Alampur Nav (Nine) Bhrama Mandir, Andhra Pradesh, IN

Deities: Shiva
Location: Alampur, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Best time to visit: All year around
Festival & Event: Maha Shivaratri

The Nava Brahma temples of Alampur are situated within a fortress on the River Tungabhadra. On both side of the main temples of goddess Kamakshi and Ekamreshwari.

Alampur near Kurnool is home to the very ancient Nav Bhrama temples dating back to the 7th century CE. Alampur is located at a distance of 200 km from Hyderabad. Alampur is considered to be the western gateway of Srisailam, the revered Jyotirlingam Shivastalams in Andhra Pradesh.

Legend:
According to tradition there are four door ways to Srisailam. These entrances are themselves places of pilgrimage. To the east is Tripurantakam, to the South is Siddhavattam, to the North is Umamaheswaram and to the west is Alampur. The most famous temples here are the Nava Brahma Temples, a group of nine temples built by the Chalukyas of Badami.

The Tungabhadra and Krishna are in confluence near Alampur, which is also known as Dakshina Kailasham (as is Shree Kalahasti in Southern Andhra Pradesh). Nine temples here referred to as the Nava Bhrama temples are dedicated to Shiva.

The Nava Bhrama temples were built by the Badami Chalukyas, who ruled for about 200 years from the middle of the sixth century onwards. The Badami Chalukyas built several temples in Karnataka, and the Alampur temples in Andhra Pradesh. The Alampur site preserves archaeological remains in the form of temples exhibiting a hybrid style of architecture - dating back to the 6th-7th centuries CE. Some of the images from this site are also housed in a museum nearby.

The Nava Bhrama temples are:
Taraka Bhrama
Swarga Bhrama
Padma Bhrama
Bala Bhrama
Garuda Bhrama
Kumara Bhrama
Arka Bhrama
Vira Bhrama
Vishwa Bhrama

These temples are all enclosed in a courtyard on the left bank of the river Tungabhadra.

The Bala Bhrama temple is the principal shrine of worship. It dates back to the year 702 CE - per the inscriptions seen here. Shivaratri is celebrated in great splendour here.

The Taraka Bhrama temple is partly in ruins, and it has no image in the sanctum. It bears Telugu inscriptions from the 6th-7th century CE.

The Swarga Bhrama temple with an imposing tower is considered to be among the finest in Alampur, and is an excellent specimen of Chalukyan architecture and sculpture. It contains several sculptures in bas relief, and it dates back to the end of the 8th century.

The Padma Bhrama temple partly in ruins contains a Shivalingam of clear stone with mirror like finish.

The Vishwa Bhrama temple is among the most artistic of the Nava Bhrama temples. The sculptural work here depicts scenes from the epics.

Also in the enclosed courtyard is located the Surya Narayana temple, dating back to the 9th century. This temple has bas reliefs representing the incarnations of Vishnu. There is also a Narashimha temple with inscriptions from the period of Krishna Deva Raya of the Vijayanagar Empire.

Near Alampur, is Papanasam with a cluster of over 20 temples of varying sizes and styles. The most important of these is the Papanaseswara temple.

How to reach:
by Road: Alampur is situated at a distance of 32kms. From Kurnool, 130 kms. From Mahbubnagar and 243 kms. From Hyderabad. Alampur is well connected by rail and road and there are frequent buses from Kurnool, Gadwal and Mahbubnagar.
by Rail: It is well connected Alampur Road.
by Air: 243 kms. From Hyderabad.

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