Rama Archives - Tirumala Tirupati Yatra

Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Devuni Kadapa

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Devuni Kadapa – Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple

There are many famous temples in Kadapa District. Devuni Kadapa Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple is one of the most famous and ancient temples in Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh. The temple is at a distance of three kilometres away from Kadapa. It is in the area of Kadapa Municipal Corporation.

Toli Gadapa (First Threshold) to Tirumala Temple

It is considered as Toli Gadapa (First Threshold) to Tirumala Temple. In ancient days, devotees who were going to Tirumala for the grand ‘darshan’ of Sri Venkateswara Swamy used to visit first Devuni Kadapa and then proceed to Tirumala.

So, it is called Devuni Gadapa. Later, it is popularly known as Devuni Kadapa.

Click here for the Google Maps Location

Devuni Kadapa Temple – Legend / Sthalapurana

There was an interesting Sthalapurana about the temple and God. As per Sthalapurana, Krupacharya, the brother-in-law of Dronacharya installed Lord Venkateswara in Devuni Kadapa.

Hanumath Kshetram

Tirumala is known as Varaha Kshetram whereas Devuni Kadapa Kshetram is famous as Hanumath kshetram. During ‘vanavasam’ (exile) Sita was taken away by the Ravana. Lord Rama, in search of Sita, reached this place and stayed for some time. During this period, he believed that someone would help him in search of Sita. Lord Rama strongly believed that he would get help from Lord Hanuman. With this idea, Lord Rama installed the idol of Lord Hanuman.

During Dwapara Yuga, Krupacharya, the brother-in-law of Dronacharya lost the Kurukshetra war and wanted to have a grand darshan of Lord Venkateswara. He proceeded to Tirumala and reached Devuni Kadapa on the way to Tirumala. But he was unable to proceed further to Tirumala due to old age and offer prayers to Lord Venkateswara from this place. During this time he found the idol of the Lord and installed it in front of Lord Hanuman.

From that day people who were unable to visit Tirumala used to visit Devuni Kadapa and they would have a glorious ‘darshan ’ of Lord Venkateswara. It is believed that the devotees who are going to visit Tirumala should have a ‘darshan’ of the Lord in the Devuni Kadapa to complete their trip successfully.

Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Devuni Kadapa

The History of the Temple

As per the chronicles from the 14th century onwards, the Vijayanagara rulers Harihara, Bukkaraya, Saluva Narasimharayulu and Sri Krishnadevaraya developed the temple and offered prayers to Lord Venkateswara here.

Between 1801 and 1807, the Collector of Dattamandala Sir Thomas Manro developed the Raja Gopuram of the temple when the temple was in ruin stage. Later, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams took over the temple and took up many developmental works.

Annamayya’s Composition

Great scholars eulogize the glory of the temple and the Lord. Padakavitha pitaamaha Sri Tallapaka Annamayya visited this temple many times and composed ‘kirtanas’. Annamayya praised Devuni Kadapa Sri Venkateswara Swamy as Kadapa Rayudu, “Venkatadri Kadapa Rayudu” in his keerthanas as follows:

“Kadanaku Na Mata Kadaparaya-neku
Kappa moilu meni chaya kadaparaya”……

Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Swamy Temple - Devuni Kadapa

The Structure of the Temple

In Devuni Kadapa, Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple is towards the West and it was built in a large area. The temple has a marvellous Raja Gopuram. The Raja Gopuram consists of five storeys at the top. One can see five Gopura Kalasams.

There are

Paadala Mandapam,
Balipeetham,
Dwajasthambam and
Garudalwar Mandapam in front of the main temple.

The main temple consists of four Mandapas namely Ranga Mandapa, Mukhamandapa, Antaraalayam and Garbhagruha. The Rangamandapam was built with pillars. At the entrance of Antaraalayam, one can find the idols of two dwarapalakas namely Jaya and Vijaya.

In the main sanctum sanctorum, one finds the idol of Sri Venkateswara Swamy having four hands with Conch, Chakra, Kati and Varada Hastam. One can also see the idol of Lord Hanuman on the back side of the main temple. On the temple premises, to the south side of the main temple, there is a separate shrine for Goddess Padmavathi Devi.

In this temple, one can see Goddess Padmavathi Devi with four hands in a sitting posture. In two hands one can see two lotus flowers and in the other two hands, one can see Abhaya and Varada postures. On the roof of Mukhamandapa of Ammavari temple, there are two impressions of lizards.

It is believed that one’s sins will be washed away if one touches the lizards. In addition to the main deities one can also see Lord Vinayaka Swami, Lord Viswakshena, Goddess Goda Devi, Lord Chenna Kesava Swami and idols of the Alwars, There is a Pushkarini near the temple.

The Brahmotsavams

Devuni Kadapa Sri Venkateswara Swami Brahmotsavams will be performed every year in the month of Maghamasam for Nine days .

Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Swamy Temple Brahmotsavams - Devuni Kadapa

During Brahmotsavams different ‘vahana sevas’ including Rathotsavam and Kalyanotsavam will be performed in a grand manner. On Rathasapthami which is Lord Surya Bhagavan’s birthday, Lord Venkateswara’s Rathotsavam will be performed here in a grand scale.

Temple Location

Devuni Kadapa is situated three kilometres from Kadapa. Kadapa is situated two hundred and eighty kilometres from Chennai, and one hundred and forty-five kilometres from Tirupati. Bus and Rail facilities are available from all the main towns and cities.

Air connectivity for Kadapa is also available from Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Chennai.

Let us have a glorious glimpse of Lord Venkateswara Swamy in Devuni Kadapa during the Brahmotsavams. The visit of ‘Devuni Kadapa’ initiates peace and bliss in the hearts of the devotees.

Sri Rama Raja Temple, Orchha

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Sri Rama Raja Temple – The Palace Kitchen that turned into a Temple in Madhya Pradesh

We have seen in all of Rama’s Temples, the Lord is shown as standing along with Sita, Laxman and Hanuman sitting on his knees with folded Hands looking at Lord Rama.

However in Rama Raja Temple, Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, one will find that He is in a sitting position accompanied by Sita on the left, brother Laxman, Sugriva and Narasingh on the right along with Goddess Durga, Hanuman and Jambavan praying, just below Sita as if all are sitting in “Durbar’” of a King. Here Rama is with a sword in his right hand and a shield in the other.

He is in Padmasan (Lotus Position) with his left leg crossed over the right thigh.

Click here for the official website

Legend

Though there are so many legends that are passed from generation to generation among devotees about this town, the more relevant one goes back to the time when King Madhukar Shah was governing this region which is now also known as Bundelkhand of this state. He was a devotee of Lord Krishna and his wife Queen Ganesh Kunwar of Rama. So this clash of devotion created a rift between them.

When the Queen wanted to go on a pilgrimage to Ayodhya, the King asked her to bring back her deity along with her. She felt that an impossible task was given to her, so her wish would never be fulfilled. Therefore, in Ayodhya, she then decided to pray fervently to her God.

In due course, her prayer to Lord Rama pleased Him and agreed to go with her to Orchha. However, he put her some conditions that, He will come as a Baby Rama so that she could take him in her lap. Another one was that on reaching Orchha, He would not move from one place to another but will stay where she kept Him initially. It took 8 months 27 days to reach Orchha.

There was also one more condition laid that He would come in Pushya Nakshatra only whenever its cycle comes during this long period. On her return, King agreed and planned the construction of the temple.

However, on return, the Queen forgot one condition and kept Him in the “Palace Kitchen”. When the temple was eventually ready, the Queen’s deity refused to move and remained in the Kitchen only.

Thus, this Kitchen of her Palace became a Temple and now it is very well known as “Ram Raja Temple’’ The king who built new temple wanted to shift the Rama idol which was not possible at all. So, he decided to install Laxmi Narayan Idols and the temple came to be known as Laxmi Narayan Mandir.

Temple And Rama’s Durbar

This unique temple is in this small town in Madhya Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region in Tikamgarh district which is just 16 Km away from historic town Jhansi. Orchha is a Hindi word meaning “Hidden” (Hiding place).

During the 15th Century Tughlaqs from Delhi who were governing that region wanted to capture Bundelkhand. So, to avoid it, Kings from this region were hiding here by taking refuge. So this name of Orchha came into existence. The Temple in Palace is an interesting fusion of modern architecture and an ancient Palace with shrines at different places within.

The Bundela Rulers built this and all nearby Temples during the 16th and 17th Centuries.

A very interesting observation here is that Lord Rama is worshipped more as a king than a God. So, daily Guard of Honor is given to Him by Police personnel designated as Guards for 24 hours much in manner done for a King along with armed salutation.

Daily Aarti

Another attraction in this temple is the daily ‘’Aartis’’ to Lord Rama followed by Gun Salute given by Guards at the end. As mentioned earlier Lord Rama is seen sitting in Padmasan position, with his left leg crossed over the right thigh though both legs are not crossed unlike in the usual Padmasan position.

Every day after worshipping all deities with “Chandan Tilak’’ and flowers, it is also applied on the Lord Rama’s left toe.

Click here for the donations. (Kindly check the website before making any payments)

It is a belief of visiting devotees that in this Durbar of King Rama, spotting His left foot toe is not so easy, so, the devotees do not see down but look towards the left leg that is folded. If they could see the toe they feel their wish would be fulfilled.

However, the Temple priest helps in spotting the toe for those who find it difficult. In this Temple along with others, two important festivals are celebrated on a larger and grand scale. They are Ram Navami which falls as per Hindu almanac in the month of Chaitra and tithi Shuddha Navami as Rama’s birth day and Vivah Panchami which falls in Margashish month’s 5th Day also Shuddha Panchami the Lord’s Wedding day.

Other Interesting Places Nearby

There are about 7 places worth visiting when one visits to see this unique Temple. They are

Chaturbhuj or Laxmi Narayan Temple

The Lakshminarayan Temple has a unique architecture which is a blend of a fort and temple moulds. The temple houses stunning murals that depict mythological, spiritual and secular themes( an art lover’s delight) and also a lot of post-mutiny paintings.

The temple also has a flagstone path which straightaway connects it to Ram Raja Temple.

Raja Mahal

Built during the 17th century, the Raja Mahal has withstood the test of time without losing its charm that transports you back to one of the golden eras of history.The palace is constructed beautifully with impeccable architecture and breathtaking grandeur.

Resided by the erstwhile kings of Orchha, the palace has kept the soul of the India’s most eminent royalty intact through all these years. The palace has magnificent towers and spectacular murals which will make a visit here an absolute delight for any art enthusiast.

Rani Mahal

Cocooned very prettily in the splendid fort complex, the Palace of Queen (Rani Mahal) of Orchha is known well for the astounding architecture it has to boast about. Besides this, the lovely paintings of the palace are simply mesmerizing too.

The mahal also means the queen quarters. It was the royal chamber for the wife of Raja Madhukar Singh. He was greatly dedicated to Lord Rama and thus he decorated the rooms of the queen’s chamber with murals that depicted scenes from the great epics like Ramayana.

The ceilings as well as walls both are festooned with beautiful paintings all over them.

Jahangir Mahal

Built as a garrison and citadel for the Mughals to allow greater control over the Bundela region, this palace was completed in 1598 by Bharath Bhushan after he defeated Vir Deo Singh of Bundela. This place is a classic example of Mughal architecture.

The domes are built according to Timurid customs and the gates or Iwans are large enough to allow entry of War elephants. Also, the relatively higher position compared to surrounding area made this palace a very important palace for the Mughals.

Phool Baug (Flowers Garden)

A beautiful garden complex depicting the aesthetic qualities of the Bundelas, this place has multiple fountains culminating in an 8-pillared palace pavilion. The fountain’s working is very intricate as the water collects in the Chandan Katora and it then supplies droplets of water through the roof making it look like rainfall.

This garden was used as a summer retreat by the kings of Orchha. This garden was built as a memorial for Prince Dinman Hardaul who had committed suicide to prove his innocence to his big brother.

Sound and Light Show of 1 hour each in Hindi and English (covering the history of Orchha from the 15th Century) giving descriptions of Sheesh Mahal, Rai Praveen Palace, Jahangir Palace, and their architectural style.

In this show, a voice narrates what happened in these palaces while light effects of various colours shower these places. Sawan Bhado Pillars- An ingenious cooling system with perforation on top of pillars to catch the wind while their lower parts were connected to a water reservoir.

This design was inspired by the Persian system of cooling. The legend says that these two pillars were erected to honour two important historical figures.

Nature Trail

Last but not least is ‘’Nature Trail’’- a 12 km long along the river Betwa where one can experience long lush farmland and serene wilderness. This is a paradise for birds and in some wild areas animals too like langurs, macaques and spotted deer.

With all this visual delight to eyes and unforgettable experience, devotees and visitors leave this place with a heart full of thoughts on the noble qualities of Rama, His simplicity and ability to treat everyone alike.

How to Reach – Orchha

Reaching by Air

The nearest airports to Orchha are Gwalior Airport (113 kms) and Khajuraho Airport (155 kms).

Reaching by Rail

The nearest railway junction to Orchha is Jhansi, which is 16 kms away.

Reaching by Bus

Orchha is well-connected by road to places like Jhansi, Gwalior and Khajuraho. You can hire a taxi or bus to reach Orchha from these places.

Sri Rama Raja Mandir, Orchha

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Sri Rama Raja Mandir – The Palace Kitchen that turned into a Temple in Madhya Pradesh

We have seen in all of Rama’s Temples, the Lord is shown as standing along with Sita, Laxman and Hanuman sitting on his knees with folded Hands looking at Lord Rama.

However in Rama Raja Temple, Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, one will find that He is in a sitting position accompanied by Sita on the left, brother Laxman, Sugriva and Narasingh on the right along with Goddess Durga, Hanuman and Jambavan praying, just below Sita as if all are sitting in “Durbar’” of a King. Here Rama is with a sword in his right hand and a shield in the other.

He is in Padmasan (Lotus Position) with his left leg crossed over the right thigh.

Click here for the official website