Kalahasthi Temple Town _ panorama - a photo on Flickriver

            
Sri Kalahasthi (Telugu: శ్రీ కాళహస్తి, Tamil: திரு காலஹஸ்தி) is a temple town in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Located here is one of the famous Shiva temples in South India, and is said to be the site where Kannappa, one of the 63 Saivite Nayanars, was ready to offer both his eyes to cover blood flowing from the Siva linga before the Lord Siva stopped him and granted mukti.

Sri Kalahasti temple, situated 36 km away from Tirupati is famous for its Vayu deva temple, which is the only shrine for the God of Wind in India. Constructed in the 12th century by the Chola king, Rajendra Chola, Vayu is incarnated as Lord Shiva and worshipped as Kalahasteeswara.

This temple is one of the most impressive Siva temples in India. Vishwakarma brahmin Sthapthis who sculpted this temple need to be eulogized for their excellent architectural cognizance. This temple features an enormous, ancient gopuram (entrance tower) over the main gate. The tower is 36.5m (120 ft) high. The entire temple is carved out of the side of a huge stone hill.

The initial structure of this temple was constructed by the Pallava dynasty. The Chola kings and the Vijayanagara kings also gave great help for the temple development. Like other great temples, the construction period of Sri Kalahasthi temple lasted centuries. Around the tenth century, the Chola kings renovated the temple and constructed the main structure.

The outer walls and the four gopurams were constructed in the period of Sri Veera Narasimharayar in twelfth century. The 120 feet (37 m) high main gopuram and the 100 pillar mandapam were constructed by Krishnadevaraya, the Vijayanagara king in 1516. Nattukkotta Chettiyar of Devakkotta, developed the structure as it is today by spending one million dollars in 1912.[citation needed]. Tamil saints Nayanars like Appar , Sundarar and Sambanthar praised the deity in their hymns—the tevaram.

The Swarnamukhi is a river of southern India. It was mentioned as Mogaleru in the works of Dhurjati.

The river flows near famous piligrimage Srikalahasti in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh state, India.The Swarnamukhi river has five major Saivite shrines along its course in the district. Besides Srikalahasti, there are temples of Agastheswara in Thondavada, Parasareswara in Yogimallavaram, Parasurameswara in Gudimallam and Moolasthaneswara in Gajulamandyam, to which great religious significance is attached by the local people for being on the bank of the equally-sacred river. It is not perennial and flows in October to December of every year, and merges in river Pennar.

Taken on: December 25, 2008

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