Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/TXx405sqY7Y
References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erakeswara_Temple,_Pillalamarri
Location: “Sri Yerakeshwara Swami Temple, 5H9J+WV2, Pillalamarri
Rd, Pilalamarri, Pillala Marri Rural, Telangana 508376”
Erakeswara
Temple is
a Saivite Hindu temple located in the western side of
Pillalamarri village, Suryapet district of Telangana, India. The temple was built on the banks of
the Musi river in c. 1208 CE by Erakasani, the wife of
Bēti Reddi of the Recherla family who were the feudatories of Kakatiyas. Erakeswara Temple is one among the four prominent and intricately carved
stone and granite temples located in Pillalamarri village—the other three are
about 250 metres east of the Erakeswara temple. These include the double
temples next to each other: Nameswara Temple and Trikuteswara
Temple (both Shiva); and the third being the Chennakesava Temple
(Vishnu) in ruins that is a few hundred feet southwest
of the double temples. They are all from 12th to early 13th century period.
During 14th
century, the temple was vandalized by Alauddin Khalji. A local feudatory chief
serving Kapaya Nayaka of Musunuri Nayaka dynasty
re-established the temple as per an inscription dated 1357 AD. One of the stone
inscriptions is dated to 1195 CE (Saka. 1117) and mentions the rule of Pratapa
Rudra I. Another stone inscription dates to 1208 CE (Saka. 1130) and makes a reference to the reign of
Ganapati Deva.
One of the earliest archaeological surveys and
documentation of this temple was completed over 1926 and 1927 by Ghulam Yazdani – an
archaeologist and epigraphist, and published in 1929. In this study, the four
temples at Pillalamarri were in ruined state and incorrectly named as:
·
Someswara
Gudi (now identified as Erakeswara Temple or Yerakeswara)
·
Narasimhadeva
temple (now Nameswara temple)
·
Mukandesvara
temple (now Trikuteswara temple)
·
Rameswara
temple (now Chennakesava temple)
According
to Yazdani, the temple in the northwest part of the village (Someswara, now
Erakeswara) has several inscriptions, but some were modern. The Hindu masons of
the medieval period had miscalculated the weights and this, he proposed, was
the cause of the ruins and sunken floors he witnessed. The local ruler, patron
and the builder of this and two other temples in the village was the Namireddi
family, a Shudra by caste according to the genealogy
inscribed on the stone in one of the temples, states Yazdani.
Architecture:
The temple,
just like other temples of Kakatiyas, follow a more of a north Indian style of
architecture, with the main shikhara above a plinth/jagati (platform) above
adhisthana (base platform). The base is cruciform in shape. There are 3 porticos
in the temple towards the east, north and south and a garbhalaya (Sanctum
sanctorum) in the west. The stones used are of acoustic property and sounds
like metal when tapped. Intricately carved pillars and walls make the temple
very special, along with murals and paintings on the wall.
How to reach:
By Road: The temple is around 8 KMs
from Suryapet bus stand. Any local commute like auto can be hired from
Suryapet.
By Rail: Nalgonda Railway station
is around 45 KMs from erakeshwara temple. Also Rayanguda (RYCA) is a railway
station which is in Suryapet district
By Air: Hyderabad airport is the
nearest airport.
Parking and Photography:
There is no dedicated parking, but
parking your vehicle is not an issue.
Photography is full allowed. Drones
can be used easily.
Timings:
All Days 06:00 AM - 12:30 PM 05:00
PM - 08:00 PM