Bugga Ramalingeswara Temple

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest airport listed for the temple is Kempegowda International Airport (BLR).

• By train

  Tadipatri railway station is about 4 km from the temple.

• By road

  Tadipatri town, where the temple stands, is 56 km from Ananthapuramu, the district headquarters town.

Why devotees come here

Bugga Ramalingeswara Temple is a Shiva shrine on the southern bank of the Penna River in Tadipatri, Anantapur district. Its main deity is a self-originated linga, and the linga faces west, unlike the east-facing deities of other Hindu temples.

Legend says a statue of a female deity stands by the river here. When the water reaches her navel, it foretells the submergence of the whole town of Tadipatri. The linga is said to be bathed by a natural spring that never stops flowing.

Pemmasani Ramalinga Nayudu I, a chieftain of the Gutti-Gandikota region, built the temple between 1490 and 1509, during the Vijayanagara Empire. Other patrons and local chieftains also contributed to it.

The sanctum, ardhamandapa and mukhamandapa lie in one straight line. The walls carry bas-relief scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Seven small pillars in front of the Vishnu shrine produce the seven musical notes, called saptaswara, when struck. The gopurams are unfinished. Architectural historian James Anderson called them wonders. The Anantapur district government site calls the temple an exemplary specimen of Dravidian architecture.

Festivals

• The 2024 edition was scheduled for 3 to 13 MarchBramhotsavam

  The annual celebration at the temple.

• During the BramhotsavamMaha Shivaratri

  The highlight of the Bramhotsavam, dedicated to Shiva. It is celebrated with great fervor at the temple.

Tips for your visit

• Look closely at the bas-relief panels on the walls, which show episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
• Two other temples are nearby: the Chintala Venkataramana Swamy Temple and the Kadiri Laxmi Narasimha Swamy Temple.

Questions people ask