Keesaragutta Temple
| Keesaragutta Temple | |
|---|---|
Kesarigiri | |
Medchal-Malkajgiri District | |
| State | Telangana |
| Country | India |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Dravidian architecture |
| Creator | Rama |
| Date established | 100 BCE |
| Website | |
| keesaragutta.org | |
Keesaragutta Temple is a
On top of one of the rock-cut caves around the temple, an early
Legend
Legend has it that
Hanuman returned from Varanasi with 101 lingams to choose from, but felt aggrieved at not having his lingam installed; instead, he threw them all over the area. Even to this day, several lingams can be found scattered outside the temple. These lingams are worshipped along with the lingam in the sanctum of the temple, to this day.
To pacify Hanuman, Rama ordained that precedence would be given to him for worship at the temple. He also said that the hillock where the lingam was installed would bear the name Kesarigiri—“Hanuman, the son of Kesari”. Over a period of time, it has colloquially transformed and is now known as Keesara, and the hill itself as Keesaragutta. Ever since, rituals have followed the command of Rama.
Archaeological Excavations
Exploration and Excavations were conducted by the archaeological department in the surroundings of Keesaragutta
On top of one of the rock-cut caves around the temple, an early Telugu label inscription reading as 'Thulachuvanru' can be noticed. On the basis of paleography, the inscription is dated around the 4th to 5th centuries CE.[1][3] It is the earliest known inscription with Telugu words from the Telangana region.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Ancient Temples of Telangana". Government of Telangana. p. 47. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
- ^ a b "'తొలుచువాండ్రు' తొలి తెలుగు శాసనమే". Sakshi (in Telugu). 10 January 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
- ^ a b Itihas. Vol. 15. Director of State Archives, Government of Andhra Pradesh. 1989. p. 34.
- ^ "విష్ణుకుండి రాజధాని కీసర". Namasthe Telangana (in Telugu). 10 January 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 August 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Idols of Jain Tirthankaras belonging to 4th century unearthed - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014.
- ^ "Telugu States Latest News, Breaking News, News Headlines, Live Updates, Today Top News".
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