Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari Temple

Getting there

• By train

  The Narasapuram to Nidadavolu main line passes through Penugonda.

• By road

  The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation runs buses from Penugonda bus station. The nearest bus depot listed is Palakollu, 17 km away.

Why devotees come here

Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari is a Hindu deity, mainly revered by the Komati community of South and Central India. Penugonda, a town in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, is known as her birthplace. For the Komatis she is the kuladevata, the clan deity.

The Komati community regards Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari as its kuladevata, the clan deity. Komatis who follow Jainism know her as Shanti Matha Vasavi Devi, and tell of how she persuaded a king to give up his kingdom. The legend says Vasavi chose to end her life rather than be forced to marry the king. It is said to show the idea of ritual pollution in Hinduism.

The legend places a powerful Chalukya monarch, Vishnuvardhana, as the ruler of Andhra in the 11th century. The tradition holds that after her death her soul was made sacred at Penugonda, and that she was then raised to the status of a deity.

Penugonda is a historic town in West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. The district lies in the Coastal Andhra region. Penugonda is the headquarters of Penugonda mandal, one of 46 mandals in the district.

Tips for your visit

• Penugonda is a junction for onward travel to Rajahmundry, Nidadavolu, Palakollu, Pekeru, Tanuku and Bhimavaram.
• In West Godavari, summers from March to June are very hot and dry, and winters are much cooler.
• Penugonda has very few hospitals: Yellapragada Nursing Home and Penugonda Hospitals (24/7).
• A one-day West Godavari tour package from the district government site includes the temple as a stop.

Questions people ask