Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/ODMxUS6IiUc
Location: "2H3F+CWR, Hyderabad - Warangal Hwy, Raganna Darwaja, Rd, Brahmanawada, Hanamkonda, Telangana 506001"
The Thousand Pillar Temple or Rudreswara Swamy Temple is a historical Hindu temple located in the town of Hanamakonda, Telangana State, India. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Surya. Thousand Pillar Temple, along with Warangal Fort and Kakatiya Kala Thoranam are added to the tentative list of World Heritage sites recognised by UNESCO.
Many Hindu temples were developed under the patronage
of Ganapati Deva, Rudrama Devi and Prataparudra who were of Kakatiya dynasty.
The Thousand Pillar Temple was believed to be constructed during the period
between 1175–1324 CE by order of the king,The most popular place to visit in
Warangal is the Thousand Pillars Temple, located at the base of Hanamkonda
hill. It was built in 12th century by
the Kakatiya King Rudra Deva. Dedicated primarily to Lord Shiva, this temple is
also known by the name of Sri Rudreshwara Swamy Temple. It stands out to be a masterpiece and
achieved major heights in terms of architectural skills by the ancient Kakatiya
Vishwakarma Sthapathis (Architect).
One part of the temple is consistently under
renovation for many years now.
What makes this temple even more attractive is its
good maintenance. There is a lush green lawn that greets you as you enter the
temple complex. There is also the facility of drinking water here at the
temple.
One of the interesting aspect of 1000 Pillar Temple is
that here the third deity is not Lord Brahma who is considered to be one of the
Trinity (Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma). Here the Lord Surya is being
worshipped as the third deity.
History:
It was desecrated by the Tughlaq dynasty during their
invasion of the Deccan.However, the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad,(Mir Osman Ali Khan)
donated a grant of 1 Lakh INR towards the reconstruction of this temple.At this
temple, three deities- Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Surya are worshipped. They
are known as Trikutalayam.
Rudreswara Temple locally known as Veyisthambala Gudi
(Thousand pillars temple) is one of the fine and earliest available examples of
Kakatiya art, architecture and sculpture. It was built by Rudra Deva and named
after him as ‘Sri Rudreswara Swamy temple with the presiding deity as
Rudreswara, in 1163 CE in the style of later Chalukyan and early Kakatiyan
Architecture, star-shaped and triple shrined (Trikutalaya).
Architecture
The temple is a fine specimen of architecture and
sculpture with One thousand pillars. There are richly carved pillars,
perforated screens, exquisite icons, rock cut elephants and the monolithic
dolerite Nandi as components of the temple. Strengthening of foundations like
sandbox technique, the skill of Kakatiya sculptors is manifest in adroit
craftsmanship and flawless ivory carving technique in their art. The ingenuity
of Kakatiya sculptors is visible in likes of lathe turned, and shiny polish in
dolerite and granite stone sculpture and craftwork of Nava Rangamandapa.
There are
three different shrines, one for each presiding deity. Called as Trikutalayam,
these three main deities of the temple are Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord
Surya. The shrine of Lord Shiva is facing the east direction while the other
two shrines are facing South and West. The shrines of Lord Vishnu and Lord
Surya are connected to the main shrine of Lord Shiva via a square shaped
mandapam.
On the 4th
side of Thousand Pillar Temple there is a beautifully carved monolith of Nandi
who is Lord Shiva’s sacred bull, on a platform. Carved out of a single stone,
sculpture of Nandi presents a glimpse into the artistic fineness of bygone
eras. The statue is facing east direction, which is different from other
statues of Nandi that usually face west. This part is closed and is under
renovation for quite some time now.
The entire
structure of the Thousand Pillar Temple is in star shape. Intricately carved
pillars support the structure of the temple while captivating sculptures add
exquisiteness to the walls. What adds further to the beauty of 1000 Pillar
Temple is the well maintained garden that surrounds it. One can also find
various small Shiva Lingams in the garden.
As you
enter the temple, on the both side of the entrance beautifully carved sculpture
of elephants greets you. Carvings on the ceilings of the temple and its
exterior walls are also equally enticing.
Timings:
Sunday to Saturday 6 AM to 8 PM.
How to Reach:
By Road: Reaching 1000 Pillar Temple is not a difficult
task as it is well connected by road and is quite close to the main road. It is
situated between the city of Warangal and Hanamakonda.
By Rail: Thousand Pillar Temple is around 6 km away
from Warangal railway station. From the station, tourists can hire an auto
rickshaw and reach within few minutes. One can also hire a taxi or travel via
city buses that run regularly.
By
Air: The
nearest airport is Hyderabad around 160 KMs
Parking
and Photography:
There is dedicated parking, but since the temple is
right on the main road of the city, and the parking is very small, there is lot
of congestion. It is better to travel using a local auto or cab.
Photography is fully allowed. Didn’t try drone as it’s
in the main road. In case one would like to use drone, try using it early
morning before the temple opens.