Lord Hanuman is one of the key deities in Hinduism and is worshipped by all in the Kalyug. He is the 11th avatar of Lord Shiva. Also known as Mahavir and Sri Anjaneya Swamy, Hanuman is believed to be the living God of the Universe and is believed to solve the problems of the people immediately proving right the name given ‘SankatMochan Hanuman’.
Lord Hanuman, considered strongest and courageous is worshipped in many temples in the country which also have divine powers. Many of these are famous for the unique architecture. One such temple is the Beechupalli Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Mahabubnagar district in Telangana. The temple is located on NH-7 on a distance of about 200 meters from the River Krishna. The idol of the presiding deity, Lord Anjaneya belongs to the 16th century.
The two islands, ‘Gurram Gadda’ and ‘Nizam Konda’ are close to the temple. Gurram Gadda has now turned to a fertile village whereas the other island i.e. Nizam Konda is much smaller and is closer to the temple. People of the neighboring areas; consider Beechupalli Lord Anjaneya as their family God. People here also celebrate the Pushkaralu, the festival in honor of River Krishna held once in 12 years with pleasure.
History of the Place:
Books on medieval history mention that the Gadwal kings used to govern the management of the temple. The temple now, though in ruins is still in the hands of the family members of the gadwal kings who conduct the chariot festival even today keeping with the tradition.
The idol of Lord Hanuman is believed to be installed by Sri Vyasa Raya, the guru of Sri Krishna Devaraya whereas the temple had been built by the Gadwal Kings with the huge Mantapam some 200 years ago.
Placing of the Lord Anjaneya:
The idol of the Lord faces East and the Mantapam faces south.
Special Importance of the Place:
Pilgrims take the holy bath in River Krishna before having the darshan in the temple. There is a prevailing custom of sleeping in the temple premises on the death of a family member.
The morning prayers are accompanied with the recital of the Valmiki Ramayana. The regular recitals include those from important scriptures. Besides the daily prayers, devotees may also perform Ardh Mandalam
Most of pilgrims visit the temple for taking sacred bath in the holy river Krishna and darshan of the Lord Anjaneya. There is also a local belief where devotees sleep in the temple premises when their family members died. The recital of Valmiki Ramayana in the morning is a daily routine which includes the regular recital from all important scriptures of the Hindu history. But in very few temples in the country Lord Anjaneya is hearing so much Valmiki Ramayana as here. Devotees generally visit the temple for one day but some of the devotees, who perform Ardh Mandalam, stay here for 21 days, Pavu Mandalam (11 days) stay at the destination for 21 or 11 days as per their requirement for performing special pooja.The visitors who want to perform ‘Graha Dosha’ puja also stay more number of days at the temple.
How to Reach:
It is very easy to reach the place through the bus as it is located on the Hyderabad -Tirupathi highway, and mostly people visit the place through tourist buses as there is a much convenience for halt during the journey.
Accommodation:
The temple management has provided accommodation facilities with 13 rooms and which are at free of cost to the pilgrims.