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Pushpagiri is situated on the banks of Penam
River in Cuddapah district is
well known for its numerous temples. Vaishnavas call it as "Tirumala
Madhya Ahobilam" and Shaivites call it as "Madhya Kailasam"
(midpoint of Chidambaram and Varanasi).
The Legends Of Pushpagiri
There are two legends regarding the origin of the name Pushpagiri and its
sanctity according to one a Brahmin desirous of mingling the bones of his
father in the holy Ganges, passed this way. He was tired so he set down
his luggage including the bones of his father and went to bath in the
Pennar.
When he returned from the river he found the bones had been converted
into jasmine flowers. The Brahmin felt very happy and determined that his
father's soul had gone to Heaven and resolved to go no further. Conscious
of this place being more sacred, he cast the flowers in the waters of the
Pennar. The place where the miraculous conversion of bones took place
gradually assumed the form of a hill, to which the name of Pushpagiri was
given to mark its wonderful origin.
According to another legend it is believed that Garuda when taking nectar
from 'Devaloka' to relieve the sufferings of his mother had been attacked
by Indra with his 'Vajrayudha' and let fall a drop into the pool. An old
couple vexed by the attitude of their sons decided to work on their own.
They took an old pair of bulls and started working in the fields.
One day he drove the cattle to a large and deep pool nearby to give them
water. As soon as the bulls had quenched their thirst, they were
transformed into a young and energetic pair. He was astonished by this,
and stepped into the pool and on emerging found himself changed in
feelings and appearance into a youth of sixteen. After sometime his wife
also took a dip in water and she too became youthful like her husband.
Gradually the truth became known to others who in their turn bathed in the
wonderful pool renewed their youth and became immortal.
The sage Narada discovering this went and reported to Brahma in Satyaloka
that his mandates of destiny had become null and void by reason of a pool
in the 'Bhuloka', which contained nectar and rendered men immortal. On
enquiry, Brahma learnt from Narada that it was indeed a fact, as Being at
a loss how to remedy the matter Brahma invoked the help of Maha Vishnu.
Maha Vishnu asked 'Anjaneya' to drop a hill into the pool and cover it up.
This mandate was obeyed but the hill, instead of sinking into the water,
floated on the surface like a flower. Then the gods all joined together
and weighed it down while Vishnu and Shiva clamped it firmly by the
imprint of their feet at each end. Thus this hill, which floated like a
flower attained the name of Pushpagiri. The imprint of the foot of Shiva
is represented in the temple of Rudrapada on the western side of the hill.
Instead of the imprint of the foot of Vishnu on the other side of the
hill, he has two temples on the same side near Rudrapada.
An Abode Of Temples
This place is well known for its numerous temples. Some of them are of
considerable antiquity and a few of artistic sculpture. Many of these
shrines lie on or along a hill devoid of vegetation, rising slopingly from
the very edge of the Penneru, which has fairly deep banks in this stretch.
Actually it is this hill, which is called Pushpagiri or sometimes "Sumagiri".
About the first decade of this century, as many as twenty-eight temples,
mostly in ruins, were noted in the area. The largest and the best known
among them is situated on the lower slopes of the hill, overlooking the
hamlet of Pushpagiri on the other side of the river. It is known as
'Chennakesvara' or 'Chennakesava' Temple and is approached from the river,
when it is wadable, by a long flight of steps, laid angularly. Its
entrance is surmounted by a lofty five-storeyed 'gopuram'.
The main temple in the yard within has a few attendant temples on either
side. The exterior walls containing the sculptures are built of limestone.
The sculptures include those of Lord Shiva dancing with four and eight
hands, Shiva and Arjuna fighting, Arjuna's penance, Arjuna getting
'Pasupatastra' from Shiva, 'Seshasayana', scenes from Ramayana and
Mahabharata, dancers, rows of warriors and other carvings with various
animal and floral motifs and fancifully engraved pillars.
The Main Festivity
The annual Utsavam of the Chennakesava temple lasts for ten days from "Chaitra
Bahula Thrayodasi" (March-April) and attracts a large concourse. Some
of the devotees make it a point to walk round the long Pushpagiri hills.
Road: Pushpagiri lies 16-km off Cuddapah town in Andhra Pradesh. It is connected by road from Cuddapah and commands APRTC bus facilities.
Accommodation is available at the hotels in Cuddapah.
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