ARCHAEOLOGY

Mallam Subramanya Swamy Temple, Naidupeta

This temple was built by the King Pandya Bhupathi during 630 A.D. Later renovated by Chola rules during the 10th and 11th centuries. The interesting part of the construction is Vasantha Mandapam, which was built in the form of a chariot drawn by a pair of horses. Temple Mandapam was built on 100 pillars rock-cut corridor, pillars are beautifully carved with sculptures from the epics The Ramayana, The Maha Bharath, The Bhagavatham and The Siva Purana. Temple is facing towards North direction.Once King Kullothunga Pandya Bhupathi who went to the forest for hunting saw the bamboo sticks which were grown over the anthill and wished to make a palanquin out of these sticks. Anthill was grown over Subramanya Swamy who was doing penance there for many years. The king who is not aware of the Subramanya Swamy’s penance ordered his servants to collect the bamboo sticks. Servants while cutting the bamboo sticks, unknowingly chopped Subramanya Swamy’s both the hands and blood starts oozing out of the ant-hill. Later in this night, Subramanya Swamy appeared in the King’s dream and ordered him to construct the temple to get rid of the committed sin. From then on the King used to offers his first prayer (pooja) to the Subramanya Swamy before starting their day.

                                                                                                       Kalyana Venkateswara Temple, Narayanavanam

Lord Sri Venkateswara Swamy and Sri Padmavathi Ammavaru, daughter of Akasha Raju were married here. As the marriage took place in Narayanavaram, Padmavathi’s brother build two Temples; one is here, another in Tirumala to commemorate this occasion. It is one of the few temples where we can see both Venkateswara Swamy along with Padmavathi Devi in one complex. This Temple has four small shrines of Sri Padmavathi, Andal, Sri Prayaga Madhava swami and Sri Varadaraja Swami. At the entrance in front of the Sanctum is the small Garudalwar Sannidhi. In addition to these, there are five more temples to the main one. These are dedicated to Sri Parasareswara Swami, Sri Veerabadhra Swami, Sri Sakthi Vinayaka Swami, Sri Agatheeswara Swami and Sri Avanakshamma.

Kodandaramesvara Swamy Temple( Adityeswara Temple), Bokkasampalem

Bokkasampalem is situated at a distance of 2 km. away from Tondamanadu in Sri Kalahasti Mandal. The village contains a temple dedicated to Siva under the name Kodandaramesvara alias Adityesvara. The Adityesvara temple is said to be a pallipadai built in honour of Chola king Aditya I by his son Parantaka I in or before A.D.940-41. The shrine for Devi seems to have been built some time during the 12th century A.D.

                                               Sri Perumallaswamy Temple (Prasanna Venkateswaraswamy), Tondamanadu

It is known from the Historical Evidence that Temple was constructed during the 9th and 10th Century AD. The Vimana of this temple resembles that of the Anandanilaya Vimana of Tirumala. The kings of Chola, Pallavas, Vijayanagara and other rulers performed pujas here for their well-being. During the later 20th century the temple lost its Glory.The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams took over the temple in 2008 and initiated many developmental works and reconstructed the temple. After reconstruction, in 2016 kumbabhishekam was performed. In August 2017, TTD organized Pavitrotsavams in the temple.

Sri Valleswaraswamy Temple, Ramagiri

Ramagiri Vaaleeswarar Swamy temple is believed to be built by Pallava king in the 9th century A.D. There is a pond near to Temple with full of pure water. The water comes out from the mouth of a Nandi idol. The water here flows for all the days in a year. Near the Nandi idol. The temple pond which is situated in front of the temple is called Nandi Theertham. There is a small Shiva Linga Idol next to the Pond. Nandi’s front half is seen protruding from the wall of the pond. The water originating somewhere from the hill reaches a small well and from there it passes and comes through this Nandi’s mouth and flows into the pond. Native Villagers say that they have never seen this water flow stops, since their memory. Also, they are sure about the source from where the water reaches Nandi. One more speciality of this temple is, this is the only Shiva Temple in which Pradhosham is not celebrated.

                                                                                                                           Pallikondeswara Temple, Surutupalle

Pallikondeswara Temple (Also Pradosha Kshetram) is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva located in Surutupalle village in Tirupati District. The presiding deity Pallikondeswara, unlike other Shiva temples, is sported in reclining posture lying on the lap of his consort Parvati. Brahmotsavam during the Tamil month of Somavaram, Thiruvadhirai during the month of Margazhi and Annabhishekam during the Tamil month of Aippasi are the major festivals celebrated in the temple.

Megalithic Burials, Venkatapuram village

For many, it is just an uninhabited waste land abutting the Tirupati-Kadapa national highway and the Renigunta-Kadapa railway line. Not many know that this piece of land on the outskirts of Tirupati is actually a treasure trove of knowledge that has the potential to open new vistas in archaeological research.Located in the little-known Venkatapuram village tucked between Chengareddypalle and Karakambadi, it is a megalithic burial site believed to date back to 500-300 B.C. The region is full of history and is an indicator to the likely presence of prehistoric human civilisation.The burial of corpses by megalithic people bears a distinct signature. Some used cairn packing (pouring heap of pebbles over the tomb), some drew anthropomorphic figures on the tombstone and some had a Dolmen’s chamber with a capstone. However, what one finds in Venkatapuram is a ‘stone circle’, that is, a circle formed by placing boulders around the grave. Around 300 megalithic burial sites have been identified so far across Chittoor district Of the six burials, there are only five today and the ‘missing’ one has been replaced by a newly-erected mobile tower.