Draksharamam or Daksharamam is one of the five
Pancharama Kshetras that are sacred to the Hindu god
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ÉɦaËd̪eËÊ‹Éh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
and also 12th of Ashtadasha Shakthi Peetams. The temple is located in
Draksharamam town of
Konaseema district in the Indian state of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
. The poet
Mallikarjuna Panditaradhyudu who wrote first independent work in
Telugu and who spread
Lingayatism
The Lingayats are a Monotheism, monotheistic religious denomination of Hindu denominations, Hinduism. Lingayats are also known as , , , . Lingayats are known for their unique practice of Ishtalingam, Ishtalinga worship, where adherents carry a ...
in Andhra region during medieval ages was born in this town.
Etymology
The town was formerly known as and . This is the place where
Daksha
Daksha ( ,) is a Hindu god whose role underwent a significant transformation from Vedic mythology, ''Vedic'' to Itihasa-Purana, ''Itihasa-Puranic'' mythology. In the ''Rigveda'', Daksha is an ''Adityas, aditya'' and is associated with priestly ...
head of all prajapatis did a
yagna called or . This place's present name is a compound of and which means "Abode of
Daksha
Daksha ( ,) is a Hindu god whose role underwent a significant transformation from Vedic mythology, ''Vedic'' to Itihasa-Purana, ''Itihasa-Puranic'' mythology. In the ''Rigveda'', Daksha is an ''Adityas, aditya'' and is associated with priestly ...
". This place was also referred to as by Jagadguru
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedanga, Vedic scholar, Hindu philosophy, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and h ...
in
maha shakti peetha sloka at which points to "Maanikyamba devi of Draksharama". The place where Daksha performed is still visited by pilgrims here.
History
Inscriptions in the temple reveal that it was built between the 9th and 10th centuries CE by the Eastern Chalukyan king, Bhima. The big Mandapam of the temple was built by Ganga Mahadevi, daughter-in-law of
Eastern Ganga Dynasty king
Narasingha Deva I of
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
. Architecturally and sculpturally, the temple reflects a blend of Chalukyan and Chola styles.
The temple is historically prominent. It was built by
Eastern Chalukyas who reigned over this area. It's believed to have been constructed earlier to the Bhimeswaraswamy temple in
Samarlakota that was built between 892 C.E. and 922 C.E.
Festivals
Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually to worship the deity Shiva, between February and March. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is observed on the fourteenth day of the first half (night start with darkness - ...
and
Dasara are the main festivals associated with Draksharamam
See also
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Andhra Vishnu
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Pancharama Kshetras
References
Bibliography
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Hindu pilgrimage sites in India
Pancharama Kshetras
Archaeological sites in Andhra Pradesh