CIKS fellow Dasi Yoga Rakshitha explores the history of Alampur, and the rich temples which the town is endowed with. In her three part blog, shes explores the history, architecture, education and the museum at Alampur in her work. The blog is accompanied by a gallery of images taken by the author in the temple complex.
Introduction
Nestled on the western bank of the Tungabhadra River, Alampur is a historically significant town in the Jogulamba Gadwal district, Telangana. Situated 63 km from Gadwal city (in Telangana) and 50 km from Kurnool city (in Andhra Pradesh), making it one of the border towns between the two states. Prior to the formation of the new districts in 2016, this town was part of the Mahbubnagar district of Telanagana, and evidence of its rich heritage is in the Mahbubnagar Inscriptions Volumes 1 & 2.
Course of the Tungabhadra
Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers meander through the region of Mahbubnagar. These river belts served as the cradle for the development of Pre, Proto, and Early historic human civilizations since ancient times (Subrahmanyam. B, 1997). The Tungabhadra River originates in the Western Ghats and enters Andhra Pradesh, forming a boundary between the Kurnool district and Karnataka (Yadava, 2022, p. 2). The river roves through the Telugu states, passing through Alampur and predominantly flowing through the Kurnool district. Finally, it flows into one of the major rivers in the state, the Krishna River, at Kudali Sangama. Tungabhadra is considered one of the major tributaries of Krishna.
Major Temples
Alampur is home to Jogulamba Shakti Peetham, making it a significant holy place. This town also boasts prominent temples of Nava Brahma temple complex (Shaivite temples) and Kudala Sangameshwara temple constructed during the reign of Chalukyas of Badami or Early Chalukyas. There is also a captivating temple complex known as 'Papanasini' or 'Papanasi,' comprising 22 temples. This complex is located 3 km from the Jogulamba Temple.
Alampur: Dakshina Kashi
The lone orthostat of a megalithic burial features a Brahmi inscription dating back to the 3rd- 4th century C.E. This inscription at Alampur reads 'Kashiyabagha,' which probably suggests a place known as the womb of Kasi (Dr. B. Subrahmanyam, 1998). Alampur is often called Dakshina Varanasi due to its similarities with Kasi (Desai, P. B., 1962, p. 22-27). Kasi is located on the banks of Ganga & Alampur is on the banks of Tungabhadra. Visvesvara is the primary deity of Kasi, while Brahmesvara is the main deity of Alampur. The presiding Devi of Kasi is Vishalakshi, whereas in Alampur, it is Jogulamba. Varanasi is between the 'Varana' & 'Assi rivers, while Alampur is between the 'Vedavati' & 'Nadavati rivers. Kasi is near the confluence of Ganga & Yamuna, and Alampur is close to the confluence of Krishna & Tungabhadra (Sarma. M, 1972, p. 39-40).
Tracing Ancient Origins: Inscriptional & Literary Evidence
The ancient names of Alampur, as per the inscriptions, are 'Alampura,' 'Hatampura,' 'Anampura,' 'Alampuri,' and 'Alampuru'(Sarma. M, 1972, p. 52). An inscription evidence refers to Alampur as 'Alampuri sima' during the reign of Sri Krishnadevaraya (Murthy. N. S., Naidu. P., 2003, Vol II, p. 159-161). The Brahmi inscription of Guruzala of the Palnadu district in Andhra Pradesh is a valuable historical artifact dating back to the 3-4th century C.E. It was issued during the reign of Ikshvaku king Rudra Purusha Datta. As per the inscription, Nadukasiri donated some land to the God of Halampura, highlighting the religious & charitable practices of that time. It is worth noting that the Halampura is believed to be the ancient city of Alampur, as the name might have transitioned over the years. If there is more evidence to back the aforementioned explanation, it would place the origins of Alampur far back as the 3-4th century C.E.
Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga of Srisailam, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, is situated approximately 170 km away from Alampur. As per the sources, Srisilam has four main gateways, each in the four cardinal directions. Alampur is regarded as the Western Gateway to Srisailam (Desai, P. B., 1962, p. 22-27); others are Tripurantakam, Siddavatam & Umamaheshwaram. There is a similar reference of Alampur in the 'Paschima Dvara Mahatyam' of 'Srisaila Kandam' in Skanda Puranam. Shri Palkuriki Somanatha (12-13th century Telugu writer) mentions Alampur as ‘Brahmesvara kshetra' in his work, Panditaradhya Charitra’, highlighted it to be one among the many Mahatirthas, or important holy places (Sarma. G, 1958, p.5-6).
Jogulamba Shakti Peeth
Jogulamba Devi Shakti Peetam is said to be the 5th Shaktipeetam among the Asthadasa Shaktipeetas. Jogulamba Devi is also known as Yogesvari. It is worth noting that there are no inscriptions referencing Jogulamba between the 7th and 17th century C.E., except those connected to Sri Krishnadevaraya.
Shri Nityanatha Siddha has referred to Jogulamba as 'Yogamba' (Sarma. G, 1958, p. 9). Nityanatha Siddha was a revered Rasa Siddha who lived in Srisailam during the 14th century and authored the Rasa Ratnakara book (Hymavathi, 1993, p. 78). Presently, Jogulamba Devi temple is adjacent to the Nava Brahma temple complex.
Confluence of Dynasties & Ancient Temples
Over time, Alampur was under the influence of many dynasties.
The principal dynasties associated with the place include the Chalukyas of Badami, Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas of Kalyani, Kakatiyas, and the Vijayanagara. The Nava Brahma temple complex of Alampur saw significant temple-building activities under the patronage of Badami Chalukyas. Even the earliest Epigraphical records of the region belong to Badami Chalukyas (Khan, Abdul Waheed. 1973, p. 1).
The Tummeyanuru copper plate grant of Pulakesin II is the earliest record of Badami Chalukyas in Telangana. As per the record, the grant of the village, Tummayenuru which is a part of the 'Chalukya Vishya,' located between the villages of Sanatanuru and Pulikurope on the southern bank of Chinteru, in the presence of Lord Sangameswara. This record is crucial, as it mentions about 'Chalukya Vishaya' of Badamis for the first time ('Vishaya' here refers to the territory or the area), which included the parts of Mahbubnagar and parts of Kurnool districts, on either bank of river Tungabhadra river ((Murthy. N. S., Naidu. P., 2003, Vol I, p. iv, 1). Sangameswara here refers to the Kudali Sangamesvara; as mentioned earlier, it is at the confluence of Krishna & Tungabhadra rivers. Also, Nava Brahma temples have many undated label inscriptions from the 7th-9th centuries, the Badami Chalukyan period.
There are over 30 inscriptions in Alampur of various dynasties; 24 are in the Nava Brahma temple complex, one in the Papavinasini temples, and the rest are in the other temples of the village (Rama Rao. M, 1965, p. 8-11).
(Prasad, 1983, p. )
Nava Brahma Temples
(i) Introduction
A 16th-century (1527 CE) Telugu scripted Copperplate at Bala Brahmesvara temple dates back to the period of Sri Krishnadevaraya and mentions the names of Nava (nine) Brahma temples. They are Garuda Brahma, Veera Brahma, Padma Brahma, Vishwa Brahma, Kumara Brahma, Swarga Brahma, Taraka Brahma, Arka/Surya Brahma, and Bala Brahma (Murthy. N. S., Naidu. P., 2003, Vol II, p. 154-156). All these temples are enclosed in a fortification. Like most of the Badami temples of that time, these temples are constructed with Red Sandstone. As per Shri Rajendra Prasad (1983, p. 11), the quarry site for the Red stand stone could be at Satanikota because of the presence of carved stones & pillars. Coincidentally, there are inscriptions on the boulders at the sites, which are similar to the ones found on the temple walls of Nava Brahma temples at Alampur.
(ii) Mapping the Temples
The Mahadvara, or the temple's main entrance, is located in the West. The central slab of the Mahadvara has large carvings of Sesa Vishnu, Siva as Nataraja & Brahma. An inscription from the 14th century (1353 CE), found on the Mahadvara of Kanci Kamakshi temple, reveals that Ayitaraju, serving as the Pradhani of Mahamandalesvara Hemmadideva, was responsible for the construction of the main entrance (Sarma. M, 1972, p. 45). Each Nava Brahma temple is oriented towards the east, and these are categorized into two clusters based on their location. To the left of the main entrance is an empty shrine considered Taraka Brahma temple, and to the south are the Padma, Swarga, and Garuda Brahma temples. Bala Brahma is situated at the center of the location of other temples. Visva, Vira, Kumara, and Arka Brahma temples are towards the northeast of Bala Brahmeswara in the outside complex (Prasad, 1983, p. 11).
(iii) Architecture
All the Nava Brahma temples, except Taraka Brahma, have a Vesara style of Architecture.Vesara is considered to be a blend of Nagara (Northern) and Dravidian style (Southern) temple architecture. As per the Suprabedha Agama and Silparatna, if the Shikara or the tower of the temple is round from the neck or kantha, it is classified under the Vesara style of architecture (Rama Rao. M, 1965, p. 2-3 & 12-18). The Shikaras or the Vimanas of the Nava Brahma temples, except that of the Taraka Brahma temple, have a curvilinear shape (Rama Rao. M, 1965, p. 12-18). The design of these shikaras includes the elements of the Latina style (Prasad, 1983, p. 12), which is actually a part of the Nagara style and is not classified under Vesara. However, the presence of Nagara elements in Vesara (as it includes both styles of aforementioned architecture) influences the characteristics of Vesara architecture, depending on the art and region of the place and the prevailing dynasty during that period. These shikaras also adorn a crowning element known as Amlaka, a round circular disk that, as per the sources, resembles Amla, which is Indian Gooseberry. Taraka Brahma temple has the Dravidian style of Shikara.
The Pradaksina Patha of these temples is enclosed within the temple walls, so these are categorized under the Sandhara class. As per Shri Rajendra Prasad (1983, p. 12), Kumara Brahma is considered to be the oldest of all the Nava Brahma Temples.
(iii) Iconography
These temples are adorned with aesthetic and detailed sculptors of various deities, depicting stories from Puranas and lithiasis. Some of them are Vrishabhamurti, Tripurantakamurti, Lagga Gauri idols, Lingodbhavamurti, Nataraja sculptures, Kumara idols, Trivikrama depictions, Mahisasuramardhini, Mithunas, Saptramatrikas, Naga Bandha on the ceilings, and many others.
Papanasini & Sangameshvara Temples
These two temples were transplanted to Alampur due to the construction of the Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy Hydel project, famously known as the Srisailm project. This move was necessary to prevent the temples from the threat of submergence.
Papanasini, or Papanasi, is a 22-temple complex believed to have been constructed during the Rashtakutas and Kalyani Chalukyas (Sarma. M, 1972, p. 40). Most of the shikaras have stepped pyramidal structures, representing the Phamsana style of architecture (Gupta, 2000, p. 177). These temples have detailed and beautiful carvings of Ashta Dikpalas (on ceilings), Ramayana, and other Puranic depictions (on pillars). Palkurki Somanatha mentions this place in his list of tirthas (Sarma. M, 1972, p. 50).
Kudali in Telugu refers to the ‘Junction'. Earlier, this temple was located at the confluence of the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers., hence it’s known as Kudali Sangamesvara. This temple is believed to have been constructed during the reign of Pulakesin II, and the presiding deity is Lord Sangamesvara. The structure is made of Red Sandstone and is categorized under Sandhara-Latina (or Rekha) (Gupta, 2000, p. 173). Lord Sangamesvara's reference is also found in the Tummayanuru grant of Pulakesin II.
Observations & Conclusions
The captivating town of Alampur is home to a rich cultural heritage that remains undiscoverable to many. The temple heritage of this place boasts detailed & stunning sculptures that exemplify the ancient artisans' remarkable craftsmanship. Adjacent to the temple complex is a museum with a treasure trove of antiquities ranging from inscriptions to some of the unique sculptures of the region, and it needs to be better developed.
Regrettably, the public transportation facilities to access the temples are scarce, and the roads leading to these revered sites are in poor condition in Kurnool. Additionally, there needs to be more adequate signboards to understand & navigate through the vast temple complex. There are limited accommodation and food facilities in the vicinity.
Despite these challenges, the historical, antiquity & cultural significance make it a remarkable place that warrants meticulous and dedicated management and tourism promotion by the local and government bodies.
Credits:
I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Damaraju Surya Kumar for his invaluable insights and Dr. Konda Srivinasulu and Dr. Baddela Rama Chandra Reddy from Ongole for their support in sourcing reference material and providing guidance.
References:
Gupta, H. K., Parasher-Sen, A., & Balasubramanian, D. (2000). Deccan Heritage. Universities Press : Distributed by Orient Longman.
Desai, P. B. (1962). Select stone inscriptions of Andhra Pradesh. India: Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Hymavathi, P. (1993). History of āyurvēda in ĀNDHRADĒŚA, A.D. 14th c.-17th c. Bhargava Publishers : For copies, Warangal Book Centre.
K, G. (2017). An International Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies. Pune Research World, 2(1). http://puneresearch.com/media/data/issues/58b85a450718e.pdf
Khan, Abdul Waheed. (1973). Stone sculptures in the Alampur Museum / by Abdul Waheed Khan ; edited by N. Ramesan. Hyderabad : Government of Andhra Pradesh
Radhakrishna Sarma, M. (1972). Temples of Telingāṇa: the architecture, iconography, and sculpture of the Cāḷukya and Kākatīya temples.
Raghu, Yadava. (2022). Hunters and fowlers in the Tungabhadra Plains of Andhra Pradesh, South India: an ethnographical study of Nir Sikaris. International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology. 6. 10.1186/s41257-022-00069-6.
Rajendra Prasad, B. (1983). Chalukyan temples of andhradesa. Abhinav.
Ramachandra Murthy, N. S., Jogi Naidu, P., & Andhra Pradesh (India). Department of Archaeology and Museums. (2003). Inscriptions of Andhra Pradesh : Mahabūbnagar District. Dept. of Archaeology and Museums, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh Vol I.
Ramachandra Murthy, N. S., Jogi Naidu, P., & Andhra Pradesh (India). Department of Archaeology and Museums. (2003). Inscriptions of Andhra Pradesh : Mahabūbnagar District. Dept. of Archaeology and Museums, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh Vol II.
Ramakrishna Sarma, Gadiyaram-Srl Brahmeshwara Kshetra Mahatmıyam, Unda- valli, Andhra Pradesh, 1958.
Rama Rao, M. (1965). Early Cālukyan Temples of Andhra Desa. India: Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Subranmanyam, B. (1997). Pre, proto and early historic cultures of krishna tungabhadra valley. Bharatiya Kala Prakashan.
This blog has been created as part of the CIKS Summer Fellowship 2024. Each fellow will share a series of blog posts summarizing their projects from the fellowship. Keep an eye out for the exciting work the fellows are doing.
About the Author: Yoga Rakshitha
Rakshitha is a graduate in the field of Life Sciences (Microbiology, Genetics, Chemistry). She has keen interest in Indian Heritage, Culture, Folklore, Ancient Indian Knowledge Systems,and Traditions, with a focus on Temple Architecture, Iconography and Ancient Indian history. She is also an incoming student at the Center for Heritage Management for the Masters program in Heritage Management at Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.