Andhra Pradesh, the symbol of true spirit of Indian secularism where people of all faiths -Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu form a symphony of religions. History has forged, and left behind vital links with the state, as is evident from the many edifices, monuments and architectural ruins, the legacy of dynasties as old as 300 B.C.

About Amaravati Travel

Amaravati is situated in Sattenapalli Taluk of Guntur District and it is famous as the seat of a temple to Lord Shiva worshipped here as Lord 'Amareswara' and also for the Buddhist sculptures, which are world famous. 'Amareswaram' is considered sacred because of three things, the Krishna River, an important Kshetra with a 'Sthalamahatyam' and the Sri Mahalinga Murthy, which are three sacred principles embodied in one.

Amaravati - A Sacred Place Of Worship

In this 'Punyakshetra', Lord Siva is in the form of five, lingas, viz., 'Pranaveswara', 'Agasteswara', 'Kosaleswara', 'Someswara' and 'Parthiveswara'. The Lord Amareswara here is worshipped with his consort 'Bala Chamundika' who is considered as the fourth of the 18 goddesses. There are also other deities inside the temple. The origin of the temple shrouded in mystery, though there are many legends, puranic and historical, about it. But the sanctity and the holiness of the place attract thousands of pilgrims even now.

The Legends Of Amareswara Temple

The lofty temple of Amareswara is situated at a spot on the river Krishna where it takes a north-to- south course, while the main river flows from west to east. There is a legend that even if the river Krishna flows in floods nothing will happen to that mountain and that the river will have to take some other side to flow. Hence it is that the river Krishna flows north to south at this place. Such spots where the river takes a different course for short distance are considered to be very holy places, where temples are normally built.

This ancient temple dedicated to Shiva enshrines a 15ft high white marble Shiva Lingam, and is surrounded on all the four sides by towering gopuras of the usual Dravidian type of temple Architecture. The 'Vimana' of the temple also shows the same style of architecture.

There is one legend that the temple was originally Buddhist in origin and later on this was readapted for Hindu worship. There is some force in this contention, since in the 'Amareswara Swami' temple the foundations are laid with the characteristic Buddhist slabs only. Just above the 'Mula Virat' in the Garbhagriha, one can see still a white marble lotus Medallion, done in the delicate and ornate style of the early Buddhist 'Silpas'. The Mula Virat is a long vertical cylinder made of white marble, which is so extensively used in the Buddhist monuments.

Situated at a particularly sacred spot of the holy river Krishna and a consecrated place of worship, it is of importance to both Buddhism and Hinduism. Any account of Amaravati will not be complete without reference to the world famous Buddha stupa here.

Festivals

The main festivals in the temple are the Maha Shivaratri, which comes in the 'Magha Bahula Dasami' and the Navaratri and the 'Kalyana Utsavas'.

How to get there ?

Road - Amaravati is situated twenty miles northwest of Guntur and is connected with it by a good motorable road. Taxis and buses are available from Guntur. The nearest railheads are Guntur and Vijayawada. There are good bus connections from Guntur to Amaravati.