ganga Bhramaramba Parvati is in ardha mandapam faces east. Ma Parvati is in
a sitting posture with abhaya varada hastam.
In
the praharam, Vinayagar, Valli Devasena Subramiar, Kumara Swamy, Kanaga Durga,
Bairavar, Ambal Parvati, Janarthanar, Hanuman, Surya Narayana, Shasra Lingas,
Saptamatrikas, Dakshinamurthy, some loose sculptures, that includes Hero
Stones, Small Shiva Lingas, Soolakal, Telugu inscription stones, and 24 numbers
of small Shiva sannidhis. They are Sri Neelakandeswara Swamy, Sri Umamaheswara
Swamy, Sri Koteswara Swamy, Sri Shambu Lingeswarar, Sri Nageswara Swamy, Sri
Ramalingeswara Swamy, Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy, Sri Dattatreya Swamy, Sri Bhima
Lingeswara Swamy, Sri Chidambareswara Swamy, Sri Nimma Devotee, etc. One of the
Shiva Linga sannidhi has the Rishabam and a Suryan on a flat stone.
ARCHITECTURE
The temple was built in the Gajabirushta style. The whole
temple was built with bricks. The vimana is of eka tala, and there are no images
in the greeva (koshtas).
The lalada nasi is with stucco images of Shiva and Parvati
as Rishabaroodar, Musicians, Maharishi, Kinnarar, Kimburudar, samaratharis,
etc.
HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
It is believed that this Gajabirushta temple belongs to the 4th
to 5th Century. The temple was originally a Buddha Chaitya and was later converted to a Hindu Temple.
There are 8 inscriptions
recorded in South Indian Inscriptions, and all are in Sanskrit with Telugu
script. Most of them are damaged, recording the endowment of burning Lamps at the
temple and naivedyam offered to God Kapoteshwara. And the money and land were gifted
to this temple.
Some details of one
of the inscriptions are given below.
During the Pallava king
Mahendravarman I’s reign (610 CE), an inscription in Sanskrit with Telugu script on a slab set up in front of the central shrine of the Kapōtēśvara temple is severely mutilated. Mentions Kapōtēśvara (1. 5), the gōtra Bharadvāja (1. 21),
Avanibhajana (1. 27), and Mahendravikrama. Mahārāja and Vegavati (river) (1. 31).
References:
ARE, 1899, no 155
(A);
SII Volume VI, no. 593
to 601.
Inscription of Pallavas.
Soolakal with inscriptions ( Land donations)
LEGENDS
The
famous Sibi Chakravarthy’s story is associated with a sthala purana. Once, a
Pigeon (Agni) came and sought protection from a Falcon (Indra). The Falcon told
the king that it needed the Pigeon to eat as per the dharma. King Sibi refused
to hand over the Pigeon; instead, he offered food. The Falcon didn’t accept; instead, it asked his flesh for the same weight as the Pigeon. So King Sibi
took out his sword, cut the flesh off his thigh, and kept the balance. When
the flesh did not match the Pigeon’s weight, to save his promise, he sat on the
balance. Immediately, the Pigeon and the Falcon disappeared, and Indra and Agni
appeared before him and blessed him.
Since
the Pigeon is associated with the Sthala Purana (Kabootar in Hindi - कबूतर =
Pigeon), Shiva is called Kapotheswara.
POOJAS
AND CELEBRATIONS
Apart
from regular poojas, special poojas are conducted on Maha Shivaratri days,
Navaratri, etc.
Saptamatrikas
Saptamatrikas- left is Shiva
Saptamatrikas- right side is Chamunda
TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will be kept open from 5.00 hrs to 12.00 hrs, and from 16.30 hrs to 18.00 hrs.
CONTACT DETAILS
The mobile number
+919440211549 may be contacted for further details.
HOW TO REACH
The temple at
Chejarla is about 20 km from Nakarikallu, 31 km from Narasaraopeta, and 90 km
from Guntur (Palnadu).
The nearest railway station is Guntur.
LOCATION OF THE
TEMPLE: CLICK HERE
Sub-Sannidhis
Sub-Sannidhis
Sahasra Linga
Sahasra Linga
Sahasra Linga
--- OM SHIVAYA
NAMA---
Ravichandran KP added 22 new photos to the album Temple Architecture of India.
ReplyDeleteThe village of Chejerla stands in the plains surrounded by rocky hills and covered by scrub jungle. The temple is dedicated to Lord Siva dated to the 4th or 5th century CE.
This is probably the only temple in the whole of India dedicated to Lord Shiva as Kapotheswara in Shivalinga form. Lord Shiva is represented as Kapotheswara, after Sibi Chakravarthy who gave a portion of his own body in order to save a pigeon that took refuge with him. Curiously, in the image of the Linga there are even today large cavities as if portions have been scooped or cut out, and these are said to be the parts of the body, from which the King cut off his own flesh, in order to save the life of a Kapotha.
Thus the image is said to be the image of the 'Kalebara' of Sibi, with the head cut off, and on top of the Linga, there are still two large vertical cavities. One of these cavities helps to drain off the Abhisheka Tirtha to an unknown place and even today the smell of raw flesh and blood comes out of this since here the Murthy is a very powerful one. The temple is of the greatest importance from the point of view of Temple Architecture.
This story is reknown not only in Hindu mythology, but also in Buddhist Jataka tales, which give us the lives of Siddhartha, the Buddha, in his previous births. The Sibi Jataka is as hoary and sacred to the Buddhist, as an embodiment of 'Saranagata vatsala', as Sibi Chakravarti is to the Hindu, as a supreme symbol of 'Raja Dharma' which enjoins a king to protect the refugee even at the cost of his own life. As per legends tje temple was a Buddhist Monastery which was later converted to an Hindu Shrine backed up by Historical evidences.
The temple of Chezerla is a rare exception as it is a temple in the Apsidal ( Gajabhrishta ) model. This Apsidal plan and barrel vaulted structure, is classified in the Vastu Sastras, as 'Hasti prasta' or Elephant back or Gajabhrishta. These were originally Buddhist Chaityas and were remodified for the purpose of Hindu worship, by the introduction of internal walls and upper story to seclude the Garbhagriha from the rest of the building. The rear portion of the temple takes the form of an Apse and in its centre is a white marble like Shiva Linga.
Since the temple is sacred to both Buddhista and Hindus, built in an unique style, it is believed that the temple must have come into existence at a period of mutual tolerance between Hinduism and Buddhism. A famous inscription in the temple further supports this. A similar temple is the Trivikrama Temple at Ter, Maharashtra.
Chejarla is a village in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Nekarikallu mandal of Narasaraopet revenue division.
Images and Information sourced from Google and Wikipedia. Thanks to Suparna Mahi for his images too
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