India is not similar to other countries around the world; it had kept its uniqueness from the ancient days itself. Inorder to find about the past culture and practices of our forefathers we will have to go through the evidences which they had left behind for us as large buildings, sculptures etc. Temples, one of the speciality of the Indian culture, the construction of these temples were started by the early Hindu kings who used it as a symbol of wealth and power and temple construction also helped in attaining the support of the common people. Temple constructions were made on three different styles of architecture and these include Nagara, Vasara and Dravidian style. The kingdoms of the south gave preference to the Dravidian style of temple architecture while the north depended on the Nagara and vasara styles. Many temples were built by the early south Indian rulers and they all were constructed under the Dravidian style. These temples shows us how skilled were the artisans of the early period and also reflect the pain taken by these workers to establish such stunning structures. So a visit to such temples or monuments will help you travel through the history of our country. Keesaragutta temple is a south Indian temple which has got some myths behind its construction, so let us have a close look at the basic features of the Keesaragutta temple.

The Keesaragutta temple’s location is at Rangareddy district which is in Andhra Pradesh. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Shiva, along with him Sivadurga and Bhavani also have a place in the temple. Lots of people from different part of the country visit this place every year. It is easy to reach the temple from Hyderabad as it is only 40 kms away from Hyderabad. The temple is located on a hillock and the temple will be filled with devotees during the Shivaratri festival.

There are many myths behind the establishment of the keesaragutta temple. Some of the stores tell that Rama installed the shiva lingam off this temple after the death of Ravana.  This linga is also known as Swayambhu Linga, as it was given to Rama by Lord Shiva itself when Hanuman was late in bringing the Lingam from Varnasi. Later hanuman had brought many Lingams from Varnasi and it was not installed and so Hanuman had thrown the Lingams all around the place which can be seen here. Later Rama named the place after Hanuman as Kesarigiri (son of Kesari), in the future the name was transformed into Keesaragutta.

Many archaeological remains like lingas and remains of bricks were obtained from the surroundings of the hill. Yaga Shala, fortification wall and prayer halls were discovered from the keesaragutta hills. Archaeologists believe that these structures were built by the Vishnukudin Empire. Many evidences were obtained which substantiate the fact that this area was once used by the Jains and Buddhists. Many idols of tirthankaras of the jains were obtained from Keesaraguta hills and this shows us that Jainism flourished along with Hinduism in the south during the 5th century AD.

This place will give a good experience for the photo fanatics, nature lovers and the devotees. There is no entry fee for visiting this temple and the travelers need to keep in mind that this temple will be opened from 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM and between 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. As told earlier this place is just 40 kms away from the city of Hyderabad and bus services are available for the travelers to reach the Keesaragutta hills. The nearest Railway station is also the Hyderabad Railway station, so that people from other state could reach Hyderabad and then use the bus service for reaching the temple. So people who are interested to know about the past of Indian culture, who love to have a look at the intrinsic works and also nature lovers should not miss a chance to visit the Keesaragutta Temple.