Tourists can reach Adilabad via train from Hyderabad and then take an RTC bus or private vehicle to Jainad. Accommodation and food facilities are available in Adilabad for visitors.
Adilabad: The Lakshmi Narayana Swamy temple in Jainad continues to attract devotees from Telangana, Maharashtra, and the erstwhile Adilabad district. Believed to be over 1,400 years old, the temple is said to have been built in the 3rd century AD by Jain rulers and was once a significant center of Jainism in the region.
A unique feature of the temple is that the first rays of the sun fall directly on the feet of Lord Lakshmi Narayana Swamy (also known as Surya Narayana Swamy). According to temple history, the structure was built using stones brought from Pandarkawda in neighbouring Maharashtra.
Ravi Kumar, a local devotee, shared that the idol of Lakshmi Narayana Swamy glows with a golden hue when sunlight moves from its feet to its head during early morning hours, a phenomenon witnessed annually around 6 am for 15 days from Rasasapthami (the birth of the Sun God).
The temple also features a Prakrit inscription in the Devanagari script that reads 'Suryaya Namaha,' honouring the Sun God. Located in Jainad mandal, 20 km from Adilabad district headquarters, the temple hosts the annual Brahmotsavams during ‘Karthika Shudda Bahula Panchami’ (October-November), accompanied by a grand jatara. Stone inscriptions attribute the temple's construction to the Pallava dynasty.
Temple priest D. Dheeraj Kumar emphasised that Jainad Lakshmi Narayana Swamy temple is the only temple in Telangana where sun rays fall directly on the deity’s feet for 15 consecutive days. The temple complex also houses statues of Chennakeshavaswamy, Padmanabhaswamy, Garuthmanthudu, and Hayagreevaswamy, which attract visitors.
Despite its historical and religious significance, the temple's defunct Koneru (temple pond) and lack of restoration efforts have raised concerns. While successive governments have attempted to renovate the temple, devotees insist that immediate intervention is needed to preserve and develop it as a key tourist destination in Telangana.
Tourists visiting Jainad temple can also explore the historic Manikghad Fort, also known as Gadchandur, in Jiwati Taluk of Chandrapur district, Maharashtra, located 65 km away. Built in the 9th century by the Naga and Gond rulers, the fort stands at an altitude of 1,663 feet above sea level.
Additionally, visitors can explore the Tipeshwar Tiger Reserve, near Pandarkawda in Maharashtra, just 35 km from Adilabad. Known for its high tiger population density, the reserve offers frequent sightings of the majestic big cats.
Tourists can reach Adilabad via train from Hyderabad and then take an RTC bus or private vehicle to Jainad. Accommodation and food facilities are available in Adilabad for visitors.
