Have you heard of a temple having a thousand pillars that too arranged in a magnificent way which is unique in its own way?
Where is Thousand pillar temple located?
The Rudeswar Swami Temple a.k.a the Veyisthambala Gudi (the thousand pillar temple) is situated in Hanamakonda in the Southern state of Telangana, India. It is going to be enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Although many people might have not heard about it it is a masterpiece in the sense of Architecture. The great Kakatiya Vishwakarma Sthapathis(Architect) designed this temple and is a major achievement of his career
How to visit Thousand Pillar Temple
The nearest railway station is Warangal railway station. From there one can take auto-rickshaw to the temple. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is the nearest airport and Autos or Bus services are available to reach the attraction point. The location is almost 150 km from Hyderabad city and buses are available between Hyderabad and Warangal. Bhadrakali Temple is also very near to where the story of “The Kohinoor” begins.
Features of Thousand Pillar Temple
The temple consisted of three deities i.e., Shiva, Vishnu and Surya; however, only the Shiva idol remained intact. Although at first glance it might seem like a temple with many pillars. But, in fact, the richness of art is so perfect that even being a masterpiece it looks very normal.
The primary deity here is Rudreshwara which was named after the kind Rudra Deva who built it. It reflects later Chalukyan and early Kakatiyan Architecture. Its shape is much like a Star and three shrines which gives it the name Trikutalaya.
Origin and History
It is said to have been constructed between 1175-1244 CE under the reign of the Kakatiya king, Rudra Dev.
However, the temple was attacked by the Tughlaq Dynasty and the idols of Vishnu and Surya were badly damaged. Yet the Shiva idol remained as before and is still worshipped today.
It was renovated by the Government of India in 2004. Further renovations are in talks among the Archaeological Survey of India and the modern engineers.
