About the Temple

Dedicated to Lord Shiva is the ancient Amararama temple in Amaravati town, Palanadu district of Andra Pradesh.

It is one of the 5 Panchrama Shetras (5 ancient temples of Lord Shiva in AP, made from a single Shiva lingam).

The temple is also known as Amareashwara Swamy or Amaralingeshwara Swamy temple.

Located on the banks of Krishna River, the third longest river in India, the temple falls on a small hammock called Krouncha Shaila in Amaravati.

Amararama Temple Timings

Mythological History

When Lord Shiva was residing at Dhanyakataka, Tarakasura the demon king got a boon from Shiva to defeat the Gods.

The Devas who lost the battle came as refugees and resided in this region called Amaravati.

On continuously losing the war with Tarakasura, Indra sought Lord Shiva’s abode to help him as Tarakasura had been booned by Lord Shiva himself.

But Shiva was reluctant to kill Tarakasura, his ardent devotee. Perhaps Shiva assigned Kumara Swamy to lead the Gods to do Tarakasura Vadhana

But Tarakasura was very powerful as he was blessed by Shiva, he also wore Shiva Lingam on his neck and was booned to be invincible.

But Lord Vishnu knew the trick and he instructed Kumara Swamy to use Agni Astra to break the Shiva Lingam on Tarakasura’s neck

Kumara Swamy killed Tarakasura, and the Shiva Lingam on his neck broke and scattered into Five distinct pieces and started re-uniting.

To avoid the unification, Indra Deva, Surya , Chandra, Vishnu, and Kumara Swamy united and established the Lingam with deep prayers.

Later Indra Deva established the most significant piece at this place and named it Amareshwara Swamy

This is the 1st piece of Shiva Lingam that fell on the mountain “ Kroucha Shaile “, and went deep into the earth to patala and started growing there.

There is a belief that even if the Krishna River started overflowing there nothing would disturb the place

It’s a miracle that ever since the legendary Shiva linga stapana, the Krishna River flows north to south in this region

A Brief into Ancient History

The king of Chintapalli, Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu was an ardent devotee of Amararama temple.

He brought about several developments and renovations in the temple.

According to a well know historical narrative, the king once had to assassinate the Chenchus in order to put down a revolt in his territory.

As a result of the riot, he lost his mental peace, which he could not regain until he took a step to arrive in Amaravati.

In the year 1796, he relocated from Chintapalli to Amaravati, where he spent the rest of his days erecting the temple for Lord Shiva.

He restored the Amareswaraswamy temple in this location, hired nine knowledgeable archakas to perform the Lord’s daily archana.

The king provided them with everything they needed to make a living in Amaravati including 12 acres of land each.

Temple Architecture

The primary deity of the Amararama temple is Shiva Lingam which stands 15 feet tall.

Large Gopurams ( towers) are designed in the Dravidian architectural style, each on the temple’s four corners 

With four pillars facing each of the four directions, the temple is built on three floors

Kaala Bhairava serves as Kshetra Palaka at the second level. Srisaila Mallikarjuna is located on the third level’s southwest corner.

This is followed by Kashi Vishweswarar in the northwest, Chandiswara in the northeast, and Srikalahasteswarar in the southeast.

The Kota chiefs of Amaravati wrote several inscriptions on the wall of the Amaralingeshwara temple.

On the walls of the temple, Sri Krishnadevraya, the fabled emperor of Vijayanagara, and also Keteraja, the minister of the Kota king left the inscriptions on the temple walls

King Vasireddy Venkatadri Naidu repaired the temple’s gopuram after discovering fissures in it. 

In the foundational pits, they discovered antiquities dating back 1800 years while performing this refurbishment of the temple.

Significance of the Red Patch on Shiva Linga

Legends say that Shiva Lingam in this temple was installed by Lord Indra Deva

The top portion of the lingam has a peculiar red stain on it, legends tell that the Lingam of Lord Shiva was growing up in size.

And to stop its uncertain growth, a nail had been hit on its top, and as soon as the nail was hit, the lingam started to bleed.

Those red patches are still visible on top of the lingam.

The Shiva Lingam in this temple is very tall that archakas mount a pedestal platform to perform pooja and other seva to the deities.

Significance of Krishna River in Amaravati

According to Skanda Purana, Sage Sounakadi reportedly questioned Sage Narada about the greatest path to salvation.

It was the end of the Dwapara Yuga and the start of Kaliyuga, Sage Narada asked Sage Sounakadi to reside on the banks of the river Krishna and take bath in the Krishna River.

Sage Naada related the legend of the Amareswara temple to Sage Sounakadi, saying that Shiva showed himself here as a Lingam to grant the wishes of his followers.

He added that a person would be free of sins if they took a bath in the Krishna River and paid homage to Amareswara in this temple.

The devotees who stayed for three days and offered fervent worship to Lord Shiva would reach moksha in Shiva Loka.

Deities in the temple

There are 3 overlapping circles inside the temple. 

The temple houses:

1st circle of deities

• Mahishasura mardini
• Veerabhadraswamy
• Omkareswara Swamy
• Guru Dattatreya and Agashteswara swamy

2nd circle of deities

• Vinayaka
• Kalabhairava
• Anjaneya
• Nagendraswamy
• Kumaraswamy, as well as a statue of Lord Krishna beneath a tree

3rd circle of deities

• Malikarjuna
• Pushpadanteswara Swamy
• Kalahasthiswara

The 3rd circle of deities is close to the second circle. Shri Amaralingewara Swamy sits at the center of these three circles.

Abhishekam Timings

Festivals Celebrated

During these festivals, Amararama temple is packed with worshippers, it’s a great opportunity to witness authentic South Indian customs.

• The main festival here is for Lord Shiva, i.e maha Shivarathri, during which the shiva lingam is bathed in milk( abhishekam), celebrated during the month of March
• Shri Krishna Janmashtami( birth of Lord Krishna) is celebrated in the month of July-August 
• Navarathri is another festival that falls in the month of October
• Shudha Padyami (Indian New Year), Hanuman Jayanthi, Ekadashi, mukkoti Ekadashi, and the Kalyana Utsav to deities are celebrated at the temple the whole year

Other Puja and Seva Services (with pricing)

Dress Code & Temple Rules

To be followed on temple premises

• The temple committee invites devotees to visit the temple dressed traditionally
• Short dresses are not permitted at the temple
• Wearing shoes is prohibited on temple grounds
• Additionally, photography is restricted inside the temple.
• One should also turn off their mobile devices, the temple office is where visitors can leave their goods.

How to Reach Amararama Temple?

Amararam temple is located in Amaravati town, which is 33 km from Guntur, 45 km from Vijayawada, and 37 km from Sattenapalli.

1. By Air: Gannavaram, Vijayawada, is the home to the closest airport, located just 59.5 km away.
2. By Rail: The closest railway station to Amaravati is the Pedakurapadu Railway station, it also has connectivity to significant railheads with Guntur and Vijayawada.
3. By Road: Amaravati and Guntur are connected by frequent APSRTC buses. Amaravati is also connected with Vijayawada, Guntur, mangalagiri, and Hyderabad by road

How to do Pooja and other seva bookings?

There is no online booking facility to book pooja and other seva services, you can book pooja seva offline at the ticket counter upon arriving at the temple.

Note: There is no official website for Amaravati Temple, all the information can be collected here

Accommodation

Lodging and Boarding facilities in and around the templeSome popular budget hotels near Amararama temple in Amaravati are:

1. SRR Residency
2. Hotel Sindhura Residency
3. Hotel Minerva
4. Hotel Green Valley
5. Bhavani Island Resorts

FAQ

• What is Amaravati town famous for?

Amaravati is called “ the city of Gods”, it houses the famous Lord Shiva temple whose idol is 15 feet tall

• What is the old name of Amaravati?

The ancient name of Amaravati is “ Udumbravati”.

• Which ruler built Amaravati Stupa?

The Amaravati Stupa in Guntur is a mound of rubble at present times, built by the Stavahanas around 1900 years ago.