Maha Sivarathri Jagaran (2017)
Being a hindu and being a staunch devotee of lord siva how can I miss performing obesinances to Mahadev on auscipious day of Maha sivarathri.
I planned to do Sivarathri Jagaran in the ancient temple around Hyderabad.So out of long search of the ancient temples we opted Siddula gutta at shamshabad near rallaguda road (R.R dist).We started from my house around 9 pm to the temple.started chit chatting for a while meanwhile we reached the temple.The temple was crowded with devotees as usual .we took our puja items and took a flight of 50 steps to reach to the top of the hill.
Siddula gutta is a small temple on small hillock with peaceful serenic surroundings.This temple is very famous for cinema shootings,Nithin’s Jayam movie also shooted here.
This temple don’t have stupa & sanctorum has stepped pyramidal structure and all four corners were guarded by nandi’s.This temple is situated on a silver coloured hill hence named as vendikonda siddeshwara swamy and the temple was built in 1958.
All devotees can enter inside the sanctum sanctoram and can perform puja's by themselves.
During the month of Sravana (telugu calender month) which usually falls in August month, the last 3 days Bhramosthavalu of the temple will take place. And on Mondays ,pournami ,Amavasya special pujas were performed to lord.
Temple looks modern from outside because they decorated temple with plungent colours of modern living standards.
Here the lord is named as vendi konda siddeshwara swamy , goddess Bhavani ,has procession dieties & srichakra here .And is seated on ground level.Lord siva is the lord of universe-universe created in a single exhalation of the brahma’s breath ,Vishnu balances everything between creation & death ,siva gives us moksha from this life.
Behind the temple there is a cave where many sages performed penance,here some naga idols were also placed which were smeared by vermillion and turmeric. Temple also houses veerabhadra swamy temple ,lord ganesh temple and presence of lord hanuman and navagraha mandapa under peepal tree at foot of the hill of the temple .
Beside right side of the lord ganesh diety this sidda banda has placed.As faith above everything locals believe that it clears all wishes of us when we pray to this stone.
It is very well famous as pancha siva linga kshetra & it has also experienced the Islamic invasions due to this destruction of the temple took place.History of the temple is unknown.
Temple premises has huge paintings of lord siva with his consort and children.
It is celebrated very auspiciously by every hindu. Usually falls in Magha month.As a saying : by chanting siva siva ..winter season ends up from today and summer season is welcomed. .During this day one observes fasting and night jagaran spending all the time in devotion but when it comes to modern living the entire story of the people is different.Now people observe fasting and jagaran by watching TV and having parties.
The maha sivarathri is celebrated with day long fasts,midnight bhajans in devotion and it is believed that lord siva has evoked as linga rupa during midnight & at this day lord siva has married to goddess Parvathi,so usually wedding ceremony process of lord will also be taken place in some temples. I was sitting at one corner of the temple and made siva linga with mud and started the panchamrutha abhishekam of lord till 3am in the morning.Later I winded up the place and had blissful darshan and moved to keesaragutta.All over night there was a huge musical bhajan gang at temple who were singing lord siva’s devotional songs.The place turned into mystic devotion every where & reverberated with the om namah sivaya maha mantra.
By 4pm reached keesara gutta ,had a blissful darshan here too.Even this temple was opened all night on the occassion of maha sivarathri and here there was a fair going on for 2/3 days during this festival with police security.
Back to home from keesara gutta .we witnessed the beauty of golden hour of sunrise on ORR while coming back to house .
