Soumyanath Swami Temple
Thousands of ancient temples across the country have their own beliefs, whose divinity and uniqueness mesmerize the devotees. One such spiritual place is in Nandalur in Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh. There is a grand Soumyanath Swamy temple here. It is believed that Lord Vishnu appears here to the devotees in the form of “Soumyanath Swami”. His grace and blessings shower on his devotees.
According to mythology, once on the request of sage Narad, Lord Vishnu set out to see the natural beauty of the earth. It is said that when he reached this place, he found a very peaceful environment here, due to which he was mesmerized. Seeing this, Narad ji started praying to God to reside in this area in Kaliyuga and protect the devotees. It is said that Lord Vishnu accepted their prayer and descended here in the form of a rock, which was later called “Nelandaluru”.
According to the beliefs of the local people, the gods later built a temple on the banks of the Cheyaru River and Maharishi Narad installed the idol of Lord Vishnu.
The temple was renovated during the Chola Empire.
With time, the temple fell into disrepair, but history tells us that in the 11th century, the Chola king Kuluttungu restarted the reconstruction of the temple. Later, it is known that Kakatiya, Pandya and Vijayanagara kings also contributed to the development of the temple. This temple is spread over an area of about ten acres and is surrounded by four Rajagopurams. Built entirely of red stone, this temple is an excellent example of sculpture. Bhagwat Ghattas are engraved on the 108 pillars of the temple, which is a special attraction. It is said that the famous orator Tallapaka Annamacharya also visited this temple and composed many hymns on the Lord.
Statue of Soumyanath Swami 7 feet high
The idol of Lord Soumyanath Swami located in the sanctum sanctorum is about seven feet high. His idol resembles Lord Venkateswara Swamy of Tirumala. Despite the great distance from the main gate of the temple to the sanctum sanctorum, the idol is clearly visible, which holds special significance. Another special thing is that on some special days the sun rays fall directly on the feet of the Lord. It is believed that if the devotee makes a wish in his mind, meditates on God and circumambulate Him nine times, then his wish is fulfilled. After the wishes are fulfilled, there is a tradition of fulfilling the wishes by doing 108 parikramas.
There is crowd in the temple on these special festivals
There are also temples of Anjaneyaswami, Garutmanthudu and Yoga Narasimhaswami in the temple complex. Apart from the daily pujas, Laksh Tulsi Archana held on the occasion of Ashadhmas Brahmotsav and Mukkoti Ekadashi are also special events. There is a huge crowd of devotees even during the festivals of Shravan and Dhanurmas.
How to visit Soumyanath Swami?
This temple is about one to two kilometers away from Nandalur Railway Station and Bus Stand. Buses going from Cuddapah to Tirupati and Rajampet stop at Nandalur. Travelers coming by air can reach Cuddapah airport from there and reach the temple by road.
Disclaimer: The information given in this news is based on religious beliefs and general information. TV9 Bharatvarsha does not confirm this.
