After a beautiful darshan at Tallapaka, our next stop was at the Soumyanatha Swamy Temple at Nandalur which is a mere 15 minutes drive. The temple is situated near the Cheyyuru River ( a confluence of the Bahuda River and Punch River) in the Kadapa district. The presiding deity is Lord Balaji in the divine … Continue reading Soumyanatha Swamy Temple, Nandalur (Pearls Across Pennar Series) #Day 2 #Part5 ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Andhra
Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Swami at Devuni Kadapa & Temples at Pushpagiri (Pearls across Pennar Series) #Day 3 (Part 2) ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Devuni Kadapa is a part of Kadapa City and is also known as Patha Kadapa, meaning Old Kadapa. The name "Devuni Kadapa" is derived from the word gadapa, which means 'doorway' or threshhold'. The pilgrims who wanted to visit Tirumala. Tirupati had to first visit the Lakshmi Venkateswara Swami Temple in Devuni Kadapa, and hence the place got its name. It is … Continue reading Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Swami at Devuni Kadapa & Temples at Pushpagiri (Pearls across Pennar Series) #Day 3 (Part 2) ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Siddavatam (Pearls across Penna Series) #Day 3 (Part 1) ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Reaching Siddavatam: Day 3 saw us getting up early (7 am) to drive towards the Siddavatam Fort, Rajampet, from Kadapa, where we had stayed overnight. It was built in 1303 AD by the River Pennar and indeed epitomized the 'Pearl of Pennar' trail. This is the right time to visit the fort before the sun … Continue reading Siddavatam (Pearls across Penna Series) #Day 3 (Part 1) ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Breathing life into stones – the Allagadda Stone Sculptors ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Pearls Across Penna Series (Day 3) Kadapa to Allagada, 1 hr 15 minutes Stone-craft in India has perhaps ‘carved’ a niche for itself- no pun intended. With a rich tradition of stonework, as is evident from temples whether it is Khajuraho, the Dilwara temple, Halebid, Belur, or Rameswaram, the list is endless. And behind these … Continue reading Breathing life into stones – the Allagadda Stone Sculptors ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Pearls Across Penna- Day 2 (part 4) Tallapaka – the birth & seat of bhakti ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
From Attirala, our next stop was to Tallapakka, which is the birth place of the great saint and composer Annamacharya, who has written more than 32 thousand kirtanas / hymns on Sri Thirumala Venkateshwara. 6 kilometres, 12 minutes The place was earlier known as Tatipaka, which translates as people who live in huts made from … Continue reading Pearls Across Penna- Day 2 (part 4) Tallapaka – the birth & seat of bhakti ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Pearls Across Penna- Day 2 (part 3) Bhuvanagirigutta Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Attirala
Chitvel to Rajampet - 26 kilometres and time taken 40 minutes Bhuvanagari Gutta: Taking off from the last blog, after the visit to Chitvel Varadaraja Temple, we drove towards Rajampet. Just eight kilometres outside the town is the hilltop Bhuvanagiri Gutta, where a Lakshmi Narasimha Temple is situated. It is believed that 300 years ago, … Continue reading Pearls Across Penna- Day 2 (part 3) Bhuvanagirigutta Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, Attirala
Pearls Across Penna- Day 2 (part 2) Chitvel Bhadrakali Veerabhadraswamy temple & Varadarajaswamy Temple ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
After the wonderful darshan at Penchalakona and a delicious breakfast at the 'chatram'/ guest-rooms, we drove to Chitvel- a drive that took us over an hour. Chitvel is a small town in Annamayya district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The village sits between the Sheshachalam Hills and the Velikondas, the southern part of the Kadapa … Continue reading Pearls Across Penna- Day 2 (part 2) Chitvel Bhadrakali Veerabhadraswamy temple & Varadarajaswamy Temple ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Pearls Across Penna- Day 2 (part 1) – Penusila Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Penchalakona ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
1 hour 10 minute drive from Venkatagiri to Penchalakona After a long day starting from Srikalahasti and then to Venkatgiri, we made our way to stay overnight at the village of Penchalakona This village is part of the Rapur Mandal in the Nellore District. The area is also a wildlife sanctuary which is about 1030 … Continue reading Pearls Across Penna- Day 2 (part 1) – Penusila Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Penchalakona ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Pearls Across Penna Trail – Day 1 (part 2) Venkatgiri Weaves and Venkatgiri Fort ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Satiated after a Andhra thali lunch at the Hotel MGM Grand, Srikalahasti, our next stop was the town of Venkatgiri. This is a town in the Tirupati District of Andhra Pradesh. History of Venkatgiri: Venkatagiri was originally known as Kalimilli till the 17th century and was ruled by Gobburi Palaiyakkarars (or Polygars as the British called … Continue reading Pearls Across Penna Trail – Day 1 (part 2) Venkatgiri Weaves and Venkatgiri Fort ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Pearls Across Penna Trail – Day 1 (part 1) SriKalahasti Temple & Kalamkari Artists ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
The 'Pearls Across Penna' travellers in the corridor of the SriKalahasteeshwara Temple, Srikalahasti Two groups converged from Chennai and Bangalore at SriKalahasti to what was the beginning of the 'Pearls across Penna' trail. The trail was named after the 'Pennar' River, which is a unique river in itself. It originates at the Nandi Hills, which … Continue reading Pearls Across Penna Trail – Day 1 (part 1) SriKalahasti Temple & Kalamkari Artists ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
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