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It is a village situated 22-km northeast of
Narasaraopet in Guntur District of
Andhra Pradesh. This village is reputed
for its temple of Kapoteswara dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the very
earliest Hindu temples in Andhra area, the origin of which dates back to
the 3rd & 4th century.
The
deity is called "Kapotheswara", after the famous story of Sibi
mentioned in the Mahabharata. Sibi is said to have sacrificed a part of
his own body, as an offering to an eagle, which was pursuing a pigeon or a
Kapotha, in order to save it from destruction. This story is a renowned
one not only, in Hindu mythology, but also in the Buddhist Jataka tales,
which give us the lives of Siddhartha, the Buddha, in his previous Janmas.
The deity is in Lingakara. The image is said to be the image of the
'Kalebara' of Sibi. The image has large cavities, which represents the
portions of the body, which were cut off to save the Kapotha. One of these
cavities helps to drain off the 'Abhisheka Teertha' to an unknown place
and even today the smell of raw flesh and blood comes out of this since
the God here is a very powerful one.
The Exquisitely Designed Temples
This temple is of greatest importance from the point of view of temple
architecture. There are three types of temple architecture, called the "Nagara",
the "Vesara" and the "Dravida", and the main
distinguishing features of these are to be seen only in the 'Vimana' over
the main shrine of the temple. It is built in a unique style, as it is
sacred to Buddhism and Hinduism, conforming both to the 'Chaitya' hall
designs and the 'Shilpa Shastras' rules.
Road: It can be accessed by road
from Narasaraopet. APSRTC runs regular buses from Narasaraopet,
Guntur, and
Vijayawada.
Government Guest House, Chezrela