VIJAYAWADA

The Indrakila conains many more shrines - some of them are rock cut too, and belong to too distant a past. During the quarrying operations, many ancient temples buried under debris came to light. As their sculptural wealth is recognised by the department of archeology, they are now preserved as protected monuments. There are two more holy temples- Kanakadurga and Malleswaraswamy, deserving elaborate narration. Their past glory too is equally awe-some. Of the two, the first one is Mallikarjuna shrine. It came into lime-light in the tenth Century A.D. Tribhuvana Malla, the famous Western Chalukya king built it in the same place, originally built by Yudhishtara, the first of Pandavas in Dwaparayuga; it was called Durga Malleswaraswamy then. Tradition gives different versions regarding the installation of Malleswaraswamy image in the temple. According to one version, it was Sage Agasthya who installed the linga in the temple and called it Jayasena. Another version attributes the installation to Yudhishtara. There are beautiful Utsavamurthis here and they are kept for regular darsan in the Addala Mantap-glass Chamber. In the Sahyadri Kanda of Skanda Purana, it is mentioned that Bramha worshipped Lord Siva with jasmine-malli flowers and so the archamurthi is called Malleswaraswamy. Even the Sthalapurana gives varying accounts about the building and renovating the temple. Though the controversy does not give precision, the Lord gives sure emancipation, if prayed sincerely and soulfully. It is a visit-worthy place. Visitors normally miss not this holy shrine.

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