Chaya Someswara Temple

Getting there

• By air

  The closest airport to Nalgonda city is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, 111 km away by road.

• By train

  Nalgonda railway station serves Nalgonda city, about 4 km from the temple.

• By road

  TGSRTC buses run from Nalgonda city to places in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The temple is about 4 km from the city.

Why devotees come here

Chaya Someswara Temple stands in Panagal, Nalgonda district, Telangana. It is a Shaivite temple where Shiva is worshipped as a lingam, and legend says its name comes from a shadow that falls on the lingam all day.

Chaya Someswara Temple is a Shaivite Hindu temple in Panagal, Nalgonda district. Shiva is worshipped here as the main deity in the form of a lingam. Legend says the temple takes its name from a shadow that falls on the lingam in the main shrine all day long.

It was built around the mid-11th century under the Kunduru Chodas, a branch of the Telugu Cholas. By the mid 20th century the temple was in ruins. It has since been partially restored.

The main temple is a trikuta shrine with three sanctums, and it faces east. The three shrines share one hall, and its pillars are carved in the Telingana style with scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas. Each sanctum is a plain cube with plain walls. The temple lies east of the village, among paddy fields near the Udayasamudram reservoir, which was built in the 11th century. The temple is about 107 km from Hyderabad and about 45 km from Suryapet city.

Festivals

• During Maha ShivaratriMaha Shivaratri

  The temple is a popular pilgrimage site during Maha Shivaratri. Devotees come in large numbers to this temple and the nearby Pachala temple.

Tips for your visit

• Look at the pillars in the main hall, which carry carved scenes from the epics and the Puranas.
• The Pachala Someshwara Temple is about 1 km away from this temple, so you can visit both on one trip.

Questions people ask