Pashupatinath, Only Temple In India To Get Face Lift
The temple is located near the Rayadurg mandal headquarters, some 108km away from Anantapur and 50km off the Bellary district headquarters of Karnataka.
ANANTAPUR: The Pashupatinath Temple, the only temple in the country linked to the same shrine in Kathmandu in Nepal, and located near Rayadurg in Anantapur district, would be renovated as an important pilgrimage destination.
The temple is located near the Rayadurg mandal headquarters, some 108km away from Anantapur and 50km off the Bellary district headquarters of Karnataka.
The temple, built atop a hill on the Bellary road to the north from Rayadurg is locally called Lingala Banda. It is considered a rare temple with features similar to the Pashupatinath of Nepal.
A big Siva lingam supported by four Nandi idols on four cardinal points on a big panavattam is being worshipped at this shrine. It represents the five elements of earth, water, air, fire and sky.
As per history, the temple belonged to the Chalukya period and was renovated during the Vijayanagara period. A rock pond can be seen in front of the temple. This was the only Pashupatinath temple built during the 12th century by Chalukyas on a single rock on a hilltop at a 200ft height.
The historic temple was renovated by Vijayanagar emperors and draws devotees from both states. During Sivaratri, huge swarms of devotees turn up at the temple. Though there are no scriptures at the temple, its detailed history is available with a muth in Chinthini in Karnataka.
The temple remained neglected for decades. However, the Rayadurg MLA Kalava Srinivasulu made efforts to bring the temple to limelight.
“Lingala Banda has features similar to the Kathmandu Pashupatinath temple in Nepal. We plan to develop the temple at a cost of Rs 7 crore,” he told Deccan Chronicle. A detailed project report was prepared for development of the temple and he is planning to get it the tag of a UNESCO world heritage site.
The Pashupatinath temple in Nepal got this status some time ago. That Hindu temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is located on the banks of the Bagmati river in Kathmandu, which is also considered the head of all Jyotirlingas. The temple's origin was linked to the legend of Lord Shiva transforming into an antelope and his antler breaking off to become the Linga.
