Seek The Blessings Of The Supreme Lord At The Keesaragutta Temple
Lord Shiva is one of the most powerful and revered God in the Hindu religion. In India, people from all sects of Hinduism have a special place for Shiva in their faith and beliefs. The hundreds of temples in India, those are dedicated to Lord Shiva, are all pious sites which are flocked by pilgrims and devotees from all over the country. A famous and popular temple for the worship of Lord Shiva in the Telengana state is the Keesaragutta Temple. This beautiful temple is perched on a hillock which is situated at a little distance from the city of Hyderabad.
The temple and its location
The keesaragutta temple is located in the Rangareddy district. It is at a distance of about forty kilometres from Hyderabad. One can drive to the place in about in about two hours. The temple is a small but active temple. A number of devotees and pilgrims visit the temple everyday to offer puja and homas to the Supreme lord. There is also a large idol of Lord Hanuman just beside the pristine white temple. Lord Shiva appears in the temple in the form of a Shiva Lingam.
Worship of the lord
The Keesaragutta temple is a well organised mandir. A lot of religious activities, worships, pujas, homas and rituals are organised here. Devotees can perform various types of pujas and rites in the temple. They can also avail different puja packages in return of stipulated donations. The keesaragutta temple timings are from six AM in the morning to seven-thirty PM every day. A number of prayers and offerings take place during this time. The day starts with Suprabata Seva at the six in the morning. Several other prayers like Mahayana Poorvaka, Rudrabhishekam, Maha Arathi, Mantra Pushpam etc. The day ends with the evening offering of Pavalipu Seva.
Origins of the temple
Nobody knows the actual history of the temple or how it came into being. There are interesting stories about the creation of the temple and the installation of the holy Shiva Linga at this site. According to beliefs, Lord Rama, after his victory over Ravana, selected this site to build a temple for Shiva and installed the Linga with his own hands. Archaeologists, on excavating the place and surrounding areas, have discovered historical ruins. They suggest that the temple might be built during the fourth or fifth century AD. The architecture of the temple, in many ways, reflects the styles of the Gupta period.
Festivals and learning
Also known as the Ramalingeshwara temple, the Keesaragutta temple is dedicated to the Lord Shiva and two of his consorts, Shivadurga and Bhavani. One of the important festivals celebrated here is Shivaratri in the months of February and March. This is one of the ideal keesaragutta timings to visit. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the country come here to offer their prayers to the Lord. Near the temple, there is a Veda Pathshala, or school for learning ancient Hindu scriptures, which is managed by the temple authorities.