Daksharamam
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Draksharamam (द्राक्षारामम) or Bhimeswara is one of the five Pancharama Kshetras that are sacred to the god Shiva and also 12th of Ashtadasha Shakthi Peetams. The temple is located in Draksharamam town of Konaseema district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Bhimeswara Swamy refers to Lord Shiva in this temple. Poet Mallikarjuna Panditaradhyudu who wrote first independent work in Telugu and who spread Veerasaivism in Andhra region during medieval ages was born in this town. [1] [2]
Variants
- Drākshārāma (द्राक्षाराम) = Abode of Daksha
- Daksharamam (దక్షారామం)
- Bhimeswara (भीमेश्वर)
- Bhimeshvara (भीमेश्वर)
- Dhakshatapovana
- Dhakshavatika
Etymology
The town was formerly known as Dhakshatapovana and Dhakshavatika.[3] This is the place where Daksha head of all prajapatis did a yagna or yajna called "Nireeswara yaga" or "Nireeswara yagna". This place's present name is a derivative of "Daksha aaraama" which means "Abode of Daksha". This place was also referred to as Daksha Vatika by Jagadguru Shankaracharya/ Adi Shankara in maha shakti peetha sloka at "Maanikye Daksha vaatika" which points to "Maanikyamba devi of Draksharama". The place where Daksha performed "Nireeswara yagna" is still visited by pilgrims here.
Mention in Pujaripali Stone Inscription of Gopaladeva
Pujaripali Stone Inscription of Gopaladeva[4] is one of a king named Gopāladeva (गोपालदेव). The object of it apparently is to record the charitable deeds of Gôpâladêva, especially the construction of the temple where it was put up. Pujaripali (पुजारीपली) is village in Sarangarh tahsil in Raigarh district in Chhattisgarh.
(Verse: 38-40) - On the earth the Kirti of the brave Gôpâla shines like the autumnal moon at the famous Kedara (केदार) (L.20), Prayaga (प्रयाग) (L.20), Pushkara (पुष्कर) (L.20), Purushottama (पुरुषोत्तम) (L.20), Bhimeshvara (भीमेश्वर) (L.20), on the Narmada (नर्मदा), at the famous Gopalapura (गोपालपुर) (L.20), (वाराणसी) (L.20), Prabhasa (प्रभास) (L.21), at the junction of the Gangâ and the sea, Varalī (वरली), the famous Vairagyamatha (वैराज्ञमठ) (L.21), the Ashtadvara (अष्टद्वार) (L.21), Shauripura (शौरिपुर) (L.21), [and) the village Peḍara (पेडरा) (L.21).
As for the geographical names mentioned in the present inscription,
- Kedara is a well-known tirtha on the Himalayas,
- Prayaga is, of course, modern Allahabad,
- Pushkara is a holy tïrtha still known by this name in Rajputana. Putushottama may be the well-known Puri in Orissa,
- Bhimeshvara is a well-known tirtha, also called Drākshārāma (द्राक्षाराम) in the Godavari District of the Madras State.
- Narmada and the holy place Varanasi are too famous to need identification.
- Prabhâsa is identified by R B Hiralal with Pabhosi near Allahabad, but in the period to which the present inscription belongs, the latter does not seem to have been so famous. Prabhasa is more likely to be the tirtha of that name in Saurashtra.
- Shauripura (the city of Krishna) may be Dvaraka in Saurashtra.
- Gôpâlapura, as per R B Hiralal's conjecture, was founded by Gopaladeva himself is plausible, but his identification of it with the village Gopalpur near Tewar cannot be upheld, for Gôpâladëva's sway could not have extended so far in the north. It must have been situated not very far from Pujaripali. I would identify it with the Gôpâlpur which has on the right bank of the Mānd river (मांड नदी), about 10 miles north-west of Pujaripali.
- Pedarāgrāma (पेडरा ग्राम) is likely to be Pendri, 8 miles north by east of Sarangarh.
- The other places cannot be identified.
History of the temple
Inscriptions in the temple reveal that it was built between the 9th and 10th centuries CE by the Eastern Chalukyan king, Bhima. The big Mandapam of the temple was built by Ganga Mahadevi , daughter-In-Law of Eastern Ganga Dynasty king Narasingha Deva I of Odisha. [5] Architecturally and sculpturally, the temple reflects a blend of Chalukyan and Chola styles.[6]
The temple is historically prominent. It was built by Eastern Chalukyas who reigned over this area. It's believed to have been constructed earlier to the Bhimeswaraswamy temple in Samarla Kota that was built between 892 C.E. and 922 C.E.
Legend
Daksharamam is considered to be the place where Daksha Yagnam happened. Lord Siva sanctified the place after the rampage and carnage carried out at the place by Lord Veerabhadra.
Landmarks
Bheemeswara Swami temple is a big temple which was renovated by eastern Chalukyas. Temple has a pushkarini called "Sapta godavari" where sapta rishis brought waters from seven different rivers to create it. One can find saptarishis in a small mantapa located in sapta godavari pushkarini. One can visit kashi viswesara temple constructed by vyasa and agastyeswara swami who was worshiped by sage Agastya. There are few mantapas available in the temple compound too. You can find four gopurams around the temple and few temples like Kala Vhairava, Veera Bhadra and Vatuka Bhairava temples inside the temple premises.
Festivals
Maha Shivaratri and Dasara are the main festivals associated with Draksharamam
References
- ↑ Salva, Krishnamurthi; Shu, Hikosaka; G., John Samuel (1994). A History of Telugu Literature: 1108 A.D.-1320 A.D. Institute of Asian Studies.
- ↑ K., Lalithamba (1978). "DEVOTIONAL SAIVISM IN MEDIEVAL ANDHRA". Indian History Congress. 39: 535–538.
- ↑ Moorthy, K. K. (1994). The aalayas of Andhra Pradesh: a sixteen-flower-garland. Message Publications.
- ↑ Corpus Inscriptionium Indicarium Vol IV Part 2 Inscriptions of the Kalachuri-Chedi Era, Vasudev Vishnu Mirashi, 1905. pp. 588-594
- ↑ Rajguru, Padmashri Dr. Satyanarayana (1986). "No 1 - Ganga o Gajapati Bansha Ra Utpatti o Sankhipta Itihasa". Odisha Ra Sanskrutika Itihasa. Odisha Ra Sanskrutika Itihasa. Vol. 4. Cuttack, Odisha: Orissa Sahitya Akademi. p. 29.
- ↑ Ramaswamy, Chitra (6 July 2017). "Rich in lore and sculptures". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X.