Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Devasthanam, Vemulawada

Sri Raja Rajeshwara Kshetram (holy place) is one of the most sacred spots in the southern part of the India. There are many evidences of inscriptions on stone to provide information of historical, political, religious, cultural and greatness of this holy place. The greatness of this sacred place came with the very existence of Sri Raja Rajeshwara swamy Suyambulingam, which is ancient than the Vemulawada village.

Once upon a time god Indra went to many holy places after he killed Vrithasura and still could not purify his life. Then he took the advice from the guru of gods, Bruhaspathi to visit Sri Raja Rajeshwara kshetram. There he took the holy dip in dharma-gundam and took the blessings of lord Sri Raja Rajeshwara and ruled a golden age of the history. By this ancient story, history gives us the evidence of existence of lord Sri Raja Rajeshwara in Krita yuga.

Another historical story about how the dharma-gundam was built. Once upon a time a king named Sri Raja Raja Narendra came to this place while hunting wild animals. But accidentally he killed a Brahmin boy with an arrow while the boy was drinking water from a pond. Then with the curse of Brahma hatya he got an incurable disease and went on pilgrimage to many holy places and returned back to this place. One day he drank the holy water from the dharma gundam and slept the night praying the lord Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy. In his dreams lord shiva asked him, that to take lord’s existence, the lingam from the dharma-gundam and put in a temple.

When the king woke up in the morning he found that his incurable disease got cured. Then he built steps to the dharma gundam and cleaned lord Sri Raja Rajeshwara swamy lingam and built a temple on the hill to keep the lingam inside the temple. But while he was sleeping in the night holy sidhas came and established the gods idol inside the temple. When king was worried about missing the chance to establish the shiva linga, god came in to this dreams and promised that kings name will be associated with the place forever.

It is been said in many mythologies that Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy lingam existed in Krita Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dwapara Yuga. And this holy place was visited and praised by many holy persons in Indian ancient history and got never ending importance in holy pilgrimage. Even though the main deity is Lord Shiva at this place, Sri Kodanda Rama Swamy Aalayam, Sri Ananta Padma Nabha Swamy Aalayam are also have the importance from long time for many pilgrims. Because of that reason this place is also called as “ Hari Hara Khestram”.

Daily sevas (Nitya Kainkarya) timings

Time	Seva Name
Morning
4:00 AM - 4:15 AM	Mangala Vaidyamulu
4:15 AM - 4:45 AM	Suprabhata Seva
4:45 AM - 5:00 AM	Aalaya Shuddi
5:00 AM - 6:00 AM	Pratah Kaala Pooja
6:00 AM - 10:00 AM	Dharma Darshanam and Abhishekamulu
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM	Anna Pooja, Special Darshanamu and Nitya Kalyanamulu
Afternoon
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	Madyahnika Pooja and Maha Nivedana
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM	Dharma Darshanam
Evening
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM	Pradosha Pooja
Night
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM	Dharma Darshanam and Aakula Pooja
9:00 PM - 10:00 PM	Nishi Pooja
10:00 PM - 10:15 PM	Pavalimpu Seva
10:30 PM	Temple will be closed until next day.
*details as of dated 2005,January.

Note: On Mondays, Shani Pradoshamu (Shani Trayodashi) and Maasa Shivaraatri auspicious days devotees can offer Abhishekam's from morining 11:00AM to afternoon 2:30PM and Annapooja from afternoon 3:00PM to 4:30PM.

Aarjita Sevas

S.No.	Seva Name	Cost per Ticket (Rs.)	Details
1	Rudrabhishekam(In nagiredday mantapam)	100.00	only for couples
2	Rudrabhishekam(In kalyanamantapam)	300.00	only for couples
3	Rudrabhishekam(In maha mantapam)	516.00	only for couples
4	Laksha Bilvarchana	500.00
5	Maha Lingarchana	750.00
6	Kalyanotsavam	750.00
7	Anna Pooja	100.00	only for couples
8	Aakula Pooja	100.00	only for couples
9	Kumkuma Pooja	50.00
10	Shivarchana	50.00
11	Pallaki Seva	100.00
12	Pedda Seva	250.00
13	Sri Satyanarayana Vratamu	250.00
14	Maha Pooja	100.00
15	Odi Biyyam	10.00
16	Pratyeka (Special) Darshanam	15.00
17	Tula Bharam	10.00
18	Kesha Khandanam(tala neelalu)	5.00
19	Laddu Bhogam	250.00
20	Sira Bhogam	200.00
21	Dadhojanam	750.00
22	Pulihora Bhogam	100.00
23	Lorry,Bus,Tempo,Jeep Pooja	150.00
24	MotorCycle,Vespa Pooja	50.00
25	Ganda Deepam	2.00
26	Kodenu Kattuta	40.00
27	Special Kodenu Kattuta	150.00	Special darshanam for two
28	Tenkaya Rusumu	1.00
29	Haarati	5.00	Special darshanam for two
30	Vaishnava Alayamulandu Haarati	3.00

Note: On Mondays, Shani Pradoshamu (Shani Trayodashi) and Maasa Shivaraatri auspicious days devotees can offer Abhishekam's from morining 11:00AM to afternoon 2:30PM and Annapooja from afternoon 3:00PM to 4:30PM. Devotees are hereby informed to purchase tickets for Bhogamulu, Kalyanotsavamu and Satyanarayana Vratamu until morning 10:00AM and before evening 4:00PM for Pallaki Sevas, Pedda Sevas and Aakula Poojas.

Main Temple

First of all pilgrims take holy dip in dharma gundam. Then enter the temple from main entrance and visit Bala Rajeshwara and Koti Lingas. Then they proceed further visiting Lord Uma Maheshwara, Lord Someshwara, Goddess Bala Tripura Sundari Devi, Lord Shanmukha, Lord Dakshina Murthy, Lord Chandikeshwara and other deities. Proceed further to visit Nandishwara in the north side of Sri Raja Rajeshwara Temple and enter the main temple from north side. Here pilgrims will find Sri Laxmi Ganapathi statue in north-east part of the temple.Facing south-side is the importance of the Ganapathy statue.

After visiting and offering prayers and abhishekam to Lord Sri Raja Rajeshwara pilgrims proceed further to visit Sri Parvathi Devi. Parvathi Devi statue is located in south side of the temple. The other name of this goddess is “Varaahi”.

After completing prayers at Sri Parvathi Devi, pilgrims visit Sri Parvathi Raja Rajeshwara Swamy and Laxmi Sameta Padmanaba swamy’s festiv idols in the glass house located in the south side of the main temple.

Then devotees visit Sri Ananta padmanabha swamy and Sri Ramachandra swamy temple and take their blessings and come out of it and go around the temple and complete the visit to temple.

Affliated Temples

1. Sri Bheemeshwara aalayam
2. Sri Baddi Pochamma aalayam
3. Sri Nagareshwara aalayam
4. Sri Venugopalaswamy aalayam
5. Sri Kedareshwara aalayam
6. Sri Hanuman devalayam (uppu gadda)
7. Sri Mandapa Hanuman Devalayam
8. Sri Mahalaxmi Devalayam

Offering Kode (calf) to Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy

There is an unique and famous tradition at this devasthanam, which one cannot find in any other temples in India , called "Adde Kodelanu Kattuta (offering rented calfs to swamy)". The legend for this tradition is very interesting. When Dharma devata did tapassu (to do penance) at southern ocean banks for Lord Shiva. After some time he gave darshan. At that time Dharma devata asked a divine gift, "Vahanamto Bhavishyaami Sadaham Parvathi Pate" (always keep me as your transportation mode). Then Lord Shiva gave her the divine gift by saying "Vaahanam Bhavamedarsha Sarvada Loka Poojitha" (you will always be my transportation mode and also prayed by my devotees). So as per the legend, offering calf (kode) to Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy is praying Dharma devata in first place and keeping the legend alive.

Sri Ganapathi Devalayam

Sri Ganapathi Devalayam at Secunderabad deserves a special mention in terms of its architectural grandedur and spiritual sanctity. Historians opine that resplendent icon of Lord Ganapathi was found out in 1824 by the Madras Regiment Sepoys, while they were digging a well of portable water there. With great devotion, the Sepoys consecrated the idol and installed it in an architecturally marvellous temple, built according to Aagama Sastra. This temple is situated just beneath Secunderabad Railway Station and about 2 KM from R. T.C. Bus-stand.This temple is now acclaimed as one of the gigantic temples in the Twin Cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, enthralling the devotees with its rare spiritual ambience. It is also said that the Icons of Sri Navagraha Valli Deva Sena Sametha Sri Subrahmanya Swamy and Sri Anjaneya Swamy were consecrated and installed in the vicinity of Sri Ganapathi Devalayam in 1932


HISTORY

From time immemorial, Temples in India have been pioneering Centres, spreading spiritual messages and propagating the unique cultural and civilizational values of ancient India. Among such ancient and holy temples, Devaiay&mui Secunderabaii deserves a special mention in terms of

its architectural grandedur and spiritual sanctity. Historians opine that resplendent icon of Lord Ganapathi was found out in 1824 by the Madras Regiment Sepoys, white they were digging a well of portable water there. With great devotion, the Sepoys consecrated the idol and installed it in an architecturally marvellous temple, built according to Aagama Sastra. This temple is situated just beneath Secunderabad Railway Station and about 2 KM from R. T.C. Bus-stand.

This temple is now acclaimed as one of the gigantic temples in the Twin Cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, enthralling the devotees with its rare spiritual ambience. It is also said that the Icons of Sri Navagraha Valli Deva Sena Sametha Sri Subrahmanya Swamy and Sri Anjaneya Swamy were consecrated and installed in the vicinity of Sri Ganapathi Devalayam in 1932. Again, in the year I960, the temple underwent extension so as to accommodate the ever­growing influx of devotees for the Lord's darshan. The Ganapathi Devalayam was taken over by the Department of Endowments, Andhra Pradesh in 1968. The architectural splendour and spiritual sanctify of the temple is not only kept in- tact, but also a number of such constructional activities - as housing Sri Uma Maheswari Alayam in the vicinity of the temple and building the Maha Mantapam and the Vimana and Raja gopurams (pinnacles of the temple over the sanctuary) have been taken up, thereby making the temple a *Centre of Spiritual and Religious pursuits'.

The icon of Lord Vinayaka is consecrated daily in the morning with Paftchamruthabhkhekam by renowned Archakas and rendered pujas in adherence to the Vedic injunctions. Every year, on the occasion of* Vinayaka ChaturthV, the idol of Lord Ganapathi is worshipped in conformity with the Mahanyasa and Vedic traditions. Till the day of immersion of the sacred idol of Lord Ganapathi, a Nine-Night long celebration of the festival (Nava Rathri) is held during which, traditional dance performances, recital of Harikatha, Purana Pravachanam and music concerts by the well-known artistes are conducted with great gaiety and piety.

The celebrations etui on the last day Le._f Anautka Chaturdasi and come to a dose the next day when 'Poornahoothi' and poor feeding are conducted. Traditional celebrations awe also conducted on the occasions of Hanuman Jayanthi, Siva Ratri, Dasara and Subrahmanya Swamy Farther, the temple fe known for Us meticulous performance of Vratams such as Kedar Vratham during Aswayuja ; VaraLakshmi Vratam during the month of Sravana; mass Sotyanaroyana Swamy Vratham during the month ofKaarmika and a host of other pious Vratams every year. The construction of Maha Mandapam, Satakaram, the carving of Sri Smodasa Ganapami and the Mahadwara reflecting the architectural style and Mil of the Kakateeyas, fascinate mnHons of devotees and pilgrims reminding them of the pristine purity of Andhra culture and civilization.

The presiding Deity of this Temple — Lord Ganapathi is known for his boundless benevolence in fulfilling the wishes of the devotees who throng this temple day in and day out through-out the year. During me last two decades, the temple's popularity has steadily increased along with the income because of lot of developmental activities taken up. The main source of income to this Temple is through votive offerings and hundial collections. The annual assessable income of mis temple is Rs,63,81,900/- and the establishment charges » 27 %. Tim temple h manned by the Executive Officer in the cadre of Deputy Commissioner of Endowments Department There are religious staff numbering (22) and secular staff numbering (31) with supporting duty wages staff numbering (10)worting in me Temple.