Vemulawada Shiva Temple (వేములవాడ శివ దేవాలయం) Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh

Vemulawada Shiva Temple, Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh

Location : Vemulavada

About The temple:

Vemulavada near Karimnagar, is famous as the seat of a Western Chalukya Rajeswaraswami temple.

Sri Rajrajeshwari DevsthanamLocation: Vemulawada near Karimnagar is a well-known pilgrimage town.
Deity: Lord Shiva. There are temples dedicated to Rajeswaraswami, Kedareswaraswami, Nageswaraswami and Bhimeswaraswami. There is also Kasi Visweswaralingam and temples dedicated to Anantha Padmanabhaswami and Laxmi.

Vemulavada is famous as the seat of a Western Chalukya Rajeswaraswami temple. There is also another temple called Waddegeswaraswami temple. There is a big tank on the northern side of the Rajeswara temple called Dharmagundam, which is fed, by a big stream that flows by the side of the village.

An inscription in the temple states that Rajaditya, a vassal of Western Chalukya King Thribhuvanamalla, did the foundation ceremony-pratisthapana and constructed this temple in the 9th year of Chalukya Vikrama Era. These kings lived around 9th and l0th centuries and hence the temple is nearly 1000-years-old. Besides many Sivalingas there are a few Buddhist and Jain images, which were added later. Similarly, there is the Seshasayi temple just behind the Rajeswara temple. There are two other temples called Bhimeswara and Kedareswara temple, in the same village. These two are very ancient temples.

Legend:

It is mentioned in Rajeswara Mahatmyam that Bhimeswara took the form of Rajeswara. There is a Sthalapurana for the temple called Vemulavada Rajeswara Mahatyam. According to this, the lord`s presence here can be traced back to the DharmakundamBhavishyottara Purana. The legend states – Once there was a great king by name Narendra, who was the grandson of Arjuna shot dead a Rishi. To repent the crime he wandered in holy lands until he came to Vemulavada and drank three handfuls of water from the tank Dharmagundam and he was relieved of the sin. The Lord appeared before him and told him about the shrine of Lord Siva – Rajeswara at the bottom of the tank. He was asked to bring it up and consecrate it on the banks for worship. The king accordingly did as requested. Since that time the deity is called Rajeswaraswami.

Festivals:

Thousands of pilgrims flock here in the months of Magha and Phalguna. During Mahashivratri the crowd is even larger; Kalyanotsavam is celebrated on the Purnima day of Phaiguna month everyyear.

Rituals:

One peculiar ritual here is the – the Sahasra Suvarna Abhisheka by which the Lord is worshipped with 1000 gold pieces. The Lord is also worshipped with bulls as votive offerings.