Raja Rajeshwara Temple is a well-known Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva situated in the town of Vemulawada, Telangana, India. The temple’s presiding deity is Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy, also known as Rajanna, who is adorned with the idols of Raja Rajeshwari Devi on the right and Laxmi Sahitha Siddi Vinayaka on the left. Lord Raja Rajeshwara, in the form of “Neela Lohitha Siva Lingam,” is known for his boundless generosity in granting devotees’ wishes.

The Raja Rajeshwara temple in Vemulawada is 38 kilometres from Karimnagar and attracts pilgrims who bathe in a tank called Dharma Gundam before proceeding for darshan; these waters are believed to be holy and medicinal. Every year during Maha Shivaratri, devotees visit Vemulawada to offer prayers to Shiva. This temple also has a ritual called “Kode Mokku,” in which the devotee makes the pradakshinam of the temple with a kode (bull) that represents Lord Shiva’s vahanam (Nandi). The Shivling inside the temple is massive and attracts visitors and devotees from all parts of the world.

This Shrine is popularly known as ‘Dakshina Kasi’ (Southern Banaras) and also as “Harihara Kshetram” because there are two Vaisnava Temples in the main Temple complex, namely, Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple and Sri Seetharama Chandra Swamy Temple.

Story/Legend of Raja Rajeshwara Temple Vemulawada

According to legend, Once, while hunting, King Sri Rajaraja Narendra accidentally killed a Brahmin who was drinking from this pond. The king was later cursed with an incurable disease. To seek redemption, he travelled all over the world. During his stay in the temple, he drank holy water from Dharmagundam. Lord Shiva appeared in his dreams and asked him to move the Shiva linga from the Dharmagundam temple to the Vemulawada temple. He built a magnificent temple over the hill, but the Shiva Linga was installed by different Sages, which irritated the king slightly.

Lord Shiva appeared again and promised that the king’s legend would never be forgotten throughout history. Even today, anyone who visits this temple will always remember the king. Renowned Telugu poet “Bheemakavi” visited this location and was identified as a devout follower of Lord Shiva. According to legend, this location is associated with another well-known poet named “Pampa,” who served as Arikesari – II’s court poet. He’s dedicated “Kannada Bharatha” to his royal patronage.

History of Raja Rajeshwara Temple Vemulawada

According to the Bhavishyothara Purana, the Sun God (Surya Bhagavan) recovered from disability by praying at this shrine, which is referred to as “Bhaskara Kshethram”. And Indra, the King of Astadikpalaka, cleansed himself of Brahmahatya Dosham by devoutly worshipping Lord Sri Raja Rajeshwara, the shrine’s presiding deity.

Furthermore, it is stated that this temple was established between 750 and 973 AD by Raja Narendra, the grandson of Parikshit, who was the grandson of Arjuna. He was cured of leprosy which he contracted after mistakenly killing Muniputra. While bathing in Dharmagundam (Pushkarni), he saw Lord Sri Raja Rajeshwara and Goddess Sri Raja Rajehwari Devi in a vision and received blessings with instructions to build a temple and install the ‘Siva Lingam’ inside the temple which was lying in the bed of a Pushkarni.

Historically, this was the capital of the Vemulawada Chalukyas, who ruled between AD 750 and AD 973. However, rock-cut inscriptions found here refer to the village as Lemulavatika. Lord Shiva appears here in the form of Sri Raja Rajeshwara, and people affectionately refer to him as Rajanna. The location is also closely associated with the 11th-century Telugu poet Vemulawada Bheemakavi.

Architecture of Raja Rajeshwara Temple Vemulawada

The Raja Rajeshwara temple is ideally located on the edge of the Gudicheruvu, a large tank. The Garbha-Griha (Maha Mandapam) depicts “Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi,” Lord Raja Rajeshwara as Neelalohitha Siva Linga, Goddess Sri Raja Rajeshwari Devi, and Nandeeshwara facing the Lord. The temple was built in the classical south Bharatiya architectural style. There are many beautiful engravings on the high temple dome. The entire temple complex is painted pristine white, reflecting the temple’s elegance and spiritual aura.

The sanctum sanatorium surrounds the Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Sri Seetharama Chandra Swamy Temple, Sri Anjaneya Sahitha Kasi Visweswara Swamy Temple, Sri Dakshina Murthy Temple, Sreeevalli Devasena Sametha Subramanya Swamy Temple, Sri Bala Tripura Sundari Devi Temple, Sri Someshwaralayam, Sri Uma Maheshwaralayam, Sri Mahisasura Mardhani Temple, Kotilingalu, and Sri Kala Bhairava Swamy Temple.  The main presiding deity here is also called as Rajanna.

Facts about Raja Rajeshwara Temple Vemulawada

• Raja Rajeshwara temple (Vemulawada Temple), located 2 kilometres from Vemulawada Bus Stand, is one of Telangana’s most well-known pilgrimage sites and the town’s main attraction.
• This temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is one of the oldest and most famous Shiva temples in Telangana.
• The temple’s presiding deity is known locally as Rajanna. The main deity’s idol takes the form of Neela Lohitha Siva Lingam. The deity is accompanied by Siddi Vinayaka and Sri Raja Rajeswari Devi idols.
• The Raja Rajeshwara temple complex also includes the Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Seetha Rama Temple, Anjaneya Temple, Kasi Visweswara Temple, Dakshina Murthy Temple, Subramanya Temple, Bala Tripura Sundari Devi Temple, Someshwara Temple, Uma Maheshwara Temple, Mahisasura Mardhani Temple, Kotilingalu, and Kala Bhairava Swamy Temple.
• According to the Puranas, the Sun God recovered from his disability by praying at this shrine, which is why it is known as Bhaskara Kshethram.
• Indra, the King of Gods, purified himself from Brahmahatya Dosham through devout worship of Lord Sri Raja Rajeshwara.
• It is said that Raja Narendra, Parikshit’s grandson, had a vision in which Lord Shiva and Goddess Raja Rajehwari Devi appeared and instructed him to build a temple and install the Siva Lingam, which was lying in the bed of a Pushkarni.
• Devotees perform the unique ritual of Kode Mokku, which involves tying an ox and taking it around the temple. Locals believe that when devotees take the ox around the temple, Lord Rajanna grants their wishes. After leading the ox around the temple, devotees hand it over to temple officials.
• Every year, during Maha Shiva Rathri and Sri Ramanavami, a large number of devotees visit Vemulawada to pray to Lord Shiva and Lord Rama. On average, darshan takes about an hour to complete, but it can take up to 2-3 hours on special occasions.

Famous Rituals / Festivals In Raja Rajeshwara Temple Vemulawada

• Mahasivarathri Jathra is one of Devasthanam’s most important and well-known festivals. During the Jathra, thousands of pilgrims from all over the state and beyond visited this shrine to make vows to Lord Raja Rajeshwara.
• Koda Mokku is an important ritual in which everyone prays to Lord Nandi to grant their wishes.
• Maha Lingaarchana is a ceremony in which multiple priests worship Shiva Linga at the same time.
• Navarathri – All ten days of Navarathri are celebrated with great reverence.
• Other important festivals include Deepavali, Ratha Saptami, Hanuman Jayanthi, Sri Rama Navami, Ugadi, and Makar Sankranti.

Best Time to Visit Raja Rajeshwara Temple Vemulawada

This place is heavenly and spiritual; you can visit it all year. However, the best time to visit this temple is during the monsoon and winter seasons. During the monsoon season, this location receives moderate to heavy rainfall, making it appear heavenly with its greenery and bringing freshness elsewhere.

How To reach Raja Rajeshwara Temple Vemulawada

The Raja Rajeshwara temple is located in Vemulawada Telangana, which is 32km from Karimnagar and 152km from Hyderabad.

By Air: Although there is no airport in the area, we can reach the Raja Rajeshwara temple via the nearest airport in Hyderabad, which is approximately 193 kilometres away.

By Rail: The nearest railway station is Karim Nagar Railway Station, which is approximately 60 kilometres away from the Raja Rajeshwara temple grounds.

By Road: This Raja Rajeshwara temple is easily accessible via local and state buses operated by both the government and private companies. Apart from buses, taxis are also available. Direct buses run frequently from Sircilla and Karimnagar.

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