Ponnur
- Bhavanarayanaswamy Aalayam
This
ancient kshetra is very famous for special features more than one. Its ancient
name was Swarnapuri, and Ponnur is the popular Telugu name given later. The
temple was patronized by Chalukyas. In the aeons gone by, this was the venue for
great literary activities carried on by learned sage, and literary luminaries.
As it was throbbing with great debates and vidyagoshtis regularly and
periodically it was appropriately called Goshtivanam. And it is said that
Bhavanarayanaswamy, the archamurti of the famous temple of the same name used
to be present physically
land presiding over them with unparalleled enthusiasm. And as such he was called
Sakshi Bhavanarayana swamy popularly. Moreover, this kshetra was called
Chakrapuri also, on account of its resemblance to Chakra - a circular object.
Paramartha kshetra is another celebrated name it bore in the past. The temple
is fairly big and possesses all the component parts embellished with fine
sculpture. And faces cast. According to local version, it was built in the
eleventh century by the feudal lord Nalaparaju ruling from Avuku, and emperor
Kulothunga Chola added and beautified it with rare sculpture. The icon is
Swayambhu. There are some more temples in its vast campus built for Mother
Rajyalakshmi and takshmi Narasimhaswamy. A big saras called Brahmasaias lies in
the cast and is held in great reverence due to some legends. Another object of
great veneration is the Anjaneyaswamy temple situated right infront of the
Mahadwar. The image is of huge dimensions, measuring 37 feet in height. Its
immensity is in consonance with the might of this pavanaputra Hanuman
demonstrated in the court of Lanka. The annual Kalyanotsav of the lord lasts for
8 days in Vaisakha commencing from the seventh day in the bright fortnight of
the month with car festival on the full-moon.
It
lies 25 km off Guntur, the district headquarters town of the same name of Andhra
Pradesh commanding APSRTC buses from the neighboring towns.
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