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The architectural
beauty of the temple, the arrangement of the tank in front and such other peculiarities
that we find in the temple show that it is an ancient temple dating back to the hoary past
and that it was repaired and rebuilt through successive ages by many kings. Mahanandi
formed part of Kurnool Circar over which the Nawab of Kurnool was exercising sway in the
17th and the 18th centuries. The Nawab used to spend from his treasury money for the
Sivarathri festival at Mahanandi, This speaks volumes to the sanctity and popularity of
the temple to which even Muslim governors of the province paid some attention.
Mahanandi is not only a place of pilgrimage but also a picnic spot, in view
of the natural scenery in which the temple is set. By its proximity to the hills, by the
presence of perennial mineral courses all round the temple, and by its air of detached
sanctity, the place attracts pilgrims all through the year. It is rightly called the
beauty spot of the Nallamalais.
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