Arasavalli is an
outgrowth of
Srikakulam municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in
Srikakulam district of the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n state of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
. It is located in
Srikakulam mandal of Srikakulam revenue division.
It is situated at a distance of about 1.6 km. from Srikakulam, the district headquarters and 17 km. from Srikakulam road, the railway station on Visakhapatnam-Howrah Line.
The Temple
A prominent Kalinga architectural temple dedicated to
Surya can be found in
Arasavalli Sun Temple
Arasavalli Sun Temple is a temple for Lord Surya, the solar deity, at Arasavalli in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Arasavalli Village 1 km east of Srikakulam. It is believed that the temple was built in 7th centu ...
, which is in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is built in such a way that the sun rays fall on the feet of the God, twice in a year in the months of February and June in the early hours of the day. All Sundays during the five months starting with 'Magha Nakshatra' are considered sacred.
Idols of Aditya, Ambica, Vishnu, Ganesha and Maheswara representing different faiths have been installed in one place.
The Sun God is depicted riding over a chariot drawn by seven horses driven by Anurudu, the Ratha Sarathi. It has been exquisitely carved out of a single black granite stone.
The coastal district temple is peculiar with its latitude aligned to the
minor lunar standstill. Also the transition from lunar calendar of north India to solar calendar of south India can be seen in the local culture. This is probably the eastern most sun temple in the peninsular India, where prayers are offered till date. The place, Chicacole, has a significance in the Kalinga (historical region) kingdom with their port at Kalingapatnam, making it to Megasthenes dairy (Calingae). The diaspora is spread in the present day south east Asia at historical Kalinga (province), Kalingga Kingdom etc. Prince Vijaya, the first ruler of Sri Lanka is believed to have a Kalinga lineage.
The original name ''Harshavalli'' means abode of joy.
[https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/2811_PART_A_DCHB_SRIKAKULAM.pdf ]
It is believed to have been built in the 7th century AD by the
Kalinga Kalinga may refer to:
Geography, linguistics and/or ethnology
* Kalinga (historical region), a historical region of India
** Kalinga (Mahabharata), an apocryphal kingdom mentioned in classical Indian literature
** Kalinga script, an ancient writ ...
rulers Devendra Varma .
References
{{Reflist
Hindu pilgrimage sites in India
Villages in Srikakulam district