by Mantra & shlokas on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at 11:01am
Keesaragutta Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Siva and his consorts Bhavani and Sivadurga at Keesaragutta in Rangareddy district. It is about 13 km from Hyderabad. It is located on a small hillock. The temple draws thousands of devotees on Shivaratri.
Legend
Legend has it that Sri Rama installed the Siva lingam here to atone for the sin of killing Ravana, a Brahman. He selected this beautiful valley surrounded by hills and verdant greenery for the purpose and ordered Hanuman to bring a Sivlingam from Varanasi. Hanuman was late in arriving with the Siva lingam and as the auspicious hour was nearing, Lord Siva himself appeared before Sri Rama and presented a Sivilingam for installation. Hence the lingam in the temple is called Swayambhu Linga. It is also called Ramalingeswara as lord Sri Rama had installed the lingam.
Hanuman returned with 101 lingams for selection from Varanasi and felt aggrieved at not having his lingam installed. Hence he threw them all over the area. Even to this day several lingams are found scattered all over the place outside the temple.
To mollify Hanuman, Sri Rama ordained that precedence would be given to him for worship at the temple. He also said that the hillock where the lingam was installed would bear his name kesarigiri i.e, Hanuman, the son of Kesari. Over a period of time, it has become corrupted and is now known as Keesara and the hill as Keesaragutta. Ever since, the rituals follow the command of Sri Rama.
Koti Linga Temple on Keesara Gutta – the name literally translates to “The temple of a crore lingams situated on the hillock of Lord Hanuman.”
Legend has it that when Lord Rama wanted to atone for the sin of killing a great devotee of Lord Shiva like Ravana, he asked Lord Hanuman to bring a shiva linga carved from the rocks of mount Kailas itself. But since Hanuman could not bring the lingam back in time for the auspicious moment of the propitiation,
One of the several lingams that can be seen scattered on the hillock of Keesaragutta.
Lord Rama made one out the sands and performed the pooja. Frustrated, Lord Hanuman hurled the lingam he had brought from Kailas with all his might and it fragmented into ten million (a crore) smaller lingams that scattered on this hillock. These can be seen even today on the hillock.
The sacred Shiva linga which was said to have been installed and worshipped by Lord Hanuman himself.
One of the lingam is reputed to have been installed and worshipped by lord Hanuman himself and even today some powerful vibrations hit you when you enter the shrine.
Koti Linga therefore means a crore (ten million) lingams and Keesara is a colloquial version of Lord Hanuman’s name Kesari. Gutta means hillock. Hence the name of the temple is derived.
You can reach the temple by traveling on regular APSRTC buses or just hire a cab to take you there. On a normal day, the trip to and from the temple will take about 5 hours. On a festival day, it takes considerably longer at the temple.
A word of caution – you are sure to be greeted by large battalions of monkeys while there. These simians do not hesitate to grab items from your hands. Though they are never known to be aggressive, please be careful with your children and what you display to the monkeys!
Legend
Legend has it that Sri Rama installed the Siva lingam here to atone for the sin of killing Ravana, a Brahman. He selected this beautiful valley surrounded by hills and verdant greenery for the purpose and ordered Hanuman to bring a Sivlingam from Varanasi. Hanuman was late in arriving with the Siva lingam and as the auspicious hour was nearing, Lord Siva himself appeared before Sri Rama and presented a Sivilingam for installation. Hence the lingam in the temple is called Swayambhu Linga. It is also called Ramalingeswara as lord Sri Rama had installed the lingam.
Hanuman returned with 101 lingams for selection from Varanasi and felt aggrieved at not having his lingam installed. Hence he threw them all over the area. Even to this day several lingams are found scattered all over the place outside the temple.
To mollify Hanuman, Sri Rama ordained that precedence would be given to him for worship at the temple. He also said that the hillock where the lingam was installed would bear his name kesarigiri i.e, Hanuman, the son of Kesari. Over a period of time, it has become corrupted and is now known as Keesara and the hill as Keesaragutta. Ever since, the rituals follow the command of Sri Rama.
Koti Linga Temple on Keesara Gutta – the name literally translates to “The temple of a crore lingams situated on the hillock of Lord Hanuman.”
Legend has it that when Lord Rama wanted to atone for the sin of killing a great devotee of Lord Shiva like Ravana, he asked Lord Hanuman to bring a shiva linga carved from the rocks of mount Kailas itself. But since Hanuman could not bring the lingam back in time for the auspicious moment of the propitiation,
One of the several lingams that can be seen scattered on the hillock of Keesaragutta.
Lord Rama made one out the sands and performed the pooja. Frustrated, Lord Hanuman hurled the lingam he had brought from Kailas with all his might and it fragmented into ten million (a crore) smaller lingams that scattered on this hillock. These can be seen even today on the hillock.
The sacred Shiva linga which was said to have been installed and worshipped by Lord Hanuman himself.
One of the lingam is reputed to have been installed and worshipped by lord Hanuman himself and even today some powerful vibrations hit you when you enter the shrine.
Koti Linga therefore means a crore (ten million) lingams and Keesara is a colloquial version of Lord Hanuman’s name Kesari. Gutta means hillock. Hence the name of the temple is derived.
You can reach the temple by traveling on regular APSRTC buses or just hire a cab to take you there. On a normal day, the trip to and from the temple will take about 5 hours. On a festival day, it takes considerably longer at the temple.
A word of caution – you are sure to be greeted by large battalions of monkeys while there. These simians do not hesitate to grab items from your hands. Though they are never known to be aggressive, please be careful with your children and what you display to the monkeys!
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