Alampur Telangana

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Telangana State

Balabrahmeshvara Tirtha (बालब्रह्मेश्वर) is a temple complex situated in Alampur town of Jogulamba Gadwal district in the Indian state of Telangana. It is known for Architecture of Chalukyan style of sculpture. Nine temples here referred to as the Nava Bhramma temples are dedicated to Shiva.

Variants

• Navabrahmeshwara (नवब्रह्मेश्वर)
• Dakshina Kashi (दक्षिण काशी)
• Alampur Telangana (आलमपुर) दे. Balabrahmeshvara (बाल ब्रह्मेश्वर) (AS, p.70)
• Halampuram
• Hamalapuram
• Alampuram.
• Balabrahmesvara बालब्रह्मेश्वर, जिला रायचूर, मैसूर, (AS, p.623)

Location

Alampur is a town situated in Jogulamba Gadwal district, in the Indian state of Telangana, close to the border with Andhra Pradesh state. It is home to the very ancient Navabhramma temples dating back to the 7th century CE. The Tungabhadra and Krishna Rivers are in confluence near Alampur. Alampur is situated on the left bank of the Tungabhadra river. According to The Imperial Gazetteer of India, Alampur was a taluk of Raichur district, Hyderabad State.

History

Alampur is the meeting point of the sacred rivers Tungabhadra and Krishna River and is referred to as Dakshina Kashi (also Navabrahmeshwara Theertha) and the Western Gateway of Srisailam, the famous Shaivite pilgrim centre. The Sacredness of Alampur Temple is mentioned in the Skanda Purana. The principal deities at Alampur are Brahmeswara and Jogulamba. It is surrounded by the Nallamala hills.

Alampur was under the rule of Shatavahana Ishvakus of Nagarjunakonda, Badami Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagara Empire and Qutb Shahis of Golconda. Alampur was previously known as Halampuram, Hamalapuram And Alampuram. Under the name Hatampura, it was mentioned in the inscription dated AD 1101 and belongs to Western Chalukya Tribhuvanamalla Vikramaditya VI. Another inscription mentions construction of the temple by Vinayaditya Chalukya in 704 AD.

The Alampur Navabhrama Temples are historically important and reflect remarkable architectural skills. The Alampur temples are listed as an archaeological and architectural treasure on the official "List of Monuments" prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act. Since the original area of the temples at Alampur became submerged by the Sri Sailam Hydro-electric Project, the temples were relocated to higher ground. The uniqueness of this group of temples lies in their plan and design in the northern architectural style introduced by the Chalukyas of Badami between AD 650 and 750.

Navabrahma Temples: The Nava Bhramma temples are Taraka Bhramma, Swarga Bhramma, Padma Bhramma, Bala Bhramma, Garuda Bhramma, Kumara Bhramma, Arka Bhramma, Vira Bhramma and the Vishwa Bhramma. These temples are all enclosed in a courtyard on the left bank of the river Tungabhadra. The Bala Bhramma temple is the principal shrine of worship. It dates back to the year 702 CE - per the inscriptions seen here. Shivaratri is celebrated in great splendour here.

These temples date back to the 7th century A.D and were built by the Badami Chalukyas rulers who were patrons of art and architecture. The sacredness of Alampur Temple is mentioned in the Skanda Purana. It is mentioned that Brahma performed a strict penance here for Lord Siva. Lord Siva appeared before him and blessed him with the powers of creation. Therefore, the name Brahmeswara.

Sangameshwara is derived from the word Sangam meaning confluence. Hence the temple is also known as Kudavelly Sangameshwara Temple. It is said that Sangameshwara Temple was constructed by Pulakesi I ( 540 CE to 566 CE) and is fine example of Chalukyan Architecture.

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Note: The following content is from the book - History And Legend In Hyderabad, Department of Information and Public Relations, 1953,pp.111-112

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Alampur: The gorges of the Krishna River in the Alampur taluq are of romantic interest inasmuch as they are believed to have been the source of diamonds in medieval times. The Gorge of Diamonds in the legend of Sindbad the Sailor and the Roc is also believed to have been one of these gorges.

"Dakshina Kashi,” or Banaras of the south is how Bala-Brahmesvara or, as now known, Alampur, is termed by tradition, and the euphonym is well-merited by the many sacred temples on the banks of the holy Tungabhadra.

Here history and legend have consorted together with stone and sculpture from times immemorial, and here can be seen the living footprints of the past from Stone Age down through prehistory and protohistory to the great days of the Satavahanas, the early and later Chalukyas, the Rashtrakutas, Kalachuriyas and Kakatiyas, the last of the Andhra kings.

“The prosperous Chalukyan family of world-praised manavyasa gotra, descendants of Hareeti, who became prosperous by the favour of Saptamatrika, who obtained a series of auspices by the shelter of god Kumara, who susbdued all kings at the mere sight of emblem of Varaha obtained by the grace of Almighty Narayan,” is an inscription on the ramparts of the ruined ancient fort recalling the glory of the Chalukyas while an inscription at Devadroni Tirtha refers to the reign of Vijayadatta Chalukya.

It was the great grandson of Pulakesin II who had the prakara-bandh, or rampart wail, built to stem the waters of the Tungabhadra from flooding into the Brahmesvara Temple, the construction being carried out by Isanacarya Swami Bhattapada. The date corresponds to May 3 and 4, 714 A.D.

At one time there was the Brahmapuri University here, and two of its professors Trilochana Muninadha Pandita and Ekanta Desikadi Pandita were honoured by kings and queens.

“ Virabalanjya Samaya,” commercial syndicates, also honoured them in the days of the Kalachuris and the Kakatiyas, and Veeragallulus of western Andhra period have also been found here.

The Brahmesvara and the Papnasa groups of Temples at Alampur constitute an important stage in the evolution of temple architecture in south India, and an affinity to Ellora and Ajanta is noticeable.

Alampur has over a dozen inscriptions recording various gifts made by the later Chalukyas. The Kakatiyas and the rulers of Vijayanagar seem to have made no additions to the temples of Alampur but inscriptions of their times prove that Alampur continued to occupy an important place among the religious shrines of the south.

At Alampur the Tungabhadra takes a turn to the north and so acquires sanctity

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[p.112]: and imparts holiness to the temples consecrated at this spot.

Certainly the Visvesvera, the Visalaksi, the Duntti-Ganesa and the Kala Bhairava Temples of holy Banaras have their counterparts in the Brahmesvara, the Jogulamba, the Duntti-Ganesa and the Kala-Bhairava shrines and Alampur well deserves to be the Dakshina-Kashi, "Banaras of the South.” other parallels are also not wanting, including 64 ghats in both places.

There are two main clusters of temples — the Brahmesvara, and the Papnasa, the former inside the fort and the latter half a mile away from Alampur.

The leading temple in the Brahmesvara cluster of nine is triple-shrined with three deities consecrated on three sides of a many-pillared hall facing the river. The nine temples Nava-Brahma group of temples are Bala-Brahma, Garuda-Brahma, Svarga-Brahma, Padma Brahma, Traka-Brahma, Arka-Brahma, Kumara-Brahma, Vira-Brahma, and Visva-Brahma.

Of these Bala-Brahma is venerated most. The inner plan and decoration of these temples bear no affinity to the Indo-Aryan temples but have a striking resemblance to the plans and carvings of some of the rock-cut temples of western India as the projected porches of these temples are identical in form to the portico of Gave XIX, Ajanta. The temples have a central approach leading to the shrine in the form of a nave, with an aisle on either side, which as in the case of the Buddhist chaityas, are separated from the former by rows of pillars. The shrines are square with circumambulatory passage around, In imitation of the rock-cut architecture, walls are closed but windows fitted with exquisite trellis screens have been provided for ventilation. The carving of the pillars and archi-traves are identical with those of the Buddhist and Brahmanical caves of western India, so much so that on entering the temples one has to remind himself that he is inside a temple and not in a rock-cut shrine.

The sikkaras of the temples, according to Cousens, are "of an unusual model particularly the sphere which is the frustum of a square pyramid surrounded by a large and very compressed spheroid.”

Alampur has indeed a wealth of exquisite delights for the historian, the antiquarian, the archaeologist and the painter, scultptor and art-lover which have to be seen to be appreciated.

Other interesting places are the Suryanarayana the Narasimha-alaya, the Muslim dargah and the magnificent gateways of the fort. The fort was built by Vijayanagar rajas and subsequently conquered by Muslim kings. It has three ditches and 30 bastions.

Alampur is six miles from the metre guage railway station of the same name in Raichur district, and can be easily reached from Hyderabad or Guntakal in Madras.

बालब्रह्मेश्वर

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है .....बालब्रह्मेश्वर (AS, p.623), जिला जोगुलम्ब-गडवल, तेलंगाना. यह तुंगभद्रा नदी के तट पर स्थित प्राचीन तीर्थ है. इसे दक्षिण काशी भी कहते हैं क्योंकि यहां नदी के तट पर अनेक प्राचीन मंदिर हैं जो प्राचीन काल से पवित्र माने जाते हैं. यहां सातवाहन, चालुक्य, राष्ट्रकूट, कलचूरी, ककातीय और विजयनगर के नरेशों ने क्रमशः राज्य किया. तत्पश्चात बहमनी सुल्तानों और मुगल बादशाहों का आधिपत्य रहा. इन सबों के समय के अनेक अवशेष तथा स्मारक इस स्थान पर मिले हैं.

ब्रह्मेश्वर के दुर्ग की भित्तियों पर चालुक्यों के समय का एक अभिलेख अंकित है जिसमें उनके वैभव और प्राक्रम का वर्णन है. इतिहास प्रसिद्ध चालुक्य नरेश पुलकेशिन द्वितीय के प्रपौत्र ने मई 714 ई. में ब्रह्मेश्वर के मुख्य मंदिर को तुंगभद्रा के जल प्रभाव से बचाने के लिए यहां एक प्रकारबंध निर्मित करवाया था. इसका निर्माता ईशान आचार्य स्वामी भट्टपद था.

प्राचीन काल में ब्रह्मेश्वर में एक महाविद्यालय भी था जिसके आचार्य त्रिलोचन मुनिनाथ और एकांत दासकाडीपंडित ने राजसभा में सम्मान प्राप्त किया था. इन्हें वीरबलंजय समय नामक व्यापारिक संस्थाओं द्वारा भी आदर मिला था. ब्रह्मेश्वर के मंदिरों के निर्माण में अजंता तथा एलोरा के गुहा मंदिरों की झलक भी मिलती है. अधिकांश मंदिर चालुक्य कालीन हैं. इस समय के 12 से अधिक अभिलेख यहां मिले हैं.

पश्चवर्ति शासकों के समय ब्रह्मेश्वर की ख्याति पूर्ववत ही रही. यद्यपि इस काल में अधिक मंदिर न बन सके. यहां के कुछ उल्लेखनीय मंदिर यह हैं - ब्रह्मेश्वर, जोगूलंबा, दंती गणेश और काल भैरव. ये मंदिर वाराणसी के विश्वेश्वर, विशालाक्षी, दंती गणेश और काल भैरव के मंदिरों के प्रतिरूप माने जाते हैं. काशी के गंगा तट के 64 घाटों की तरह यहां तुंगभद्रा पर 64 घाट बने हुए थे.

यहां से आधा मील के लगभग पापनाश नामक मंदिर समूह स्थित है. ब्रह्मेश्वर-समूह के मंदिर दुर्ग के भीतर हैं. इनमें बाल ब्रह्मेश्वर का मंदिर प्रमुख है. इनकी संरचना उत्तर भारतीय मंदिरों की बनावट सेभिन्न है और अजंता एलोरा के शैलकृत मंदिरों की संरचना से मिलती-जुलती है. उदाहरणार्थ, इन मंदिरों के द्वारमंडप अजंता की गुफा संख्या 19 के मंडप ही के अनुरूप हैं. मंदिरों के गर्भगृह वर्गाकार और प्रदक्षिणापथ से परिवृत्त हैं. गुहा मंदिरों की भांति ही इनकी भित्तियों में प्रकाश के लिए वातायनों में पत्थर की कटी जाली लगी हैं. स्तंभों तथा प्रवेश द्वारों पर सुंदर तक्षण दिखाई पड़ता है. मंदिरों के शिखर भी असाधारण जान [पृ.624]: पड़ते हैं. इनकी आकृति कुछ इस प्रकार की है कि ये छिन्नशीर्ष स्तूप के ऊपर आधृत गुंबद जैसे जान पड़ते हैं. बाल ब्रह्मेश्वर के अन्य उल्लेखनीय स्मारकों में विजयनगर के नरेशों का बनवाया दुर्ग है जिसके प्रवेश द्वार विशाल एवं भव्य भव्य हैं. इनकी 3 खाईयां तथा 30 बुर्ज हैं बाल ब्रह्मेश्वर का नाम मुसलमानों के शासनकाल में आलमपुर कर दिया गया था जो आज भी प्रचलित है.