UMA KOPPULINGESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE,PALIVELA/UMA KOPPULINGESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE,PALIVELACONTACT NUMBER/ACCOMMODATION AT UMA KOPPULINGESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE,PALIVELA

UMA KOPPULINGESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE,PALIVELA/FAMOUS HINDU TEMPLES IN EAST GODAVARI DISTRICT
    

UMA KOPPULINGESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE,PALIVELA

The temple is located at a distance of 90 km from Kaninada, 50 Km from Rajahmundry and 25 Km from Amalapuram. In the past this pilgrim center became famous as one among the pilgrim centres of Bhima Mandalam. This pilgrim center is at present in the village called Palivela in the Kothapeta Mandal of East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. The idol installation of the Lord was done by Maharshi Agastya. The Lord here is being called Sri Uma Koppulingeswara Swamy. This pilgrim center is in the route between Rajahmundry and Amalapuram near kothapeta.

Kalyana Mahotsavam of the Lord  Shiva on Mahasivarathri

UMA KOPPULINGESWARA SWAMY 

The kalyana Mahotsavam of the Lord Sri Uma Koppeswara Swamy takes place on the day of Mahasivarathri (Maga Bahula Ekadasi Day) every year in kalyana mandapam which was renovated by "Raja Raja Narendra" in 11th century. People from far and wide come to see the Kalyanotsavam, Radhotsavam (Chariot Festival) takes place on the day of Mahasivarathri. There used to be 7 Mantapams in the premises of the temple. One can see (1) Somavari Mantapam (2)Mangalavara Matapam (3) Vuyyala Mantapam (4) Nityastana Mantapam and (5) Chiluku Dwadasi Mandapam even to-day. Other Mantapams are in ruin.

The Original name of the village was palvalapuram. The rivulet kowntheyi (kowsiki) started at Surya Kundamu near Gowthami. The Lord is called Mandeswara there. The temple of Lord Sri Koppu Lingeswara is also situated on the bank of Kowsiki. The first name of the lord was Agasteswara. Later he was called as Koppulingesara. The rivers around the village Palivela disappeared in course of time. They are (1) Kowsiki on the East (2) Chandrabhanga on the West (3) Mandavu on the North (4) Kowntheyi and (5) Palvala on the South. The river Palvalamlu is flowing underground unseen. So, the village is called Palvalapuram.

History of theUMA KOPPULINGESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE,PALIVELA


In the past when Maharshi Agastya was performing Tapas on the bank of the river Kowsiki near Palvalapuram, the Kalyana Mahotsavam of Parvathi & Parameswara was taking place for the good of the world. Agastya wanted to witness the kalyana Mahotsavam. Before performing Daksha Yagna Daksha Gods like Indra who were on the mountain of Himavat were afraid that if Agastya came to witness the Kalyanotsavam, pralaya would take place. So they sent viswabrahma to persuade Agastya not to go to Himavat Parvatha.

Viswabrahma told Agastya that the Kalyanotsava of Parvathi & Parmeswara was over and he had seen it. Agastya was surprised and wanted to see the Kalyanotsava with his divyadrishti. Then Parvathi & Lord Parameswara appeared in the divyadrishti of Agastya in the traditional marriage (turmeric-coated) clothes.

Agastya prayed the Lord to appear before him. The Lord appeared before Agastya along with Parvathi. Agastya wanted Parvathi & Parmeswara to remain on one peetam in the pilgrim center of Palvalapuram. The Lord fulfilled the wish of Agastya. No where can the Lord Parameswara be seen on Ekapeetam with Parvathi as here. Later this pilgrim center became famous as Lolla Agasteswara Swamy pilgrim center. The Lord began to be called as Koppulingeswara because he wore hair around his head.

In the library of Sri Vidyananda at Pithapuram it was found that there was a lesson on the Talapatras. During the time of Srinadha at Palvalapuram the lord was called Agastewara. Srinadha wrote Sloka also.

During the time of Sri Pratapa Rudra (Salivahana Saka) repairs were made to the temple as declared by the Sasanas. In the past the Turks attacked many Hindu temples. They cut off the head of the beautiful Nandi. The head was later deftly installed in its place.

The History 
How Agasteswara became Koppulingeswara

In the past a Velanati priest was performing daily pujas to Lord Agasteswara installed by Maharshi Agasya with great devotion. The priest had a concubine. The people angered at this, complained to the king. At first the king ignored the complaint. As the complaints grew, the king one day came to inspect the temple at Palvalapuram. The priest was not in the temple at that time. On coming to know of the king's arrival, the priest hurried to the temple, to greet the king. As there were no garlands (Nirmalya) in the temple, the priest secretly brought the garland in the hair of his concubine and offered it to the king.


The King took the garland and found a long black hair in it. The King immediately questioned the priest about the hair.
The priest replied that the hair in the Nirmalya was that of Lord Agasteswara who wore hair around his head. The surprised King asked the priest to show him the hair around the Shivalinga. The priest then said as it was afternoon and the puja was over, the Lord was decorated with Nagabharana which couldn't be taken away till the next early morning and added that he would show the king the "Jhata Jhuta" of the Lord next day.
                                                                                       

 

The King agreed to this and said that if the priest failed to show him the hair of the Linga, he would order the priest's head to be taken away. The King stayed there at Palvalapuram. The priest terrified at this, began to pray the Lord all the night. The priest wept before the Lord and confessed his sin. He begged the Lord to protect him by wearing hair around his head. He beat his head on the Linga of the Lord and fainted. Lord Shiva to fulfill the wish of the priest then wore hair around his head at the time of Lingodbhava. The fainted priest regained consciousness and saw the Lord with the hair. He was overjoyed. The next day he showed to the King the Linga of Lord Shiva with hair around.

But the people assembled there, didn't believe the words of the priest. They said something was fishy. Then the King ordered the priest to pluck a hair of the Lord and show him. The priest did so. The King could see blood on the plucked hair. Immediately the King lost his eyesight. He realised his mistake and prayed Lord to pardon him. The benevolent Lord immediately took pity on the King and restored his eyesight. The Nerjoyed King praised the Lord and immediately offered a village called Juthugapadu under his rule to the Lord as his manya. (At present Juthugapadu is in Ravulapalem Mandal, 1 Km from Podagatlapalli village). Even to-day one can see the magnificent Linga of the lord with hair around it in the sacred temple of Sri Uma Koppulingeswara at Palivela village, Kothapeta Mandal, East Godavari District of Andhra pradesh.

The state Archeological Department registered Five monuments (Rajagopuram, Swamivarimandapam, and some statues on pillars etc) the same was exhibited in front of entrance gate of the temple.




Festivals
Ganapathi Navarathrulu
Devi Navarathrulu
Karteeka Masam
Subrahmanyeswara Swamy kalyanam and Sasti
Dhanurmasam
Kalyana mahothsavam Lord Sri Uma Koppeswara Swamy Kalyanam.

ACCOMMODATION AT  UMA KOPPULINGESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE,PALIVELA

Guest Houses available are :

Palivela Dharma Satram. Contact:Person-in-Management, Palivela Dharma satram, Palivela-533 229 kothapeta Mandal, East Godavari District.

UMA KOPPULINGESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE,PALIVELACONTACT NUMBER:

Executive Officer,
Sri Umakoppeswara Swamy Temple,
Palivela-533 229
Kothapeta Mandal,
East Godavari District,
Phone: 08855 - 243316.
HOW TO REACH THE UMA KOPPULINGESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE,PALIVELA


Palivela is 10kms from Ravulapalem, 7kms from Mandapalli Saneeswara Swamy temple. From Rajahmundry it is 43kms, 163kms from Vijayawada and 25kms from Amalapuram.

NEAR BY FAMOUS TEMPLES
1. Saneeswara Swamy temple, Mandapalli ---- 7KMS
2. Lord Jaganamohana Kesava Swamy, Ryali --- 19kms
3. Ainavilli Vinayaka temple, Ainavilli ---- 19kms
4. Sri Skhana Muktheswara Swamy Temple ---- 1.2kms from Ainavilli.

 

UMA KOPPULINGESWARA SWAMY TEMPLE,PALIVELA
    
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Amaravathi Amareswara Temple/How To Reach Amaravati Amareswara (Shiva)Temple/Accommodation at Amaravati temple

Amaravathi Amareswara Temple/How To Reach Amaravati Amareswara (Shiva)Temple/Accommodation at Amaravati temple /Famous hindu temples in guntur district


Amaravathi (అమరావతి) is a small town situated on the banks of the River Krishna in the Guntur District   of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is famous for its Amareswara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is one of the famous Pancharamas. Amaravati, also known as Dhanyakataka/Dharanikota was the site of a great Buddhist Stupa built in pre-Mauryan times. It was also the capital of Satavahanas, the first great Andhra kings who ruled from the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century CE, after the downfall of Maurya empire.

Amaravati   Amareswara (Shiva)Temple

The Skanda Purana gives a picture of the place and the Siva temple located here. Sage Narada explains to Sounaka and other saints that Amareswara is situated in Amareswaram on the bank of river Krishna and is on the southeastern side of the Srisailam temple.

History Of Amaravathi :


According to Vajrayana traditional sources the Buddha preached at Dharanikota/Dhanyakatakam and conducted Kalachakra ceremony, which would take the antiquity of Amaravati back to 500 BCE. Taranatha, the Buddhist monk writes: "On the full moon of the month Caitra in the year following his enlightenment, at the great stupa of Dhanyakataka, Buddha emanated the mandala of "The Glorious Lunar Mansions" (Kalachakra). This shows that Dhanyakatakam (Amaravati) was a very important place at the time of composition of this tantra. The recorded history of Amaravati and nearby Dharanikota dates from 2nd century BCE.It was the capital of Andhra Satavahanas who ruled from 2nd century BCE to 3rd century CE. After the decline of Satavahanas, Andhra Ikshvakus and later Pallava kings ruled Krishna river valley. Subsequently, Eastern Chalukyas and Telugu Cholas held sway over the region. Kota Kings were in control of Amaravati during the medieval times. Kota kings were subdued by Kakatiyas in 11th century CE and Amaravati became part of the unified Telugu empire.

The stupa

The town was the site of a great Buddhist stupa originally built during the reign of emperor Ashoka. It was completed in 200 CE and is decorated with carved panels which tell the story of Buddha's life. The region between Krishna and Godavari rivers was an important place for Buddhism from the 2nd century BCE and some ancient sculpture in low relief has been found here. During the Satavahana period (2nd century BCE-3rd century CE), Dharanikota near Amaravati was chosen as the capital. The stupa was then adorned with limestone reliefs and free standing Buddha figures. During the period of the decline of Buddhism, this stupa was also neglected and it was buried under rubble. There is a 14th century inscription in Sri Lanka which mentions repairs made to the stupa and after that it was forgotten.

Around the year 1796 CE, Colonel Colin Mackenzie, who visited the site twice, prepared drawings and sketches of the relics in the area. Eventually, several European scholars including Sir Walter Smith, Robert Sewell, James Burgess and Alexander Rea excavated the site and unearthed many sculptures that once adorned the stupa. Many bas-relief medallions and paneled friezes decorated the Amaravati stupa. Similar to Sanchi Stupa, the stupa was decorated with carvings of life and teachings of Buddha and events of Jataka Stories, e.g. taming of a rogue elephant by Buddha. The 95 ft tall stupa was made of brick with a circular dome and platforms protruding in four cardinal directions. Recent excavations have revealed remains of an Ashokan pillar, the first such example of Mauryan art to be found in South India.

This stupa is related to the Vajrayana teachings of Kalachakra, still practiced today in Tibetan Buddhism. According to the Kalachakra tantra texts, Suchandra, the King of Shambhala and many of his retinue received the initiation into this practice by the historical Buddha. For this reason, the Dalai Lama of Tibet conducted a Kalachakra initiation at this location in 2006.

Art historians regard the Amaravati art as one of the three major styles or schools of ancient Indian art, the other two being the Gandhara style and the Mathura style. Some of the Buddhist sculptures of Amaravati betray a Greco-Roman influence that was the direct result of the close trade and diplomatic contacts between South India and the ancient Romans. Indeed, Amaravati has itself yielded a few Roman coins. The Government Museum at Egmore (Madras Museum) and British Museum, London host the "Amaravati Gallery".

Chinese traveller and Buddhist monk Hiuen Tsang (Xuanzang) visited Amaravati in 640 CE, stayed for sometime and studied 'Abhidhammapitakam'. He observed that there were many Viharas and some of them were deserted, which points out that Hinduism was gaining ground at that time. Xuanzang wrote a glorious account of the place, Viharas and monasteries that existed.

For more details log on to http://www.amaravati.org/ 

 

Amaravati School



The Amaravati school of Dravidian art had great influence on art in Sri Lanka and South-East Asia as products from here were carried to those countries.[9] Trade between the dynasties of Tamilakam led to cultural exchange in the Sangam period. Sculptures such as the Vallipuram Buddha reveal a period of influence between Andhra and Jaffna at this time. In a pioneering study and meticulous documentation of the Buddhist sculptures of Sri Lanka, Dr. Ulrich Von Schroeder has listed up with measurements several lime stone sculptures, both round and in relief, from the Sri Lankan sites. The chapters in the work clearly go with a heading 'Imported Sculptures from Early Amaravati School', and 'Imported Sculptures from late Amaravati (Nagarjunakonda)'. It is clear that the artist guilds in Amaravati-Nagarjunakonda were engaged in the large scale supply of Buddhist sculptures, as also brahmanical, to Sri Lanka and other South-Asian countries.





Religious ideology was a potent force providing cohesion and identity to trading communities and it was perhaps through these channels that the early Buddhist/ Brahmanical images found their way into South-East Asia and Sri Lanka. At Sempaga in Celebes, a bronze image of Buddha of the Amaravati School was found. The earliest sculptures from Dong-Duong. Dong Tuk (Siam), exhibit Amaravati style. A bronze Buddha from South Djember and Sikendeng on the west coast of Celebes, and the colossal statue at Bukit are all in characteristic Amaravati style. It is quite likely that these image were brought from Andhra centers by the colonists. The transport of the large stone Buddha of Palembang must have been more difficult. It is the oldest relic from Amaravati in the archipelago. Sea route voyages connected Indian ports of the South such as Machilipatnam, Ghantasala etc., with Indonesia. Amaravati school also had a great influence over other South Indian sculpture.

Lord Amareswara (Shiva)Temple:


                                                             

Amareswarudu In AmaravathiTemple

                                                           

The Amareswara (Shiva) temple walls have lot of inscriptions that give information about the kings who ruled over the area. The present holy shrine of Amaralingeswara (Lord Shiva) temple is associated with the reign of Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu who ruled the region before the advent of the British rule (See Amararama). People around Amaravati widely believe that the temple was constructed to install peace after a massacre of 1000 violent tribesman plotting against the king in a sinister carnival organized to capture them. Later Venkatadri Nayudu built a temple in the same spot upon guidance from scholars of his court. He was well-known for his benevolence , munificence and construction of a large number of temples and education centers in the Krishna river delta.



                                                       

How To Reach Amaravati   Amareswara (Shiva)Temple


By Air : The nearest airport is Vijayawada (82 km).

By Rail : The nearest railheads are Guntur and Vijayawada. A good network of connect Guntur to Amaravati.

By Road : Amaravati is situated 20 miles northwest of Guntur and is connected by a good motorable road.

Local Transportation : Taxis and buses are available from Guntur.


Accommodation at Amaravati temple 


Accommodation is available in the Rest House, Hotel Mamta and Swapna Lodge at Amaravati. There are also a Public Works Department Travellers Bungalow, some choultries and sheds for pilgrims' to stay.


Amaravathi Hotel
Tel: +91 8645 255332
Cell: +91 9948391758
Located in close proximity to the place Amravathi, and just 70 km from Vijayawada, this hotel is managed by AP Tourism. The affordability is a pleasant surprise.
Room Type No. of Rooms Tariff per day
A/C Room
Non A/C Room 2
2 Rs. 800/-
Rs.600/-
Rs.100/-

*For extra person in A/C room, Rs.300/-.
*Non A/C room, Rs.200/-.
*Taxes extra as applicable.

 

                                                                   Amaravathi Amareswara Temple - Amaravathi

                                                      

 

Nearest visiting places :


Undavalli Caves Near Vijayawada..

The Undavalli Caves, and example of Indian rock-cut architecture are located in the village of Undavalli in Guntur District, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The caves are 6km south west of Vijayawada, 22km north west of Guntur City and about 280 km from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.

vundavilli caves

These caves have been carved out of solid rock on a hillside in the 4th to 5th centuries A.D.They have four stories with a huge statue of Lord Vishnu in a reclining posture sculpted from a single block of granite inside. Other shrines are dedicated to Trimurti and to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.They are among the earlierst example of Gupta architecture, primarily primitive rock-cut monastery cells carved into the sandstone hills.
The walls of the caves display sculptures carved by skilled local craftsmen. The structure of these caves resemble the Buddhist viharas in their architectural and sculptural proficiency, and can be seen as signs of a past Buddhist culture. The caves are surrounded by the green countryside

VISHNU STUPA AT VUNDAVILLI CAVES

The caves are associated with the Vishnukundina kings of 420 to 620 A.D. They are dedicated to Anantapadmanabha Swamy and Narisimha Swamy.From the high hill above the cave overlooking the Krishna river many fine specimens of rock cut Hindu architecture can be seen.