History of Yadagirigutta
During the Tretayugam, there lived a sage who went by the name Yadarishi. He was an earnest devotee of Lord Vishnu and hence, he decided to serve a penance to the great lord. Inside a cave on a hill that was blessed by Anjaneya (Shri Hanuman) and lay somewhere between Bhongir and Raigiri, Yadarishi began to indulge in his deep and ardent penance for Lord Vishnu. Soon, Lord Vishnu was impressed by Yadarishi's undying devotion and decided to appear before him and bless him.
Lord Narasimha, a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, appeared in front of Yadarishi in five different forms- Sri Jwalanarasimha, Sri Yogananda, Sri Gandabherunda, Sri Ugra and Sri Lakshminarasimha. Mesmerized and hypnotized by the Lord's presence, Yadarishi pleaded god to stay like this with him forever. The lord complied and manifested himself into the walls of the caves in the five forms he appeared in. These sculptures are now celebrated and worshipped to as the 'Pancha Narasimha Khsetram' and are the principal deities of the Yadagiri Gutta temple.
Another story that revolves around the temple is that after Yadarishi attained moksha, the local tribals learnt of the Lord's presence and started flocking in to pay their respects. However, since they weren't a very learned group, they unknowingly started indulging in improper worship, and because of this, the Lord decided to move into the hills. The tribals searched for the lord for many years but to no avail.
One night, Lord Narasimha appeared in the dreams of one of his devotees in the tribes and directed her to come to a cave. When she did, the Lord blessed her generously by appearing in five different forms and then manifested himself in the walls of the caves, which is now the Yadagiri Gutta temple.
Architecture of Yadagirigutta
The opulent temple boasts of a Dravidian style of architecture and lies inside a cave spanning over an area that is about 12 feet high and 30 feet long. A stairway leads you down to the chamber where the deities are manifested into the walls. You will see Jwalanarasimha in the shape of a serpent and Yogananda Narasimha resting in a meditating pose. The striking presence of the silver deities of Lakshmi Narasimha is soothing to the eyes.
Right next to the temple, towards the right, is another temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. A long horizontal gap, just below the deity of Hanuman, is where Gandebharanda Narasimha manifested. Renovation plans are suggested by the Chief Minister of Telangana, Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhar Rao, and require estimated funding of approximately INR 700 crores.
Festivals at Yadagirigutta
Bramhostavams: Every year Sri Swamy vari Brahmothsavams are performed from Shudha Vidiya to Dwadasi (between February and March) for eleven days. During the Brahmothsavams, cultural programs like Harikathas, Bajans, Upanyasams, Bharatanatyam and dramas are arranged by inviting well-known artists and scholars from different places across the country.
Narasimha Jayanthi: This is celebrated on the day Lord Vishnu appeared in his half human half lion form and saved his loving devotee Pralhad from the demon hiranyakashipu. On this day, various Parayanams like Ramayan, Maha Bharath, Bhagawath Geetha, Kshetra Mahathyam, etc. are arranged at the time of Brahmothsavams and Narasimha Jayanthi. The Peethadhipathis & Mathadhipathis who visit the temple during this period gives Pravachanams to the Devotees.
Swathi Sangeethotsvam: This is a music festival celebrated in South India. Sri Swamy vari Astothara Satha Ghatabhisekam performs Agama Shastra every month on Swathi Nakshatram that is the birth star of Swamy varu. The performance begins at 4:30 AM and goes on till 7:00 AM. Devotees are allowed to participate in this Sathaghatabhisekham at a charge of INR 750 for two people.
Other Activities at Yadagirigutta
Other than conducting different poojas and other various religious activities, the temple organizes 'Vidya Peetham' sessions to educate the younger generations about their religious history and ancestors.
Also, there is a Gaushala established in the temple's premises that houses cows, buffalos and other livestock. The milk required for performing the 'Nivedhana' at the temple is brought from the in-house Gaushala.
Prasadams at Yadagirigutta
The temple distributes about 105 kgs of prasadam (prasad) that it offers to the deities for free every day after the poojas are over. There are many counters established for the distribution with special counters for ladies and all counters stay open from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM. If you wish to buy more prasadam, the costs are as follows:
Pulihora- INR 5 Dadyodanam- INR 3Laddu- INR 10Vada- INR 8
Yadagirigutta Temple Timings
Morning:
4:00 AM to 4:30 AM- Suprabhatam4:30 AM to 5:00 AM- Binde teertam5:00 AM to 5:30 AM- Bala Bogam5:30 AM to 6:30 AM- Nijabhishekam6:30 AM to 7:15 AM- Archna7:15 AM to 11:30 AM- Darshnamas (All)11:30 AM to 12:30 AM- Maharaja Bogamu12:30 AM to 3:00 PM- Darshanams3:00 PM to 4:00 PM- Dwarabandanam
Evening:
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM- Special Darshnams5:00 PM to 7:00 PM- Darshnamas (All)7:00 PM to 7:30 PM- Aaradhana7:30 PM to 8:15 PM- Archana8:15 PM to 9:00 PM- Darshnamas (All)9:00 PM to 9:30 PM- Maha nivedhana9:30 PM to 9:45 PM- Shayanostavams9:45 PM- Temple closes down
How to Reach Yadagiri Gutta
Yadagiri Gutta is only 60 km away from the hustling and bustling city of Hyderabad and is well connected by rail and road.
The nearest railway station to the temple is Raigiri Railway Station at only a distance of about 3 km, which is about 15 mins by road. One can hail a cab or an auto rickshaw after alighting at Raigiri Railway Station. One can also hire a Tanga which is a carriage drawn by horses. Many buses frequently ply to and from the TSRTC Yadagiri Bus Depot is only 450 meters away, a 7 min walk.
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