Pushpagiri Temple Complex

Pushpagiri Temple Complex is a temple complex located in Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh, India. Founded around 7th Century CE, it houses some of the oldest temple congregations in the region.

There are multiple legends associated with the origin of the temple complex. One of the legend says that it has come to existence from the

Srisaila Khanda of Skand Purana praises this temple as 'Nirvrutti Sangameswara' because of its reputation of devotees giving up lives in devotion to Lord Shiva.^[1]

Whatever is the legend if is associated, it is now widely acknowledged that the temple of Sri Vaidyanatheswara has been in this temple complex from at least around 7th Century CE. This is corroborated by various Puranas including the Srisaila Khanda of Skanda Purana and Sriranga Mahatmya of Garuda Purana.^[1]

Geographically Pushpagiri temple complex is located on the banks of the Pinakini river that meanders through the District which has origins on Nandi Hills in Karnataka^[2][3] and is at a distance of about 16 kilometres from the district headquarters.^[4]

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 a 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.^[5]

The megalith Garuda placed on the pond, started floating like a flower - Pushpa in

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.[7]

During the rainy season, the area is quite a sight for the beholders. The river

About 10 kilometres from the confluence of Papagni and Pinakini rivers, there used to be an ashram of Agastya Maharishi. Sage Agastya after crossing the Vindhya mountains, vowed not to return to stop the range from growing in competition with Himalayas. While the sage himself stayed in the South, his disciples installed a Linga in the nearby place and left for the Ganges plains. The temple for the Linga came to be called after the great saint Agastya as Sri Agastheeswara Swamy temple.

There is a lot of documented history about the Pushpagiri Temple Complex.

Chola Dynasty.^[18]

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.^[20] The temple for Chennakesava Swamy was built by the Musunuri Nayaks under the rule of the later Vijayanagara kings.

Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya while he was ruling the Vijayanagara Empire has made multiple grants to the Chennakesava Swamy temple and to other temples in this temple complex. There was a lot of disturbance from the dacoits who used to way-lay the travellers in this region. Saluva as asked his feudatory Vankara kumara Dhuli Basivi Naidu to safeguard the pilgrims who are on their way to this place. After a couple of generations, the successors of Naidu joined hands with the bandits and during the time of Krishnadevaraya he summoned Musili Naidu and advised him against such activities. Naidu initially revolted against the rulers of Vijayanagara Empire and used to harass the pilgrims as a way to show his disloyalty but started to obey the king once he was made the in-charge of the surrounding villages with the capital at a place called "Jillella". Pushpagiri used to be a very popular pit-stop for the pilgrims that travelled the Varanasi-Rameswaram route. Rameswaram-Varanasi -Rameswaram was one of the Char Dham routes followed and prescribed by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya who proposed the Advaita Vedanta and also established a mutt in these premises.

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.^[18]

Culture

Further, the links of the local Mutt of Sri Pushpagiri Shankara Peetham to

Kamakshi Devi which is surrounded by various idols of the Hindu deities and Hero-Stones that were excavated and preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

Long before the struggle between Shaivites and Vaishnavites started, there was a sense of communal 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.^[23] The Vaishnavaite temple of Chennakesava and the temples surrounding it are of Indranatha, Bhimeswara, Trikuteswara and Vaidyanatheswara.^[24] While the Chennakesava temple stands towards the east bank of the river with its magnificent gateway-tower facing west, the Indranatha Swamy temple is ducked on the north bank of the river just opposite to the village of Pushpagiri.^[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]

The Indranatha Swamy 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]

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

The temple is built with elaborate carvings on all sides 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.^[5][33]

The carvings on the shrines depict various Hindu Gods and Goddesses in various postures and depict the stories of

Pushpagiri temple complex has a variety of inscriptions ranging a wide range of periods. The architectural styles of the temples that adorn the complex have undergone quite a lot of changes during the rules of various Kings and their feudal subjects.[6]

Some of the inscriptions have either become non-readable or have worn out due to wither negligence or vandalism of the subsequent rulers. Some of the noteworthy inscriptions that could are still legible are as below:

1. Trailokya Malla Raju - In the year 991 CE, Malla Raju has noticed that the main idol of the Chennakesava Swamy temple was in a dilapidated situation and has undertaken a restoration work. An inscription to this effect is visible on the temple walls. A stepped route from the river to the temple has also been built during this time. The inscription has been written in old Kannada and Tamil scripts.
2. Murari Kesavaraju Somadeva Raju - In the year 1062 CE, Somadeva Raju has ceded the village of Vadde Cheruvu to the Indranathaswamy temple and an inscription to this effect has been installed on the said temple premises.
3. Ahava Malla Raju - In the year 1073 CE, when Malla Raju was ruling the area from the town of Valluru, he ceded the village of Chintalapatturu to Indranathaswamy temple and has erected an inscription.
4. Malladeva Raju - In the year 1083, Malladeva Raju erected an inscription mentioning a hamlet of Kommaluru to Indranathaswamy temple.
5. Bilvuni Bijjana Pallava Raju - In the year 1104 CE, Pallava Raju presented the village Rakshinama to Indranathaswamy temple and an inscription to this effect is seen today in the temple.
6. Simhana Bhupati Raju - While the year of the inscription is not mentioned, Bhupati Raju presented the village of Lakshmipura to the Vaidyanatheswara Swamy temple.
7. Bhujabala Veera Malla Raju - After Simhana Bhupati Raju, Veera Malla Raju ascended to the throne and one of the inscription mention that he has presented some land for the daily maintenance of the Vaidyanatheswara temple.
8. Krishna Kannada Deva Raju - Another inscription which is undated mentions that Deva Raju has presented some land to the temples in Pushpagiri for the sake of maintenance. The inscription is in Kannada language and script.
9. Mallikshitisham Raju - In the year 1171, Mallikshitisham Raju has presented the villages of Gundapuram and Lilapusta Puram to the Nageswara temple for the sake of daily worship and maintenance.
10. Kamala Bhai - In the year 1178 CE, the queen of Gangaya Sahini, Kamala Bhai has visited the Kaleswaram temple and installed a Linga for Kaleswara. For the maintenance of the temple it was inscribed at Pedadurti that she has presented some land. Kamala Bhai once again visited Pushpagiri and presented the villages of Gangavaran or Ganganapalle in the year 1178 CE.
11. Kakatiya Ganapati Deva
    - In the year 1179 CE, a feudatory of Kakatiya Ganapati Deva by the name Kayastha Gangaya visited Pushpagiri and rededicated the villages presented by Kamala Bhai to the Vaidyanatheswara Swamy temple under the orders of Ganapati Deva.
12. Kayasta Gangaya Sahini - In the year 1179 CE, the chieftain of
    Atluru
    which was at a distance of about 30 kilometres from Pushpagiri to the temple complex. The inscription to this effect was erected in the year 1196 CE.
13. Tripurari Sivayya - In the year 1226 CE, when Ambadeva, another chieftain of Kakatiya Empire was ruling the southern districts, Sivayya has presented some land to his Guru, 'Sivacharyulu' under the ayacut of Cuddapah Pond.
14. Sammeta Kampayya - In the year 1348 CE, a feudatory to the king of Nellore, Kampayya has circumabulated the hill of Pushpagiri for 1000 times and made some repairs to the ballasts of the Chennakesava temple and other temples in the complex.
15. Deva Raya
    - In the year 1406 CE, Deva Raya has visited Pushpagiri and erected an inscription at the Indranatha Swany temple. The inscription is currently illegible due to climatic wear and tear.
16. Krishna Deva Raya - In the year 1509 CE, as soon as Krishna Deva Raya was instilled on throne at Vijayanagara, he has presented the village of Chinnamachupalle to Pushpagiri Chennakesava Swamy temple A Kannada inscription to this effect has been found in the village of Chinnamachupalle.

Gallery

Below is a gallery of the exquisitely 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
• 
  Vishnu Durga
• 
  Brahma with sages, Pushpagiri
• 
  Ramayanam Scenes, Pushpagiri
• 
  Mahishasura Mardhini, Pushpagiri
• 
  Ugra Narasimha and a Mameluke, Chennakesava temple, Pushpagiri
• 
  Battle scene showing horses and elephants, Pushpagiri
• 
  Adi Varaha Murthy along with Elephants, Pushpagiri
• 
  Natya Ganapati along with a herd of elephants, Pushpagiri
• 
  Nataraja Murthy worshipped by Brahma, Vishnu and Sages, Pushpagiri
• 
  Gajasura Samhara Murthy (Shiva) being worshipped, Pushpagiri
• 
  Chennakesava Swamy Temple, Pushpaigiri

Apart from the Indranatha 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 Shaivite 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

Apart from the above well known and documented temples, there are multiple sanctums that dot the landscape. Across the mound that abuts the river, there are tens of abandoned shrines that once used to house a Linga and a Nandi which is evident from the vacated pedestals.[39]

See also

• Lakulisa
• Vamachara
• Chola Art
• Cuddapah
• Adi Shankara
• Advaita

References