Ruins of a 13th-century temple were discovered at Pushpagiri Kshetram in Andhra Pradesh’s Kadapa district.
Ruins were discovered in the midst of a shrub forest on a tiny hill in Vellur Mandal’s Pushpagiri Kshetram, northeast of the Durga Temple.
The Pushpakala area is well-known for its temples dedicated to Hindu deities such as Chennakesava, Umamaheshwara, Rudrapada, Vishnupada, Trikoteswara, Vaidyanatha, Subrahmanya, Vigneswara, and DurgaDevi. This location is also known as Hari-Hara Kshetra since it contains a number of temples devoted to Lord Shiva and Vishnu.
This region is washed by the Penne River, which flows to the southwest.
When a delegation led by Sri Vidyasankara Bharathi, the head priest of Pushpagiri Peetham, visited the region preparatory to launching a “Giri Pradakshina,” this ruined edifice piqued people’s interest.
Giri Pradakshina is a religious journey in which people walk around a hill to fulfill a pledge.
A stone panel depicting the entrance of the monarch and his two queens has also been discovered. According to Emani Sivanagi Reddy, a historian, this stone figure is connected to an inscription at the temple that can also be associated with Kayastha Ambadeva.
WHO WERE KAYASTHA KINGS
In the 13th century, the Kayasthas were autonomous kings officially subservient to the Kakatiyas who reigned over Andhra Pradesh. They lived alongside the Cholas and the Pallavas. They claimed to be Kshatriyas by birth.
This dynasty was led by four formidable emperors, all of whom were outstanding warriors and accomplished impressive political feats.
Their names appear in the inscriptions of the Kakatiyas and the Telugu Cholas.
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
The architectural characteristics of the ruins are very comparable to those of Vallur’s modern temples. These were established by Kayastha monarchs who were subordinates to the Kakatiya dynasty, whose capital city was Vallur.
PUSHPAGIRI COMPLEX
This neighborhood is distinguished by the presence of some of the region’s oldest temples, dating back to the 7th century CE.
It is said that during the Treta Yuga, Lord Rama worshiped Lord Vaidyanatheswara here, and the flowers used in this procedure collected so high that a flowery mound emerged, giving rise to the name Pushpagiri.
Whatever the chronicle says, this region is now generally recognized and supported by several Puranas, notably the Srisaila Kanda of Skanda Purana and the Garuda Purana.
As new dynasties such as the Cholas, Pallavas, and Rashtrakutas emerged in this region, all of these monarchs bestowed gifts and endowments to the temples.
Gangaya Sahini and Ambadevi, Chieftains of the Kakatiya dynasty built various other temples in this region and named them after their family members’ names.
The Vijayanagara empire kings also contributed significantly towards the architecture of this region.
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OF THE PUSHPAGIRI TEMPLE COMPLEX
The architectural style of the Pushpagiri complex shows a wide range of variety ranging from Ikshvakus up to the time period of the Vijayanagara Empire.
The temple architecture circumscribing this area is based on the Dravidian style of architecture. The Linga is housed inside a sanctum before which there is a 16-pillared Mukhamandapa that is surrounded by three sub-shrines around it. Outside this structure lies the mandapa for Nandi.
The carvings on the walls depict various Hindu Gods and Goddesses in various postures. The walls also depict stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
