Keesaragutta Temple

Getting there

• By train

  Trains to the temple should stop at Gatkesar town. The station is about 15 km away, and many buses and local auto-rickshaws run from there to Keesaragutta.

• By road

  Private and state buses run between Hyderabad and the temple, and local buses, taxis and autos are available from Hyderabad. TSRTC bus numbers from Hyderabad that serve the temple include 16A/242, 211C, 242G, 280B/K and 3H/242.

Why devotees come here

Keesaragutta Temple is a Shiva temple in Keesara village, about 35 km from central Hyderabad. Its lingam is called Ramalingeswara, after the legend that Rama installed it, and devotees also call it a self-manifested lingam.

Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple, also called Kesaragiri Kshetram, is counted among the very ancient temples of Telangana. Legend says Rama installed the lingam here to atone for the sin of killing Ravana. Because Rama installed it, the lingam carries the name Ramalingeswara. Another legend tells of Hanuman, who came back from Varanasi with 101 lingams. He felt aggrieved that his own lingam had not been installed, so he threw them all over the area.

A rock-cut cave has a Telugu inscription dated to the 5th century CE. It is the earliest known Telugu inscription in Telangana. Ruins and artifacts nearby belong to the era of the Chalukyan Empire. In October 2014, twelve Jain Tirthankara idols from the 4th and 5th century were found near the temple steps, about one foot deep.

Digging around the temple uncovered fortification walls, a yagasala (a hall for sacred fire rituals) and prayer halls. Devotees come in large numbers for Maha Shivaratri, and again during the month of Kartika.

Festivals

• Maha Shivaratri; the month of Kartika on the Hindu calendarMaha Shivaratri and Kartika month

  Several lakh devotees come for Maha Shivaratri, and devotees come again during Kartika.

Tips for your visit

• The district page is not recently updated, so its distance and bus details may be out of date.
• Ask locally about bus routes before you set out.
• Expect large crowds on Maha Shivaratri and in the month of Kartika, when several lakh devotees come.

Questions people ask