GRANDEUR OF SRI KANAKADURGA KSHETRA
In good olden days a Yaksha named 'KEELA' had been
performing awful penance about holiest goddess Durga. Goddess Durga was
pleased by his penance and appeared to him. She asked him to beg a boon.
Keela was so happy by the words of goddess Durga and begged like this, "O
holy Mother! you should always be in my heart. This is the one and only my
desire". Listened goddess Durga and gave the boon with showering the lunar
lights of smile and said, "My Son! You remain here at this holiest planes of
river Krishna in the form of mountain. In Krithayuga, after the
assassination of demons, I will remain in your heart".
As such, by the order of goddess Durga, Keela had been waiting in the
form of mountain for goddess Durga. After sometime, in the Krithayuga
goddess Durga killed Mahishasura who was a disaster for World. Then goddess
Durga shined on the Keela mountain with eight arms in the form of
MAHISHASURA MARDINI as she had given boon to keela. On this mountain,
goddess Durga had been glowing with the lighting of crores of suns, with
golden colour. Since that, Indra and all the deities praised her chanting
"KANAKA DURGA" and they had been worshipping her daily. This mountain has
attained the name "INDRAKEELADRI" from those times, since all the deities
are visiting this mountain. Likewise, since goddess Durga shined on this
mountain with golden colour glowing, the name 'KANAKACHALA' also attained by
this mountain. Holy Indrakeeladri mountain became holiest after prevailing
goddess Durga on this. Then Brahma Deva had a sacred intution that Lord Siva
also should prevail on this mountain. For this holy purpose, he had
performed 'Sata Aswamedha Yaga'. By this, lord Maheswara pleased with his
devotion and rested in the form of 'Jyothirlinga' on this mountain. By the
first time, Brama Deva worshipped lord Siva with Jasmin flowers (Mallika)
with great devotion. Since Lord Siva was worshipped with Jasmin flowers by
Brahma Deva, he has attained the name. 'MALLIKESA'. After this, in
Dwaparayuga Arjuna, middle one of the Pandavas, awfully penanced about
Parameswara, seeking 'Pasupatastra'. Parameswara wanted to test Arjuna and
fau,ght with him. Finally Lord Siva pleased with the devotion and
dauntlessness of Arjuna and offered him Pasupatastra. From that day
'MALLIKESA'had attained the name 'MALLIKESWARA' since he faught with Arjuna
with greatest bravery. Days were passing on and on. In Kaliyuga, Jagadguru
Sri Adi Sankaracharya observed that the Malleswara Jyothirlinga was in bad
invisible condition and he reÂinstalled Malleswara Swamy at the Northern
Part to the temple of Goddess Durga. From that day onwards, Malleswara Swamy
also has been worshiping by all the devotees. Since goddess Durga has been
prevailing at the Southern direction to Lord Malleswara, this Indrakeeladri
renowned in the World as power prominent centre the "KANAKA DURGA KSHETRA"
The temple of Kanaka Durga the Goddess of power, riches
and benevolence and the presiding deity of Vijayawada, is swarmed by lakhs
of pilgrims for worship during the "Navarathri" festival which is celebrated
with Religious fervour, pomp and festivity. The small but ancient temple of
Kanaka Durga , a top the Indrakeeladri hill on the banks of the Sacred river
Krishna in Vijayawada abounds with legends of historical interest.
Indrakeeladri is unique in that it has been the chosen
abode of Kanaka Durga and Her consort Malleswara as Swayambhu (the
self-existent one). Here Durga is one the right side of Malleswara as
against the tradition of Goddesses taking their position on the left of
their consorts. This shows that Shakthi is predominant on the Indrakeeladri.
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Legend has it that the demons acquired great powers by
appeasing the Gods and began harassing the sages on the earth. Goddess
Parvathi assumed various forms to kill these demons. It was kausiki to kill
Sumbhu and Nisambhu, Mahisasura Mardini to kill Mahishasura and Durga to
kill Durgamasura. "Kanaka Durga because she was aglow with golden hues, and
prayed Her to stay on earth and bless them. Kanaka Durga asked Keeludu an
ardent devotee to take the form of hill to enable Her stay on him. Thus
Keeladri became the abode of Durga. She took the form of Mahisasura Mardini
with eight arms holding different weapons, riding on a lion and trampling
Mahishasura on the hill of Indrakeeladri. Her consort Shiva took his place
on an adjacent hillrock as Jyothirlinga. He was worshipped by Lord Brahma
with jasmines (Mallelu) whereby he got the name of Malleswara Swamy. As
celestial beings like Indra visited the place, the hill came to be called
Indrakeeladri.
Here it was according to another legend, that Arjuna
performed penance and fought with Lord Shiva, who had appeared in the guise
of Kiratha to win pasupathastra, the most powerful weapon. So this place is
also called phalguna theertha.
When Indrakeeladri came in the way of the River Krishna
the Gods requested the hill to allow the river to pass through it to join
the sea. Keeludu obliged and gave a small passage for the river. But the
ferocious Krishna made the passage larger than permitted and carried a part
of the hill four miles downstream to Yanamalakuduru, where there is now a
hillrock called "Thelukonda" or floating hillrock. According to another
legend, Kanaka Durga borrowed the nose-stud of the Krishna and to avoid
returning it jumped up the hill. Krishna vowed to take back her ornament by
raising her level to the hill top by the end of kaliyuga
Adi-Sankaracharya visited the temple and installed the
Srichakra and initiated workship of Kanaka Durga in vedic ways.
Hiuan Tsang, a Chinese traveler wrote that he has seen
many stone inscriptions in the vicinity of the temple that revealed historic
events.
Palakethu Bhupaludu made two inscriptions in the period
1150-1240 A.D. One related to unimpeaching Madhava Varma the ruler of this
area. The son of poor women was killed when he fell under the wheels of the
chariot of the king’s son.
When she sought justice, Madhava Varma's advisers said
that he should be punished with death. But they felt that the offender being
the son of the king, could be spared the punishment. When Madhava Varma
shown his impartiality by punishing his son with death, there rained gold on
Vijayawada and both the boys were blessed to live again.
In yet another incident Malleswara stood by one of his
staunch devotees Sripathi Pandithaiah, who believed there was no other God
by Malleswara; and his stubbornness made the people ostracize him and he was
even refused fire. The enraged Pandithaiah sought the blessings of
Malleswara and cursed the people that they would not get fire any more, for
he had taken possession of it, packed it in a silk cloth and hung it on a
branch of a Sami Vriksham. The people had to apologise to Pandithaiah at the
instance of their King, to get back the fire.
The nine-day festival of Navarathri ends on Vijaya
Dasami Day when people worship arms and perform ayudha Pooja. Local
chieftains used to celebrate the festival with pomp. Once a police officer
refused them permission to display their arms on Vijaya Dasami day. He got a
cable from that he was dismissed from service following many complaints
against him. Terrified by the events, the Officer not only permitted the
people to celebrate Vijaya Dasami but also took part in it. Later he got
another cable canceling his dismissal order. Thenceforth, it became a
tradition for policemen to celebrate Vijaya Dasami, which is still in vogue.
Kanaka Durga is specially decorated as Balatripura
Sundari, Gayathri Annapoorna. Mahalakshmi, Saraswathi, Lalitha Tripura
Sundari, Durga Devi, Mahissura Mardini and Raja Rajeswari Devi on each day
of the Narvarathri festival. On Vijaya Dasami day, the deities are taken in
a swan-shaped boat around the Krishna river, popularity known as
"Theppotsavam".
Though a ghat road was laid in 1969, most of the
pilgrims prefer to climb the steps leading to the temple an arduons task for
women and children. Some devotees climb the hill, decorating the steps with
turmeric powder and vermilion to redeem their pledge of Metla Pooja.
The number of pilgrims visiting the temple has been
ever increasing and its present annual income is touching Forty Crores. A
second prakara Mandapam is constructed with first floor on the North and
West, besides under taking several other works for beautification and public
convenience.
For the first time in the living memory
"Sathachandiyagam" was performed in the temple from 28-12-1987 to 2-1-1988,
for the benefit of mankind, as also to protect them from all evils.
This temple is under the administrative control of the
Government of Andhra Pradesh, and is presently managed by an Executive
Officer of the rank of Joint Commissioner of Endowments.
VIJAYAWADA is practically the centre of Andhra in all
its aspects. It is an important junction in the Madras-Calcutta, Madras -
Delhi routes, and probably the foremost town of Andhra. It contains three
ancient temples viz., the Kanakadurga temple, the Malleswaraswamy temple and
the Vijayeswaraswami temple. These are the three temples of Vijayawada.
Vijayawada is known in mythology as Vijayavata, and is
mentioned in some inscriptions as Rajendracholapura also. it is a famous
place of pilgrimage on the river Krishna, and 'has a temple dedicated to
Lord Siva in his aspect of Malleswara or Jayasena. Sage Agasthya is said to
have been the greatest devotee of this deity and admirer of the deity's
several leelas.The origin or installation of Kanaka - durga Devi at
Vijayawada is unknown. She is said to be Swayambu or selfmanifest. She also
takes the aspect of Chandi or destroyer of the demon Durgama who was causing
havoc among the peace - loving inhabitants of Dakshinapatha.
Mallikarjuna or the Malleswara as he is known in the
Puranas is said to have been installed by Yudhishthira, the eldest of the
Pancha Pandavas, as a token of their victory of the South. Thribhuvana
Malla, Western Chalukya King of the 10th century A.D, historically
constructed the temple.The installation of Vijayeswara is said to have been
done by Arjuna, one of the Pancha Pandavas, to commemorate his victory with
Lord Siva in the shape of Kirata or hunter.
The place Vijayawada is surrounded by many hillocks and
the most important of them is Seethanagaram, while the less important is
called the Kanakadurga or Kanaka konda. On the southern side of the
Kanakadurga temple, is a hillock with sculptures bearing inscriptions,
indicating the names of Gods and Goddesses cut below them. Most of these
figures are forms of the Goddess in her aspect of Durga, which are dealt
with in the Mantra Sastras. Traditionally these hills were originally
continuous and at the commandof the Lord, they got separated, making enough
space for the river Krishna to pass through.
One of these hills is called Indrakila, which is a
famous hill mentioned in the Mahabharata as the place where the Pandava hero
Arjuna obtained from Lord Siva an important weapon called Pasupatastra. The
aspect of Lord Siva who appeared before Arjuna for granting him the boon is
Kirata or the hunter. Bharavi in his celebrated Kavya "The Kirtarjuneeya"
has immortalized this. The temple of Vijayeswara is attributed to Arjuna to
commemorate the event of obtaining Pasupatha. The shrine has the
representation of this and many other events of the Mahabharata commemorated
in sculpture
The legend is as follows:
During their wanderings in the forest, the Pancha
Pandavas came to Darukavana, where Vedavyasa met them, and told them that
one of them should perform Tapascharya in praise of Lord Siva, and obtain
from him, the Pasupatastra as a boon, so that they may easily conquer their
enemies. Arjuna was chosen for this task and be betook himself to the top of
the Indrakila hill (which is said to be the same as the Indrakila hill of
Vijayawada) and was performing intense Tapascharya, with his arms upraised,
and standing on one foot, and surrounded by the Pancha Agnis or five fires,
with four artificial fires around him, and the fifth being the Sun God
himself above him. Being pleased with the great Tapascharya of Arjuna, Lord
Siva wanted to further test his sincerity, before granting him the desired
boon, and therefore took the form of a Kirata or hunter. Parvati also
dressed herself as a huntress and the Sivagana of the Lord also came in
several disguises. Accompanied by all these, Lord Siva was hunting on the
Indrakila bill, driving a wild boar in front of him.
The wild boar came to the side of Arjuna, and Arjuna
being a great warrior, took up his bow, and shot it with a single arrow. At
the same time, Lord Siva who was following it also shot it with an arrow,
and being struck by both the arrows, the boar fell down dead in the middle.
Both the Lord and Arjuna claimed the boar as their kill, and a -controversy
arose between them, as to whom the boar should belong. Words led to physical
quarrel shortly, and the Lord and Arjuna began to wrestle with each other.
An experienced and powerful wrestler though he was, Arjuna was no match
before the Lord himself, and was soon exhausted. Even in the midst of that
desperate struggle, he never lost his one-pointedness of mind and devotion
to the Lord.
To invoke divine aid in his favor, he made a Shivalinga
out of the earth, worshipped it, and offered prayers to it. He saw the
flowers, with which he worshipped the Linga, as physically falling on the
hunter before him and he thereupon realised that the hunter was none other
than the Lord himself. The hunter immediately disappeared and the Lord
appeared himself before Arjuna, in all his glory. Arjuna prayed to him and
his prayer was granted, and Pasupatha was given to him by Lord Siva, As a
commemoration of this great event, Arjuna is supposed to have installed the
Vijayeswara temple here, in the Indrakila hill.
In the Indrakila there are several rock-cut temples.
These were supposed originally to be ancient temples, but during the course
of time, they were completely buried under debris. When quarrying for stone
and road metal was done, they were revealed, and the rock-out temples were
preserved as protected monuments. There is in the temple an excellent stone
sculpture, which contains in all its four faces the story of
Kiratarjuneeyam.
There are interesting legends about the origin of the
Malleswaraswamy temple also. It is stated that, prior to the Kaliyuga, the
sage Agasthya had named the Lord at Vijayawada as Jayasena.The Mahabharata
hero Arjuna, who was a great wrestler or Mallayoddha, called the Lord as
Malleswara. The thus famous Lord Siva so goes the legend, graces with his
presence and blesses the town Vijayawada on the banks of the sacred Krishna
River.
There is another legend about this in which it is
stated that in the Kaliyuga, as early as Saka year 117, there was a king
famous on earth by name Madhava Varma. The son, of this Icing once killed by
accident the child of a woman who eked her livelihood by selling the fruits
of tamarind trees (Intrini-Jeevini). The king, who meted out justice
according to the principles of Dharma, sentenced his own son to be banged,
in order to uphold the principles of justice. Pleased at this impartial
attitude and the adherence to principles of Dharma, of this king, God
Malleswara came down and showered gold on him, which brought back to life
the deceased prince and the dead child.
Thus the great Lord Malleswara. Established in this
world, the name of the great King Madhava Varma. Later on a pious devotee by
name Panditharadhya came here, and proclaimed to the world that the devotees
of Lord Siva were superior even to the sages. He illustrated the truth of
this, by bundling up live, coal in a piece of cloth, with the tender twig of
a Sami tree, without burning it. God Malleswara was pleased with it and
manifested himself to this devotee. This Lord according to the popular
legend, is Mahadeva Malleswara, "the endless one ' the lover of his devotees
and worshipping whom the lords of the earth prospered of old".
There is an inscription in the temple, of the 9th
century A.D., in the usual Telugu script. The inscription is strangely
recorded from bottom upwards. Its purport is to say that a certain Thrikoti
Boyi or Trikoti Boyu, the son of Kaliyama-Boy of Pechchevada, set up the
pillar as a commemoration of his own fame, in order to secure distinction
for his race. The Thrikoti Boyi is identified in the inscription with a
Guhyaka Yaksha, who in Dwaparayuga was directed by Indra to direct Arjuna to
Indrakila hill, where Arjuna should worship the Lord Siva in order to obtain
Pasupatha from him.
Besides being a religious centre, Vijayawada is also
the very centre of Andhra culture. The Chalukyas of Kalyani once conquered
this place, and the famous Chinese Huin. Tsang had visited this place in 639
A.D. when Buddhism was at its zenith. Vijayawada that is a famous centre of
Andhra thus enshrines three important and ancient temples and the temple of
Kanakadurga is especially a sacred and powerful one, which attracts a large
number of pilgrims even now.
for more information visit the temple website:http://www.durgamma.com
