Famous Temples in India

Religious Significance

There are multiple legends associated with the origin of the temple complex. One of the legend says that it has come to existence from the Satya Yuga when Garuda in the process of freeing his mother from slavery has inadvertently spilled a drop of ambrosia into the surrounding lake. Another legend claims that during the time of Treta Yuga, Lord Rama worshipped Lord Vaidyanatheswara here and the flowers used in the process have accumulated so high that a flowery mound is established and hence the name Pushpagiri.

Legends of the place - In the pastime, a Brahmin was travel towards the river Ganges, with a wish to immerse the redics of his father in it. In course of his travel, he reacher the river Pinakini near the hill Pushpagiri at present day. There he wanted to do bath in the river and before his bath, he kept the bones of his father on the hill ground and had his bath. When he returned from his bath, he wondered that he founded the bones of his father turned into beautiful fragrant jasmine flowers. Then, he relised the sancity of the place and the flowers into the river with great respects and returned to his home. Later on, the place where the bones changed into Jasmin flower had the form of the hill and came to called as pushpagiri.

An old man of the Kapu caste and has sons. Though they were in young age, neglected the cultivation of the lands and were quarrel some with each other. So, the oldman took the responsibility of the cultivation work. Oneday, the oldman went to the fields with his old bullocks and in the afternoon of the day, the old bullocks entered into a large pool of the hill to quench their thirst. To surprise the oldman, bullocks came out of the pool as young and strong ones. Then the oldman realized the power of the secred pool and had his bath in the pool and turned as a young man. Meanwhile his wife, an old woman, came in search of him and finding the strong young man and enquired about her husband the oldman. The Youngman explained her the power of the water of the pool and asked her to bath in it. She bathed in it and turned as youngwoman. Gradually, the people of the villages in and around came to know about the power of the pool and started bathing in it and becoming young, beautiful and immortal. Thus, the power of the pool came to know Brahma through the Sage Narada and remember that the divin bird Garuda was carrying away Ambrasia (amrta), a drop of it fell into the pool and as a result the water gained the power of converting any living being into young and immortal. To stop this miracle, the Lord Brahma approached Lord Vishnu and explained him the happening which are against the nature of law. Then Lord Vishnu ordered Anjaneya to drop a hill on the water so as to cover the pool fully. Anjaneya obeyed the order of the God Vishnu. But the hill instead of sinking into the pool, started flotting. In order the sink it, all the gods joined together including Lord Shiva and Vishnu and weighed it down. Thus, the hill which floated like a flower, attained the name pushpagiri. The imprint of the foot of Lord Shiva is marked in the temple of Rudrapada on the Western side of the hill. Likely, the imprint of the foot of the Lord Vishnu on other side at the hill which there are two shrines on the same side of Rudrapada.

The Hill of Pushpagiri is also known of Papavinasevara according to a tradition in Siddapuram, there was a Brahmin by name Sivasarma. He was a vedic sholar and spent his time teaching vedas to his disciples. He performed sacread rights to rituals regularly at his place, one day he would send his disciples to the forest to collect darba (type of secread grass) twigs (Samidas) and other items used in sacrefecial rights. One fatefulday, one of the young boys, accidentally encountered a tiger in the forest and met a gruesome end. The other boys in the group luckily escaped from the forest and returned to their teacher to inform him, of the accident. Sivasarma was deeply grieved and implored the lord Deva, how did this mishappen? Due to my imbecilily, I have now been subjected to a grave sin, “Stricken with grief and worried that Brahmahatya patakam, had be fallen on him, he thought that only puspakaleswara can exonerate his sins. He perceived that he bathed in pinakini waters. He sat in a nearby cave and started reciting varuna mantras. Twelve years come to pass. Accressing the desimator of all sins (Papavinas-esvara), he said “Please save me oppana sarana”. He continued to observe rigorous penance and with devotion, prayed the lord inveneration. Finally Lord Shiva appeared to Shivasarma along with his consort Uma, Ganesa, his family. He bleassed Shivasarma and observe Shivasarma into the Eswaralinga installed by him. From then onwards the Shivalinga was known as Papavinaseswara and the lord cleans the sins of devotees at this place. Near this linga another lingam is installed which is known as Subramanyeswara lingam. Thus the Santanamalleswara is also known as Papavineswara, which fulfill wishes its devotees.

Pushpagiri is an ancient place as evidence by inscriptional and puranic references to it. Pushpagiri was also called as Bhaskara skhetra, Panchanadhitirtha and Kusumalayam. According to another tradition, once lord Surya wished to show the world the glory and compassion of Sankara. For this purpose, he installed a linga, Ravimani linga and prayed inveneration of the holy Sankara. Being installed by Bhaskara, this linga is popularly known as Bhaskareswara. Bhaskara is the bestower of health. Worshipping Bhaskareswaralinga, leads to freedom and cure from diseas. One day Narada was passing over Bhuloka(Earth). He happened to visit at Siddapuram, walking the streets he saw Vishnusarma. Vishnusarma paid respects the Sage Narada. Narada pleased the manners Vishnusarma. Vishnusarma narrated his sufferings unshow him the wounds on his body. Narada thought that it is letter to know past committed sins and then advise the methods of exoneration knowing the full story. Narada advised Vishnusarma to both in the river Pinakini in the Eastern direction of Puspagiri dwels Bhaskareswara Shiva and worship the God to get relief of the sufferings. He also advise the Brahmana to reciet the dwadasanamas (twelve names) of Baskara along with the Satarudreeyam (Hundred names of Rudra) to worship to god with devotion of twenty four days. Vishnusarma started for puspagiri bathing in the river Pinakini and then when to the lord and worshipped the lord with soft red coloured flowers, resited dwadasanamas (twelve names). He thus worshipped Bhaskareswara for twenty fourdays in the “Trikalas” (morning, noon, evening). The lord was pleased and appeared before the Brahmana Vishnusarma. He blessed a glowring handsome body to Vishusarma and liberated from sins. Vishnusarma rejoied and praised the God Shiva. The God Eswara removes all impurities of the Vishnusarma. Thus the place was known as Bhaskara Skhetra and the god is known as Bhaskareswara or Vaidyanadeswara at pushpagiri.

This is corroborated by various puranas including the Srisaila Khanda of Skanda purana and Sriranga Mahatmya of Garuda purana. When Garuda carrying Amrutham from Indra Lokam, a drop fell down and turned into a holy theertham. Power of this theertham came to know when a farmer in distress tried to suicide by jumping into this theertham and found himself turned into youngman. He then made his wife and oxen to take dip in this theertham and they all regained their youth. When the news of the theertham reached Satya lokam (Bramha lokam), Bramha worried about its existence and sought help from Lord Maha Vishnu and Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva ordered Lord Hanuman to drop a mountain on top of it. Astonishingly, the mountain started floating instead of sinking. Then lord Vishnu and shiva clamped their feet at its side so that mountain will not float again. Imprints of Lord Vishnu and Shiva can be seen here. The foot print of Shiva became famous as Rudra padam and Maha Vishnu as Vishnu Padam. Vaidyanathaswamy temple wast built in 13th Century (the architectural features evidenced by the tenth century A.D. for its construction) by Late Chalukya and early Yadava kings. This temple was reconstructed in 1436 A.D, by Kampayadeva, the subordinate of Devaraya II, the king of Vijayanagara.