Annavaram Temple (Andhra Pradesh)

This temple dedicated to Veera Venkata
Satyanarayana Swami is built atop the
Ratnagiri hills and is accessed
by a motorable road and a flight of steps.

Annavaram Temple (Andhra Pradesh) Hindu Temples

There is in the Annavaram temple a famous and a unique yantra the like of which does not exist anywhere else in India. The yantra is based on the Tripad Vibhuti Narayana Upanishad, which is a part of the Devarshi sakha of the Atharva Veda. The shrine is constructed in two stories, the lower one containing the Yantra and the upper one containing the vigrahas of the Lord. The Garbha griha of the Lord has four entrances. In the centre thereof, like a Panavattam under the Sivalinga, Tripeethas are constructed, and on the top of them over the Meru portion, the Beejakshara Samputi of the Yantra is chiseled. At the apex thereof which forms the Bindu, a monolithic pillar is constructed and on the top of the pillar the image of the Lord is in the centre, the image of the Goddess is in the right and a Sivalinga is on the left. The idols are of

Trikala archana is performed every day both to the Yantra as well as to the idols. Salagramams of great value and efficacy and Sri Chakram in crystal are also worshipped along with the main idols. On the ground floor of the Garbhalaya the idols of Aditya, Ambika, Gananatha and Maheswara are instilled in the four corners and all these with the main idol of Lord Sathyanarayanaswamy in the centre form of the Vishnu Panchayatanas.

The main temple is constructed in the form of a chariot with the four wheels at each of the four corners. In front of the main temple is the Kalyana mantapa, constructed and decorated with modern pieces of architecture. The shrines of Vana Durga and Kanaka Durga are found. Goddess Vana Durga is held in great veneration and the Devi is said to be seen even to this day, In the nights, going about the holy precincts perpetually guarding the Lord.

There are many important festivals of this temple like Kalyanam festival in May, Devi Navarathri festival which occurs in September, the Svayamvara Vardhanti of Sravana Suddha Ekadasi Day, Srirama Kalyana, the Kanakadurga Yatra, the Prabha Utsavam, the Teppa Utsavam and the Jalatoranam. In addition to the above Dharma Sevalu and Ekadasi Sevalu are also performed.

Bhishma Ekadasi is particularly sacred and important for this shrine, as the day when Bhishma, the great hero of the Mahabharata, voluntarily gave up his life on the battle field of Kurukshetra. It was just before this that he initiated Yudishthira into the most powerful and efficacious of all mantras viz., the Vishnu Sahasranama. This mantra is so holy and so powerful that Adisankara, the great Advaitic teacher, has thought fit to write a commentary on it, just as he did on the other important scriptures like the Prasthana trayas. There is a vratam called the Satyanarayana vratam, which actually puts into practice, this sacred mantra, and this vratam is one of the most popular and powerful of all the vratams of the Annavaram temple. Hence the Satyanarayana vratam which is specially dedicated to Vishnu Sahasranamam, has to be performed on the Bhishma Ekadasi day, and Annavaram temple which is dedicated to Lord Satyanarayanaswamy, is the very shrine in which the vratam is performed with great sancity. Hence literly thousands of pilgrims flock to the temple on the Bhishma Ekadasi day and perform this Satyanarayana vratam in the direct presence of the Lord.

Main Deity : Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy.

Other Deities: Anantha Lakshmi, Satyavathi Devi.

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