Goutameshwara Temple

 Goutameshwara Temple

Goutameshwara is the presiding deity of the Village and the Goutameshwara Temple as well. This temple is located on the bank of Godavari and is one of the grandest temples in and around the village.

As described in Shiva Puranam, Rishi Gautama established this shrine. The construction and sculpture in and around the temple is similar to that in Thousand Pillars Temple of Warangal of Kakatiya Dynasty. This suggests that this temple might have been renovated by the Kakatiyas, though there are no historical/ documentary evidences to this effect. The sculpture of the temple is worth seeing. Local unauthenticated reports reveal that about a Century back, a local Brahmin, namely, Shri Vojjela Kistiah, undertook the exercise to renovate the temple and managed fund raising and also worked to renovate the temple.

The presiding deity in the temple is Lord Goutameshwara / Lord Shiva. There is a big Shiva Lingam of about 1 Mt. in height carved out of black stone installed in the garbha gudi. There are idols of Lord Ganapati and Lord Nandikeshwara in the hall before the garbha gudi. The Nandi’s idol seems to have been tried to be destroyed presumably by the Muslim Invaders as the ears of this statue of nandi are missing.

Visiting this temple is a must for every visitor to the town who ever takes holy dip in the river Godavari. Anna pooja, Mahanyasa Pooja that is performed in this particular temple takes the devotees to the celestial worlds and gives an indescribable divinity to the atmosphere.