This is for the people traveling from Visakhapatnam.
Day 0;
14:50 - Leave from Vishakhaptanm by Visakhapatnam - Kacheguda Express (18561)
20:20 - Reach Vijayawada.
Buffer time - 1hr. 50mins.
23:10 - Leave from Vijayawada by Vijayawada - Dharmavaram Express (17215)
Day 1:
05:05 - Reach Nandyal. Hire ana auto to Bus station,
05:20 - Nandyal Bus station, catch a bus to Allagadda
From Nandyal you will have a bus to Allagadda for every 5 minutes.
You will reach Ahobilam by 6:00. To take accommodation in Ahobilam you have 3 options,
1. Ahobila Mutt
2. Guesthouse by TTD
3. Haritha resorts.
I usually prefer Ahobila mutt because it has good rooms and you can have breakfast and lunch here for free.
After your fresh up, leave for Eguva Ahobilam. Try to reach Eguva Ahobilam by 8:30. After reaching there start trekking.
Here is the route map for trekking.
First, reach Varaha Narasimha Swamy. Then from there trek 4 km uphill and reach Jwala Narasimha Swamy. This is the place where Narasimha Swamy killed Hiranyakashyap. If you are a good mountaineer, Trek 1 km uphill and reach Ugrastambham. Ugrastambham is the place Narasimha Swamy came out from the pillar. Then trek 4 km downhill and reach Malola Narasimha Swamy temple. Then trek 1.5 km downhill and reach Ahobileswar temple. If you skip Ugrastambham, the total trek time will be 3 hrs. If you include Ugrastambham, total trek time will be 4 hrs. Plan accordingly and try to leave the Ahobileswar temple by 12:30. Now you will reach to mutt by 13:00. Enroute visit Karanja Narasimha Swamy temple. Till noon you can complete 5 Narasimha kshetras out of 9.
5:30 - 6:30 Maha Arathi 1 100
The legend says that Nanda one of the Kings of Nandyal once wished to perform Abhisekam to Lord Siva, with milk. He ordered for the supply of milk for Pooja. One of the cowherds of Gopavaram village, who in charge of this duty observed that one of the cows coming empty every day. To find out what is happening to the milk of this cow, he followed the cow to the forest and hide in a thick bush. The cow as usual reached an ant-hill grazed around for a while and began to empty its milk. A young lad was sucking the milk. The cowherd who was astonished at this sight conveyed the news to the King. The King was amazed and decided to ascertain the fact. The next day, he followed the cow-herd and hide in the thick bush. As usual, the cow began to give her milk on the ant-hill. The young lad began to drink the milk, when the King was over enjoyed at the sight, God disappeared immediately and the cow in its hurry trampled the ant-hill. The hoops of the cow are deeply marked on the anthill. Lord Siva appeared in the dream of the King and told him to worship him at that place. The King constructed a temple.
he suggested visiting order for the Nava Nandis based on the practical route is as follows - Prathama Nandi, Naga Nandi, Soma Nandi, Surya Nandi, Siva Nandi, Krishna Nandi, Garuda Nandi, Mahanandi and Vinayaka Nandi. The complete tour can be completed in half a day if one starts at 6.00 AM. Engage a diesel auto (for about INR 600) and make the tour. As the roads leading to Krishna Nandi, Siva Nandi, and Surya Nandi are cart tracks, rugged at many places, a small car may not be advisable.
Directions for Nava Nandis
- Prathama Nandi: This Nandi is situated upon a high soil base very nearer to the Nandyal railway station.
- Naga Nandi: Naga Nandi is inside Anjaneya Temple, which is located very near the Nandyal bus stand.
- Soma Nandi: Soma Nandi is towards the east of Nandyal(almost inside nandyal town), very near the upcoming Jaga Janani temple
- Surya Nandi: Surya Nandi is located on the road to Mahanandi. After about 4 miles from Nandyal lookout for a sign called U.Bollavaram village and take the immediate right (identified by an arch erected on two large metal poles) and go for a kilometer to reach this temple.
- Shiva Nandi: Approximately 13 km away from Nandyal on the road to Mahanandi lookout for Thimmavaram village and take a left after this. The small road is also a bus route and twists and turns to lead you to Shiva Nandi. A beautiful, but neglected temple constructed on the Chalukya Architecture lines. Kamala Kaluva(canal)is a landmark. the temple is in Kadamala village.
- Vishnu(Krishna) Nandi: located on the road to Mahanandi, 2 miles before Mahanandi, take a left just adjacent to the Telugu Ganga scheme canal and follow on the banks for about 4 Kms of rugged mud road to reach this beautifully serene temple. (proceeding further ahead and taking a left, ask for directions, one can reach Shiva nandi temple also).
- Garuda Nandi: When you go from Nandyal it is located just before the Mahanandi Temple after you cross the Big Nandi Statue.
- Mahanandi Temple: the beautiful temple with natural springs(pushkarini) where one should have a holy dip before entering the temple, but it is suggested to avoid holidays and festival days as the crowd is too much.
- Vinayaka Nandi: Vinayaka Nandi is situated towards the northwest of Mahanandi Temple. It is a small temple located to the left of the exit Gopuram as you come out.
18:00 - Visit Yaganti temple
The devotees believe that the Nandi idol in front of the temple is continuously increasing its size. The locals say that the idol was initially much smaller than its present size. They say that certain experimentation was carried out on this idol and it was said that the type of rock out of which the idol is carved has a growing or enlarging nature associated with it. It is said that people used to do Pradakshinas (rounds) around it in the past. The temple staff has already removed one pillar as the size of the Nandi has increased. According to Potuluri Veera Brahmendra Swamy, the Basavanna (stone nandi) of Yaganti will come alive and shout when Kali Yuga ends.
Nice information
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