The twin towns that supplied lotus to the Royal household of Chalukyas

One of the best known twin cities in India are Hyderabad and Secundrabad in Andhra Pradesh. Similarly, in Karnataka, the twin cities of Gadag and Betagiri are equally well-known.

However, there is a twin town which dates back to the times of the Chalukyas of Kalyana and it is not popularly known outside its location. Though this historic twin town  is in Karnataka, few know about it and fewer have visited it. 

The twin town supplied large quantity of lotus flowers to the Chalukyas and their royal household. This is the little known twin town of Umapura-Laheshwara which is located in  Basavakalyan taluk of Bidar district. They are home to perhaps some of the most beautiful and exquisite temples belonging to the Chalukyas.

It was the Chalukyas of Kalyan (These Chalukyas are different from the Chalukyas of Badami and the Chalukyas of Gujarat though they are all related.) who built several temples here when they ruled from Kalyan or Basavakalyan which was their capital.

It was Someshwara, the first, who made Kalyan, the capital and it reached its zenith under his son, Vikramaditya. He ruled from 1076 for fifty years and during his time, he constructed temples here, in Kalyan and even in Kanchi which he conquered in his war against the Cholas.  

During the time of  the Chalukyas, the town of  Umapura was a thriving centre of art, architecture and religion. It had scores of temples and it was then known as Uma Maheshwara.

The Chalukyas held this town in great esteem as it supplied lotus flowers to the Royal palace. The town had hundreds of ponds, tanks and small water bodies where lotus grew in abundance. The lotus flowers were carefully plucked and sent in elaborately decorated baskets to the Royal palace where they were used for religious and social occasions.

There are records to suggest that Uma Maheshwara was also the centre of flower trade and lotus was widely cultivated and marketed. Several craters and ponds were exclusively set aisde to grow lotus.

The Chalukya Emperors constructed many temples but only a few of them-Neelakantha, Mahadeva, Parvathi and Ganapathi-survived. Infact, even these temples were on the verge of collapse and in a sorry state.

The Archaeology Survey of India (ASI) dismantled the temples and reconstructed them, brick by brick, bringing back the glory of a bygone era. A majority of the temples in Uma Maheswara were built by Vikramaditya, the sixth.

One of the most outstanding temples here is that of  Mahadeva which has some unique characteristics. It is built in the shape of a chariot and it has three mukha mantapas. There are sculptures on the walls of the temple, including those of gods, goddesses, dancers. Nearby is the Parvathi temple, with the deity of Uma-Maheshwara. It is this temple that lent its name to the town.  The Neelakantheshwara temple too is beautiful though in ruins.

The Neelakantheshwara temple is famous for its legendary well. Locals and the priest will tell you to take a look at the waters of the big well so that you can see the reflection of a huge Ganesha.

The Ganesha is installed across the well and it is eight feet in height and five feet in width. The idol is placed between two 12 feet-high pillars. It is this Ganesha that you can see reflected in a well.

The pillars adjoining the Ganesha are a superb example of  Chalukyas workmanship. Shake them and you can hear the sounds of temple bells.

A little away, or rather a kilometer away from here is the Padmavathi Kere. There is a small temple dedicated to Padmavathi atop a small hillock. Locals say there was a Jain Basadi at the place before it was converted into a temple for Padmavathi.

To the south of Umapura is the small village of  Raiwad. This is the place where Bicchala of Bijjala the ruler of Kalachuri dynasty, had his palace. Stones from the huge palace were transported by the Chalukyas to Basavakalyan where they built a fort, which exists to this day.

Incidentally, the renowned saint, Basaveshwara or Basavanna, started his career as an accountant in the service of Bijjala.

The twin towns are easily approachable from Basavakalyan which itself has several monuments of note, including the fort and temples.

The mosque within a temple

This temple stands next to the Srinivasa or Venkataramana temple in Tirupathi in terms of revenue. Like the Srinivasa temple, this too attracts people from all faiths-including Vaishnavas, Shaivites, Jains and Buddhists.

But what sets this temple apart from perhaps all other religious structures in the country is the presence of a 400-year-old mosque within its vicinity. This could be the only temple in India which has a mosque inside. A rare and centuries-old example of Hindu-Muslim unity, which is the need of the hour today.

Though the main deity of the temple is that of Shiva, there are shrines to Anantha Padmanabha, Kodanda Rama and a host of other gods. No wonder, people from almost all the sects of Hindus throng the temple in thousands.

This is the temple of  Raja Rajeshwara Swamy in Vemulawada, a small town in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh. The temple town is just 35 kms from the district town of Karimnagar.

The unique feature of this temple is that it is a place of worship for both Smarthas and Vaishanavas-the followers of Shaivism and Vishnu.

The temple also attracts a large number of  Muslims as a mosque is located right within the temple structure. It records the second highest revenue after the Srinivasa temple at Tirupathi.

The Raja Rajeshwara temple was built more than a thousand years ago by the Chalukyas of  Kalyani. The construction of the temple is ascribed to one of the Chalukya Governors of the area-Rajaditya. An inscription dated 1083 AD reveals more information about this temple.  

The puranas say that Siva after having stayed at Kashi, Chidambaram, Srisailam and Kedareswaram finally chose to reside here. By the way, Vemulawada was ruled by several dynasties- the Ikshwakus,  Satavahanas and later by the Chalukyas who made it their provincial capital.

The presiding deity here is Raja Rajeswara Swamy, also called Rajanna. To the right of  Rajanna is the idol of  Raja Rajeswari Devi and to the left is the idol of Laxmi Sahitha Siddi Vinayaka.  

On the left of the  Rajarajeswara temple is the Kasi Vishveshwara temple. The color of the linga in this temple is pink and it is supposed to have been consecrated by Bheema. This linga is also called the Kasi Vishveshwara Linga. Hence, Vemulawada is also called as Dakshina Kashi.

The Anantha Padmanabha Swamy temple is located behind the  Raja Rajeswara temple. As Shiva keshava utsavas are conducted in Vemulawada regularly, it also came to be known as Harihara Kshethram.
The other temples in the complex are dedicated to Kodanda Rama, Balatripura Sundari, Bala Rajeshwari and Vitaleshwara.

The temple of Raja Rajeswara is located next to a small pool which is known as Dharma Kunda. The belief that if one bathes in this pool, it helps in curing skin diseases.

The pool has two mantapas with shvalingas.

Another unique feature of the temple complex is that a small but beautiful mosque is situated on its premises.

The mosque contains the tomb of Muslim saint. It is a sacred place for both Hindus and Muslims. The saint was an ardent devotee of Shiva and he died here more than 400 years ago. He was buried at this very spot and close to the Shiva he idolised.

Although devotees make different offerings to Raja Rajeshwara, the most important one is Kode Mokku (offering of a bull to the God). The devotees who bring the bull take them round the temple and tie it in the temple complex. The significance of this ritual is that devotees will be cleansed of their sins and they can beget children.

This temple has sculptures depicting stories from Jain and Buddhist texts and stories. Therefore, the temple attracts Jains and Buddhists too.

On Shivaratri, lakhs of pilgrims come to the temple where special poojas are held. The Mahaling archana on Shivaratri is performed by about hundred archakas. On the stroke of midnight,  Ekadasa Rudrabhishekham is performed to the deity. The temple is brightly illuminated in the night, presenting a fascinating sight.

The Bhavishyothara Purana mentions that the Sun God (Surya)  recovered from his disability by praying here. Therefore, this place is also called as Bhaskara Kshethram. Indra, the King of Gods,  worshipped Raja Rajeshwara  and purified himself from Brahmahatya Dosha.

Locals say that the during the period from 750 AD to 973 AD when the Chalukyas ruled here, the temple was built by Raja Narendra who was the grandson of Parikshit.

Parikshit, in turn was the grandson of Arjuna. (Parikshat was the son of Abhimanyu, the sons of Arjuna). Narendra took bath at the temple pond here and was cured of leprosy which afflicted him when he accidentally killed Muniputra. He later saw both Raja Rajeshwara and his consort.  The God and the Goddess then asked him to build the temple and also consecrate the Linga in the temple pond.

For Kannadigas, it is a matter of pride that Pampa lived here as the court poet of Arakesari, the second and composed Kannada Bharata which gives us beautiful insights into certain major incidents of the Mahabharata. Pampa was born here.

The Chalukyas of Vemulawada constitute yet another branch of the famous Chalukya dynasty. They are different from the Western Chalukyas and the Badami Chalukyas.

The Vemulawada Chalukyas were feudatories of the Rashtrakutas and their reign extended over the present day Nizamabad and Karimnagar districts of Andhra Pradesh. Their capital was  Vemulawada as the kingdom lasted from 753 A.D. to 973 A.D  Apart from Vikramarjuna Vijaya by Pampa, Somadeva wrote Yashastilaka  here.  

In Pampa Bharata, Arikesari, who ruled during the earlier half of the tenth century was the royal patron of Pampa and he is equated with Arjuna, the major protagonist of the work.

Vemulawada is 150 kms from Hyderabad. It is well connected by road. Karimnagar is the nearest rail and road junction

The Chola who lost his life in Raichur

Koppara in Raichur district is a well-known pilgrim centre. It has the famous temple of Lakshmi Narasimha which is situated on the banks of the Krishna.

Several centuries ago, Koppara, now in Devadurg taluk, was the place where a mammoth ceremony was organised by a Vijayanagar king to honor  Madhwa saints performing chaturmasa. It was at this place that a young Lakshminarayana, who gave a beautiful discourse on Nyaya Sudha, was given the title Sripadaraja Theertha.

This incident occurred sometime in the late 1400s or early 1500s. However, there is an other significant event that changed the course of history of south India. This event happened almost a thousand years ago.

Koppara was scene of a massive battle between the rampaging Cholas and the Chalukyas. The Cholas were a Tamil based dynasty, while the Chalukyas were Kannadigas. They were at war with each other for more than one hundred years.

Bitter rivals in south India, the two were at each other’s throat right from 992 AD when Cholas fought the Chalukyas at Rattepidi and defeated the Chalukyan commander Satyashraya.

The enmity between the two dynasties continued till 1120 when the last battle was fought in 1120 when the Chalukyan King Vikramaditya, the sixth, took on Vikrama Chola. The continous conflict weakened both the powers and led to the birth of the Hoysala Kingdom of Dwarasamudra.

Coming back to Koppara, the Cholas were initially routed in the battle that took place near the Krishna river in 1054 AD. The Chola Emperor, Rajadhiraja, was killed in battle by Someshwara the first, the Chalukya King.  

Rajadhiraja, also known as Kopparakesarivarman Rajadhiraja Chola I had succeeded his father, Rajendra Chola, in 1018. Rajendra Chola is considered to be among the greatest kings of India and Rajadhiraja was an able and capable son.

Rajadhiraja had helped his father overcome the Chalukyas.Yet, the Chalukya power had not diminished. The Chalukyas of Kalyan (Basavakalyan) had overthrown the Rastrakutas in 973 and  Someshwara I (1043-1068) had succeeded in resisting the efforts of the Cholas to subdue Karnataka.

He had also built a new capital called Kalyana (modern Basava Kalyana in Bidar district).

A born fighter, Rajadhiraja was apprehensive about the growing power of the Chalukyas. He decided to subdue the Chalukyas and  he went to war against the Chalukyas. He defeated the Western Chalukya forces in  the battle at Dannada on the banks of Krishna and set fire to their fort.

He followed up this victory with a number of raids into the Chalukya country. In one such raid, the Cholas captured several generals and feudatories of Chalukya and demolished the Chalukya palace at Kampali. The victorious Chola forces crossed the Krishna river and erected a victory pillar at a place called Yetagiri.

After more fighting, the capital of Chalukya was sacked and the Cholas built a pillar of victory in Kolhapur, which is now in Maharashtra.

Rajadhiraja entered the capital and coronated himself as  Vijayarajendra. The Chalukya Emperor, Somesvara I, fled towards Rodda and Kadambalige.

In 1054, Rajadhiraja once again decided to take on the Chalukyas. He personally led the Chola army and the two met at Koppara. Rajadhiraja (54) was atop an elephant and he was guiding his soldiers when he was killed by an arrow.

The Chalukyas had decided to concentrate their strength on the commander of the Cholas. Since, Rajadhiraja personally led the attack, Someshwara had asked his troops to concentrate on him. This tactic paid rich dividends as they managed to first mortally injure the Chola Emperor and then kill him. 

When the Chola army saw their king dead, they fled in panic. On their part, the Chalukyas rejoiced in their victory but this was short lived as Rajadhiraja’s younger brother, Rajendra Chola, who was holding himself back as a reserve, suddenly fell on the Chalukyas.

But this action was a little to late and Rajadhiaraja had died on the elephant. To this day, he is known as Yanai-mel-thunjina Devar-the Emperor who died on an elephant.

The Cholas, however, succeeded in defeating the Chalukyas but they had paid a heavy price. Much of their army had been routed and their Emperor slain. Rajendra crowned himself in Koppara s the next Chola Emperor and egged on his soldiers to fight.

He too was initially injured in the battle but he came back to the battlefield, inspiring the Cholas and demoralizing the Chalukyas.

(The Chola accounts say the battle saw the death of several Chalukya stalwarts such as  Jayasimha, the crown prince and two other prominent royals- Pulikesi and Dasapanman. However, this is false as Jayasimha did not die. After Vikramaditya took over as the Emperor, he made Jayasimha the Governor of Banavasi. Jayasimha continued to live decades after the Chola accounts killed him.)

Someshwara then shifted his capital from Kalyan to Manyakheta or Malkhed and developed into one of the finest cities of the times.

The Chola or rather Tamil texts speak much about the victory of the Cholas in the battle of Koppara but the Chalukyan accounts are silent. They, however, say that Rajadhiraja was killed in the battle.

The battle marks a turning point in the Chola-Chalukya relations. Try as they might, the Cholas could not subjugate the Chakulyas. While the Cholas managed to retain Tamil Nadu, the Chalukyas continue to hold sway over Karnataka, thanks to Someshwara.

Koppara is 47 kms from Raichur and 14 kms from Deodurg. It is 397 kms from Bangalore.

       

The Nava Brahma Temples

There are several cities in India where there is a temple dedicated to Lord Brahma. The most famous of such temples is the one at Pushkar near Ajmer in Rajasthan.

There is also a temple for Brahma near Vellore. It is just off the Chennai-Bangalore highway and it is in Virinchipuram, 15 kms from Vellore. It is called the Margaparendeshwar Temple.

The other main temples for Brahma in Tamil Nadu are the Brahmapureshwara Temple at Tirupattur near Siriganur,  Trichy and the Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara temple at Kodumudi which is 40 kms away from  Erode.

However, there is only one place in ancient India where there are several temples dedicated to Brahma in India. Though the temples were built by the Chalukya emperors of Badami who were Kannadigas, they are today located in Andhra Pradesh.

The Chalukyas have built some of the most magnificent temples ever seen in the world. The Badami-Aihole-Pattadakal area is called the cradle of temple art. The rock cut caves of Badami, which was the capital of the Chalukyas, defies imagination.

The Banashankari Temple in Banashankari near Badami is one of the most impressive temples of its kind. The Banashankari temple in Bangalore is only a pale shadow of this original.

The Chalukyas ruled over a vast area in south India and  its greatest emperor, Pulekeshi, defeated Harshavardhana or Harsha on the banks of the Narmada.

One of the most beautiful group of temples left behind by the Chalukyas are the Nava Brahma temples at Alampur in Mehaboobnagar district in Andhra Pradesh.

Alampur is a small town near Kurnool and the Nava Brahma temples date back to the 7^th century. Some of the temples are believed to have been built by Pulekeshi.

As the name implies, there are nine temples dedicated to Brahma, Hence, the name Nava Brahma. The temples are on the banks of the Tungabhadra. It is at Alampur that the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers meet. Hence, it is also known as Dakshina Kashi.

Alampur is located 200 km from Hyderabad, 88 kms from Mantralaya, 78 kms from Bellary and 381 kms from Bangalore. Kurnool is the nearest railhead and it is 28 kms from Alampur.

It is considered to be the western gateway of Srisailam which houses one of the sacred Jyotirlingas.The southern, eastern, and northern gateways are Siddhavattam, Tripurantakam and Umamaheswaram respectively.

The Nava Brahma temples are Taraka, Swarga, Padma, Bala,  Garuda,Kumara, Arka, Vira  and Vishwa. All the temples are located within a courtyard on the left bank of the Tungabhadra.

You enter the courtyard through a narrow gate.On the left is the Taraka Brahma and on the right is the Swarga Brahma. The Padma Brahma is to the west of the Swarga Brahma. The Garuda Brahma is to the Southeast of the Padma Brahma temple. The main shrine,  Bala Brahma, is in the compound to the north. Towards another end is the Kumara Brahma. In one Compound are the Shrines dedicated to Arka Brahma, Vira Brahma and Vishwa Brahma

Of the nine temples, the Bala Brahma temple is considered to be the most important shrine of worship. This temple dates back to  702 AD. It is the main shrine of worship during Shivaratri. The temple also has the disfigured idols of Jogulamba and her consorts.

The Taraka Brahma temple is partly in ruins, and it has no idol. It is built on a raised platform with a square sanctum.  
There are Telugu epigraphs dating from the 6th-7th century AD.  The Swarga Brahma temple has a beautiful Gopura-Rekhanagara Vimana- which is awe inspiring. It contains several sculptures in bas relief. This temple  was built between 681-696 AD by Lokaditya Ela Arasa in honour of the queen of  Emperor Vinayaditya (680-696).

The Padma Brahma temple is also in ruins. However, unlike the Taraka temple, this has a Linga with a beautiful finish. You can see your reflection on the Linga. This temple has the biggest sanctum sanctorum.

The Vishwa Brahma temple is considered the most artistic of the temples. The walls depict scenes from the epics. It has a reference to Vishwakarma or the Lord of the Universe.

The Arka Brahma is the smallest of all temples. The gopuram and kalasa are missing in this structure, presumably vandalised.
The Kumara Brahma temple is near the main shrine. It is one of the oldest temples.

The Garuda Brahma has a carving of Garuda carrying Vishnu. The Veera Brahma temple is a partially damaged structure.
There is also a temple dedicated to Suryanarayana in the courtyard. Images of Vishnu and his avatars are carved on the temple walls.  the 9th century.  There is also a Narasimha temple with inscriptions from the period of Krishna Deva Raya of the Vijayanagar Empire.

Another tourist spot near Alampur is Papanasam which has nearly two dozen temples. The most important of these temples is dedicated to Papanaseswara (Shiva). They belong to the 11^th century AD.

Alampur, in ancient times,  was known as Halampuram, Hamalapuram and Alampuram. Another of its name, Hatampura, is mentioned in an inscription dated 1101 AD.

All the temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva and each of structure has a long rectangular mantapa with a Nandi in front.

Legend has it that Brahma meditated here for a very long time and Shiva conferred the powers of creation to him. Therefore, the Bala Brahma is also called Brahmeswara and his consort Yogini or Jogulamba (Parvathi).

Would you believe  it that this site would have been submerged by the backwaters of the Srisailam project. However, it was saved after a barrage was constructed downstream to contain the water flow.