Annavaram Temple | Temple of Satya Deva in Dravidian Style
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Annavaram Temple

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Annavaram is one of the most famous Holy Shrines in India and enjoying second place after Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. The temple is built in the Dravidian style. The glory and richness of Lord Satyadeva was widely described in Revakhanda of Skandapuranam. The presiding deity Lord Satyadeva with his consort Sri Anantha Lakshmi on one Side and with Lord Siva on the other side took his abode on Ratnagiri, which is named after Ratnakara, son of Meru the king of holy mountains.
Pooja/Prayer Information
Sri Swamy Vari Suprabhata Seva 3:30 AM
Abhishekam & Archana 4:00 AM to 5:15 AM
Balabogam 5:15 AM
Panchaharathulu & Neerajana Mantra Pushpamulu 5:30 AM
Swamy Vari Sarva Darshanam 6:00 AM to 12:00 PM
12:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Ashtothara Sathanama Poojas & Sahasranamarchanas 08:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Sri Vari Nitya Kalyanam 09:30 AM
Rajabhoga Mahanivedana 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM
Sri Swamy   Vari Darbaru Seva 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Sri Ammavarla Ekanta Seva 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Temple Doors Close 9:00 PM to 3:30 AM
Sthalapurana  
It is believed that the place was known for constant food distribution (free feeding) by the benevolent people of the locality and that therefore the place was called by the name Annavaram(annam means food in Telugu). Another version is that because the presiding deity of the place blesses the devotees with anina varam (pronounced or wanted boon), the place is called Annavaram.
The hillock by the side of the village is considered to be very sacred. Meruvu, the lord of the hills and his consort Menaka did great penance and begot two sons by the grace of Lord Vishnu. One was named Bhadra and the other Ratnakar. Bhadra pleased Lord Vishnu with his devotion and penance and with his grace became Bhadrachalam on which Lord Sri Rama had permanently settled. Ratnakara desired to emulate his brother and succeeded in pleasing Lord Vishnu by his penance to settle on him as Veera Venkata Satyanarayanaswamy, Ratnakara remaining as Ratnagiri (hill). Ratnagiri Hill ranges are said to be connected with two strategic incidents. Tradition says that Sri Krishadevaraya of Vijayanagar used the secret underground passages in the hills to attack the enemy from both sides during his invasion on kalinga kings. The Andhra revolutionary late Alluri Seetharama Raju had some of the secret quarters for himself and his followers in these hill ranges, when he rebelled against the British Rule.

The temple of Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayanaswamy is the main temple on the Ratnagiri hill. There are also a temple of Sri Rama and the shrines of Vana Durga and Kanaka Durga nearby. The temple of gramadevatha"Nerellamma" (village deity) is in the village at the foot of the hill.
It is said that one Brahmin of the village by name Earanki prakasam got a dream wherein lord appeared and told him that his vigraha was left abondened on the hill without worship and they shall trace it and reconsecrate it. That Brahmin informed the said fact to Sri Raja I.V.Ramarayanam,the then Zamindar of Gorasa of kirlampudi estate, and both of them along with other villagers traced the idol on the hill, worshipped it and installed it. at the present spot on Sravana Suddha Vidiya of the Telugu year Khara (i.e.) 1891 A.D (Fasli 1301).
How to Reach There
Annavaram is located at a distance of 124 Km from Vizag,  It is well connected by trains and buses. Ratnagiri is on natinal hightway..
Suggested Itinerary
 
Vratham  
The Procedure Of The Vratham :
Before the sankalpam (inauguration) the floor is cleaned with cow-dund, a square piece of new cloth is spread over it, after decorating it with muggulu with four of five colours. Rice is spread as a layer upon the cloth and a kalasam of silver, copper, brass or clay is kept and covered with mango leaves or betel leaves and a piece of new cloth. A small image of Lord Satyanarayana swamy made prerferably with gold or silver is kept on the cloth after abhishekam in panchamruham. Afterwards, Vighneswara, Lakshmi, Parvati, Siva, Navagrahas and Ashta Dikpalakas are worshipped in order. After wards Lord Satyanarayanaswamy is invoket and worshipped. The Satyanarayana prasadam prepared with plantains, cow's milk, cow's ghee, ravva of wheat or sojji and sugar or jaggery is offered to the Lord as naivedyam and distributed to the friends and relatives invited for this sacred vratham .The priest who conducts the puja is given dakshina. Satyanarayana Vratha Katha (legend about the efficacy of the vratham) is recited and listened to with rapt attention by all including those gathered to witness the vratham. It is said.

"Kathmva srunuyadyasthu pasyedwam
Vrathamuththamam
Thasya nasyanthi papani Satyadeva
Prasadithaha."
When one cannot perform the vratham, even witnessing the vratham, or listening to the story would remove the troubles and wash off the sins. The Satyanarayana Vrathams at the temple are generally commenced at 6-00a.m., and go on upto 6-00p.m., almost every day. On festival day vrathams have to be conducted even in the night s in spite of elaborate arrangements in spacious halls for as many as 1,500 vrathams at a time. The devotees, who want to perform vratham, pay the requisite fees for the Satyanarayana Vratham, purchase the tickets and get ready for the Satyanarayana Vratham. They are allowed one by one to the rows of seats in the vratha halls where everything is kept ready. A purohit, (or pujari) comes to each seat and attends to the reciting of the sankalpam (purpose of the vratham along with the name, gotram,etc., of the performer). After wards, the purohit stands at the head of the rows and dictates to the performers the detailed process with mantras, etc., as they go on doing the worship to his instruction. Thus the vratham or puja is conducted by batches of devotees at a time. This is a somewhat interesting feature here. The fee payable for Satyanarayana Vratham is Rs.125/-. The devotees at distant places can have, it performed in absentia at a cost of Rs.125/- by sending money order. Prasadam is dispatched to the latter type of devotees by post.
Architecture  
"The main temple is constructed in the form of a chariot with the four wheels at each of the four corners. In front of the main temple is the kalyana mantapa, constructed and decorated with modern pieces of architecture. As we go down the way,we come across Ramalaya and then the shrines of Vana Durga is held in great veneration and Devi is said to be seen even to this day in the nights, going about the holy precincts perpetually guarding the Lord's premises.
The Akriti of any temple is, according to the Agni Purana, merely a manifestation of the Prakriti. This idea is further developed in the ancient texts, and the entire Slipa Sastra is based on the principle that the wall and the vimana of the temple should be so constructed as to remind a devotee, of the universe, and the Lord inside representing the Supreme Spirit which is the core and being of the entire Universe. According to these tests, the chariot is intended as a symbol of the seven lokas underneath, and the seven lokas above, with the garbhalaya of the Lord, at the heart center ruling over the entire universe. The temple at Annavaram has been constructed to depict this idea concretely. The front side of the temple depicts the chariot. The Meru on the floor with the pillar at the center, and the idols at the top are intended to bring forth the idea that the Lord not only remains at the heart's center but also permeates the entire universe. The wheels depicting the Sun and the Moon serve to remind us that this Jaggernaut moves on the wheels of time, and goes on forever and ever. Thus the Annavaram temple satisfies both the ritualistic values and the spiritual aspirations of its devotees.""
The idol is about 13 feet high in a cylindrical form, the base being in the lower sanctum representing Lord Brahma and the top is in the upper sanctum representing Lord Vishnu. The middle portion represents Lord Siva. There are some temples representing the unity of Lords Hari and Hara in some places and this is the place where even Brahma who is generally denied temple worship, is clubbed with the other two, and the creator (Brahma), the protector (Vishnu) and destroyer (Siva) are worshipped simultaneously. The image of the lord forming a single idol representing the Trimurthis-Brahma, Vishnu and Siva is of unique attraction.

"Moolatho Brahma roopaya
Madhayathashca Maheswaram
Agrathah Vishnuroopaya
Traika roopayathenamaha"

The temple is in two floors; the ground floor contains the yantra and the peetham of the Lord. On the four sides of the yantra there are four deities namely Ganapati, Suryanarayanaswamy, Bala Tripurasundari and Maheswaraswamy which constitutes panchayathanam. In the 1st floor the Moola virat of Lord Satyanarayana swamy is in the centre, the image of Goddess Anantha Lakshmi Ammavaru is in the right and Lord Shiva is on the left. The idols are of exquisite grace and beauty and are encaged in gold kavachams.". The adjoining shrine of Sri Rama seems to be the holy spot where the original self-mainfested idol of Sri Satyanarayanaswamy was discovered by the devotees. Lord Sri Rama is considered to be the Kshetra Palaka of this holy abode of the Lord Satyadeva.
 

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