Amaralingeswara Temple (Amararama)

History

Pancharama tradition holds that linga fragments were installed at five sites after the slaying of Tarakasura; Amaravati’s Amaralingeswara shrine is the Amararama of that set, anchoring Shaiva worship on the Krishna at Amaravati.

The temple’s standing on official district listings and its pairing with Vijayawada–Amaravati pilgrimage routes place it among the principal Shaiva destinations of the lower Krishna valley.

Stories

The gods who settled at Amaravati

Legend says the demon king Tarakasura won a boon from Shiva and used it to defeat the gods. Shiva vowed to destroy him, and the gods are said to have come to live at this spot, which gave Amaravati its name. Shiva is worshipped here as Amareswara, with the goddess Bala Chamundika.

Temple lore adds that the linga once kept growing taller, until devotees drove a nail into its top to stop it. A red mark is said to show where blood came out. The white marble linga is about 15 feet high, and priests stand on a platform to perform the daily rituals.

Kings, inscriptions and a zamindar's rebuilding

Inscriptions suggest the temple dates from around the 11th century. Its walls carry 35 inscriptions, the earliest dated 1129. The temple later received support from the Kota chiefs, the Reddi dynasty and the Vijayanagara rulers, and Krishnadevaraya added a mandapam.

In the late 18th century the zamindar Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu of Chintapalli expanded the temple and made Amaravati his home. He gave land to the priests to keep worship going. The temple is one of the five Pancharama Kshetras, the only one on the Krishna river.

Traces of an older Buddhist site

Amaravati was also a great Buddhist centre. Inside the temple, a white marble lotus medallion and a cylindrical main image have led some scholars to suggest the site was first a Buddhist place of worship. Satavahana-era finds, including a four-faced linga and a life-sized Nandi, show that Shiva worship here is very old.

A 1184 inscription of the Kota chief Keta II praises the great Buddhist stupa and also honours Shiva as Amareswara. Other inscriptions on the pillars record lamp gifts to the Buddha, which suggests the two faiths shared the town.

Good to know

Amararama among the five Pancharama Kshetras

Krishna riverfront temple town in the Amaravati region

Often combined with Mangalagiri and Kanaka Durga in Vijayawada-area circuits

Getting there

Nearest airport: Vijayawada (Gannavaram). Amaravati is reached by road from Vijayawada and Guntur; rail via nearby stations on the Vijayawada corridor.