The newly-constructed Jogulamba temple at Alampur.
ALAMPUR, FEB. 27. Jogulamba Devi temple at Alampur, one of the 18 Sakti peethams in Indian sub-continent, including Sankari Devi temple in Sri Lanka, has been reconstructed after 615 years. According to historical sources, the temple was razed to the ground during Muslim invasion in 1390 AD. The local people put up a fierce resistance and killed the invaders and moved the main idol to the nearby Balabrahmeswara temple. Since then, the idol had been worshipped in the secluded place in the temple.
Alampur, 20 km from Kurnool, which is known as `Dakshin Kasi' flourished as spiritual and education centre in ancient times.
The Chalukyas of Badami, mainly by the initiative of Pulakesin-II put up a number of temples in and around Alampur in the 7th and 8th centuries. At Alampur alone, Chalukyas built nine temples devoted to Navabrahmeswara and Jogulamba.
Of them, eight magnificent temples of Navabrahmeswara survived but the temple of Tarakabrahma could not be traced.
The Jogulamba temple was reconstructed at the same place where it stood. The temple was rebuilt in the same way it was described in the `Rasaratnakaram' of Nityanatha Sidha of 12th century AD. Sankaracharya was believed to have installed `Sri Chakra' at Jogulamba temple, which is not available now.
Since the Alampur temple complex was declared a heritage site, the supporters of Jogulamba temple had a difficult time to convince the Archaeological Survey of India and the State Government to revive the temple.
Fund mobilisation
The temple was designed to match the Chalukyan architecture so that the new temple would fit into the group of temples.
The Endowments Department, led by the former Commissioner, Ajay Kallam, took initiative to raise funds for reconstruction of the temple. The temples across the country donated money for the temple while Srisailam Devastanam adopted it to ensure uninterrupted rituals.
Giving the reasons for failure to revive the temple in the last 600 years, Sanskrit scholar, historian and epigraphist, Gadiyaram Ramakrishna Sarma, has analysed that political uncertainty prevailed during the medieval age delayed the reconstruction of the temple.
ALAMPUR --- JOGULAMBA
Alampur that has etched its name in letters of gold in the temple history of India, offers many unique which the kalachakra cannot stamp out with all her might, try however, much. The Navabrahma temples, bathing ghats, numerous shrines for almost all gods of the Hindu Pantheon together With temples for Yellamma and Bhudevi are only a few standing as testimony of its former glory. Among them, the Jogulamba temple merits first mention since Rasasiddheswar of kasi was bidden by his mother to trek down to south and begin building of temples with the blessings of Brahma and Jogulamba. He did. And raised the glory of this kshetra to its summit.
This shrine is deemed one of the eighteen Sakti-peethas consecrated by the Mother Sati's organ on being cut by Sudarsan Chakra of Lord Mahavishnu, when her corpse was carried on shoulder by Maheswar to avert annihilation of the whole worlds. According to sthalapurana, her august icon was originally installed in the Balabrahmeswar shrine. This temple has several exquisite pieces of superb sculpture signifying the royal bounty it received in the past. The saptamatruka deities sculptured on one single stone is a standing specimen of the sculptors' fine artistry. And there are many others too. During its heyday, it lured a steady influx of devout bhaktas and lifted them to their contentment. It is said that Adi Sankara visited this holy shrinee and offered prayers.
It is accessible by bus and train from Kurnool, the district headquarter town of Andhra Pradesh.
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