I was brought up in Mumbai, but my maternal and paternal families live in Telangana. Sri Raja Rajeswara Temple is our family deity. This time, when I went to meet family members, they insisted on visiting Vemulawada. The temple is always overcrowded, and sometimes it is difficult to get through. But its management is excellent and very considerate. The temple surroundings are also very mesmerizing, with the required arrangements.
That night I had to catch a flight back to Mumbai, and there was a senior citizen with me. Somehow, I reached the PRO office and approached Mr. Upadyaula Chandra Shekhar, a kind person with a human approach. I found him very approachable and calm, so I told him about my difficulties. He generously guided us, and that’s how we took darshan in the available time.
Sri Raja Rajeshwara Temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples in Telangana, dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located in the town of Vemulawada, Telangana, India. Historically, the region was the capital of the Vemulawada Chalukyas, who ruled from 750 to 973 CE. The Chalukyas of Vemulawada were an Indian dynasty that ruled in and around present-day Telangana between the 7th and 10th centuries. Their capital was located at Vemulawada, and they were vassals of the Rashtrakutas. The dynasty’s original capital was at Podana (modern Bodhan), but it was later moved to Vemulawada, probably during the reign of Vinayaditya’s successor Arikesari.
According to the dynasty’s imprinting, Arikesari conquered Vengi and Trikalinga; this probably refers to his conquest of the Vengi Chalukya king Vishnuvardhana IV on the orders of his Rashtrakuta overlord Dhruva Dharavarsha.
This temple of Shiva in the form of Sri Raja Rajeswara Swamy is very famous in this part of the Telangana region. The presiding deity of the temple is Sri Raja Rajeswara Swamy, who is locally popular as Rajanna, who is adorned on both sides by the idol of Sri Raja Rajeswari Devi on the right side, and to the left is the idol of Sri Laxmi Sahitha Siddi Vinayaka. Vemulawada Raja Rajeswara temple is situated 38 km from Karimnagar. This famous temple dedicated to Lord Rajarajeswara Swamy draws pilgrims in large numbers.
You can have a divine bath in a holy tank called Dharma Gundam before proceeding for darshan, and these holy waters are believed to have medicinal properties. Every year at the time of Maha Sivarathri, devotees flock in large numbers to Vemulawada to offer prayers to Lord Shiva. This temple also has a unique offering made by devotees known as “Kode Mokku.” Kode Mokku is a ritual where the devotee makes the pradakshinam of the temple with a kode (bull), which is the vahanam (Nandi) of Lord Shiva.
Inside is a massive Siva Linga, and on several occasions, it has been open for people to offer abhishekam and poojan. You can also perform Shiva Kalyanam. Shiva Parvati Kalyanam is the marriage ceremony of a divine couple, Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati. Shiva Kalyanam is celebrated during Shivaratri. Usually, Shiva Kalyanam is performed on the day after Shivaratri.
Devotees crowd the Sri Raja Rajeswara Temple all year. The holy place has huge significance in various cultures, and it is a custom to donate one’s hair at the temple as a form of worship. It is believed that devotees donate their hair here once their wish is fulfilled or to get rid of sins and egos.
The reason behind hair donation is that it is believed that God gives you 10 times more value in the form of money than what the devotees donate in hair at the Rajarajeshwara temple. The goddess is said to bless those who donate their hair. Here, not only men but also women donate their hair after the vow is fulfilled. Even the first hair of a child is given here in the form of Mundan.
Devotees are served food, a shed to rest, and very tasty laddu prasadam to carry. The temple has every facility; you can also perform Tula Bharam here. Tulpurua, or Tula-dana, is an ancient Hindu practice in which a person is weighed against a commodity (such as gold, grain, fruits, or other objects), but here it’s against jaggery, and the equivalent weight of that is offered as a donation.
Whenever you visit a temple, carry lots of coins with you, as the temple entrance starts with beggars, and there are many to follow you in each corner. Sri Raja Rajeshwara Temple has water, food, and resting facilities. A must-see for a spiritual boost.
