Sunday, June 24, 2012

Chilkur Balaji Temple, Hyderabad [చిలుకూరు బాలాజీ దేవాలయము]




Sasanka - Chakram Sakaritha - Kundalam,
Sapita- Vastram Sarasiruh'eksanam |
Sahaara- Vaksahsthala- Kaustubha- Sriyam
Namami Vishnum Sirasaa Chatur- Bhujam ||

He who sports in His hands the conch (Sankha) And the discus (Chakra),
Who is adorned with a crown and ear pendants, Who wears a yellow cloth,
And whose eyes resemble a lotus; And whose chest is beautified
By many necklaces and the Kausthuba mark,
I bow down my head before that four-handed Vishnu. !!

 
After nearly eight months, today [24.jun.12]  morning at 5.15, I made my trip to CHILKUR BALAJI TEMPLE [popularly known as VISA BALAJI].

This temple is about 33 kms from hyderabad... [29 kms from my room]..
The route I took was:
Lakdi-ka-pul -> Mehdhipatnam [where i had tea] -> Military Hospital, Nalgonda -> Langer House -> Rajendra Nagar ->APPA [andhra pradesh police academy] Outer Ring Road -> right turn leading to Moinabad.. to reach Chilkur.

Though APSRC runs plenty of 228D service from MEHDHIPATNAM, as usual I "safari" was in my "shadharmacharini" – bajaj pulsar 150cc, plugging my earphone to have karaoke of BHAJAGOVNDAM and VISHNUSAHASRANAMAM.

The legend says that this one of the oldest temples in Telengana Region was built during the period of Madanna and Akkanna, uncles of Bhakta Ramdas.  Though it is on the bank of Osmanabad Lake… I could find no proper path to reach the lake.

My first visit to the temple was in 2008 october, but now the area around the temple has changed tremendously with lots of shops, hotels, tea stalls… and more number of Ammaa Thaayes [beggars].

The greatest plus point of this temple is no Hundi, No offerings in the thattu, No special darshan entrance.  Following strictly all are equal before HIM. People can contribute by subscribing the monthly magazine VAK [The Voice of Temples] or buying sufficient copies to distributing to their friends and relatives - costing only
`5/-].

The general belief of public:
Visit the temple perform 11 circumambulations [pradhakshinams] and pray before HIM for success or anything.  Once the same gets fulfilled revisit and perform 108 peradakshinams. People from all parts of the country visit and perform their prarthanas. 

Many, instead of pradhaksihnam, do running race to complete the target of 108.  But the pujari used to announce cautioning such persons…. GOD will not count this as your offering to HIM.

The best thing in this temple I found, which is missing in all other temples, is Pandits in turn chant OM NAMONARAYANAYA, VASUDEVAYA and other slokas, which the bhaaktas in the temple repeat them in louder voice.
In the same compound there is a SHIVA Temple.  The entrance for the same is from the northern side of Balaji Temple.
Chanting OM NAMONARAYANAYA, VASUDEVAYA, prayed for my nears and dears and returned.

Some of the clicks through my lens are to you….

Till we meet again… so long…. Have nice time


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CLICK FROM MY ROOM BEFORE STARTING
FROM LANGER HOUSE BRIDGE
SITARAMA TEMPLE @ LANGER HOUSE
FROM SHAADHAN MEDICAL COLLEGE

CHILKUR VILLAGE ENTRANCE ARCH
CHILKUR BALAJI TEMPLE ENTRANCE
SIDE VIEW OF GOPURAM & DWAJASTHAMBHAM
BHAKTAS DOING PRADHAKSIHANM
BHAKTAS DOING PRADHAKSIHANM
BHAKTAS DOING PRADHAKSIHANM - VIEW FROM SHIVA TEMPLE ENTRANCE
A VIEW AT GOLGONDA
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Saturday, March 10, 2012

Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple, Yadagirigutta, Nalgonda Distrct, AP



उग्रं वीरं महाविष्णुं ज्वलन्तं सर्वतोमुखं |
नृसिंहं भीषणं मृत्युमृत्युं नमाम्यहं ||

ugram viram mahavishnum jvalantam sarvatomukham |
nrsimham bhishanam bhadram mrtyumrtyum namAmyaham ||

 I salute the God who is death to death itself,
Who is ferocious , who is valorous , who is great Vishnu,
Who shines with faces in all directions,
Who is Narasimha , who frightens and who takes care of.

[thanks to google transliteration facility for for devanagari typing and shri p.p.ramachander for translation of the sloka]
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Hi dear all...
On 8th March 2012, the HOLI DAY, a holiday, converted to holy place visit by me.
Though people told not to venture on this day to visit Yadagirigutta in my sahadharmacharini, I ventured the trip after routine Hanuman Temple visit at Lakdi-ka-pul, Hyderabad at 9.50 am and enquiring the route at 11.15 am reached SURENDRAPURI.  The route taken by me - Lakdi-ka-pul - Khairatabad - Rajbhavan Road - SP Road  to reach Marredpally from Somajiguda -  Tarnaka - Habsiguda - Uppal to catch NH-202 going to Warrangal... a 78 km drive non-stop.  One has to take left turn at the Rayagiri Junction at the NH.  As a new flyover has been constructed, one has to be cautious not to miss the turn, as at present the indication boards are not available.  Snaps taken in the highway.


BHUVANAGIRI
SURENDRAPURI:
                                     It is on the way to Yadagirigutta [3 kms].  It is having "KUNDA SATYANARAYANA KALADHAMAM" which is the centre for mythological awareness [opened on 9th march 2009]. 

The timing is 8.30 am to 5 pm, with entrance fees Rs.250 for Adult and Rs.200 for children.  As I was solo man, I did not visit and more so it would take more than 3 hours to cover the same - important pilgrim centres like Kashi, Gangotri, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Amarnath, Sapthaloka and scenes from epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata.  No bag, No Mobile, No camera allowed inside.  Some of the snaps of the Dhamam from outside.  

 
 
 

In the open yard there are some gigantic idols of various Gods.

 
Back to back installation of Lord Hanuman and Lord Shiva

 

 One can climb up and go inside the Lingam and see the following idols.

Before reaching the base of Lingam
View of Yadagirigutta from Mahalingam of Surendrapuri
After all these snaps and having a cup of timely tea in a shop opposite to the main gate of Kalamandapam zoomed to Yadagirigutta.

YADAGIRIGUTTA:
                                       It is a popular hill temple of Lord Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy in Nalgonda District of Andhrapradesh.  The temple is open from 4.00 am to 9.30 pm with complete closure from 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm.   During the day lots of aaradhanas are carried out at which time the darshan ques are stopped.

The annual 11 days  Brahmotsavam is conducted in Feb-March  which attracts devotes tens and thousands of pilgrims various parts of country.

In the foot hill Vaikunta Dwaram welcomes the pilgrims, from where steps to the top of the Gutta starts.
The road in the right side of this Dwaram leads to the top of the hill.  One has to negotiate 2 hairpin bends to reach the top, where this arch welcomes all.

 Apart from other ordinary hotels and rooms to stay, APTDC runs this for the pilgrims safe and comfortable stay
 After reaching the top at 12.30 pm with much difficulty found a safe place to park the bike [a pooja material vendor] and handing over the helmet [a must one for safe travel, but extra luggage to carry], but had to oblige taking 2 coconuts from him, I climbed 10 steps to reach the temple area, to be welcomed by bhaktas crowd.


When I was standing looking at the crowd and sporting quizzical face, a passerby advised me to go for "athi seegrha darshan que" [fast darshan que].  Imagining that now it is only 12.30 by going through this fast que I can come out in half an hour after darshan and whilst returning visit Bhuvanagiri too.  To reach the said que I crossed the following.


 When I was about to reach the starting of the special darshan que, I had the fortune of witnessing the Rathaseva of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha offered by a Bhaktha.

 After this unexpected darshan stood at the tail end of the special darshan que, which never moved "athi seegram" [very fast].  To reach the counter it took 45 mts. and after that had to wait for about 2-1/2 hour to enter the temple.  During the waiting period what to do, nothing was better than chanting Bhajagovindam & Vishnusahasranamam - plugged in my mobile headphone, played the tracks of ever divine voice of Late MSS and did karoke of the slokams.
Gopuram of the Sanctum
  At 2.45 pm the que moved and I reached the entrance of the Temple.  The steps were taking me towards the cave temple of Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy.  After entering at the rightside saw Lord Hanuman's sannadhi.  After climbing down further I reached the sannadhi of the sanctum.  After entering the sanctum one should not deviate the attention to have darshan of swaymbu formation of - Lord Ghandabherunda Narasimha and Lord Jwala Narasimha, which are in the Rock right side of the NARASIMHNA-LAKSHMI idols.

Withstanding the push "jarugandi, jarugandi -- go, go" I could stand for around 10 mts to pray for my dears and nears, came out at 3.15 pm after passing through Andal and Aazhvar sannadhis, by which time the Sri Ramalingeswara's temple got closed.  I waited outside the temple main door and had nap.
The temple opened at 4.15 pm.  In the temple of Sri Ramalingeshwara in the sanctum idols of Sri Parvathavardhini [left side] and Sri LakshmiNarayana [right side] are installed. There are sannadis for GANAPATI, KUMARASWAMY, ANJANEYA and NAVAGRAHA.

After this darshan before returning to the bike parking place took these snaps.

Main Temples Gopuram and Mantap
Yadagiri Town from the top
View of Surendrapuri from hill top
A new temple under construction in Yadagiri - view from hill top
 Thanking the pooja material seller for having taken care of bike and helmet safely started back at 4.50 pm to Hyderabad and gave a lift to a person at top to wished to get dropped at Yadagiri Bus Stand to catch a bus to Hyderabad [though I offered lift up to hyderabad, he did not have confidence].  Whilst passing through the railway over bridge near Rayagiri  Station, saw a small temple built on the midst of the rocky mount with a ball rock being held my two others.  With proper company have to climb up to see the temple and enjoy nature's creation.

 By driving at 60 to 80 kmph on the empty highway could reach back Hyderabad at 6.15 pm and after distributing the prasadams to 3 bandhus who live on my way back to room, reached my den at 8.45 pm. with happiness of making a wonderful journey.

Those who visit Hyderabad do not miss the visit to Yadagirigutta and Surendrapuri by allocating sufficient time to enjoy both.

Bye bye to all till my next journey.