Kollapur, the Telangana town in the Nallamala forest is also the place that is blessed by Mother Nature. It is rich by its heritage values as well. The place is surrounded by the lush, green nature with River Krishna flowing in the Nallamala forest adding life and fertility to the place. The peaceful life enjoyed by the people here makes it more of a tourist place and the place is rightly known as ‘Mysore of Telangana’.
Architectural Beauty of Kollapur Temple:
Tourists often admire the architectural skills of the ancient temples that are still intact from the 2nd century B.C. They also find traces of other monuments that exhibit the great architectural skills and the technology used by artisans some 1500 years ago.
Major Attractions of Kollapur Temple:
The town is more famous for the ancient temples that have been standing for centuries and have seen the change of the rulers. The major temples in Kollapur that have attracted the devotees from all around the district and the state are the Somasila, Sangameshwara, Malleshwara temples, and Madhava Swamy temple.
Somsilla, a small village in Nellore has its spiritual importance and is rich in scenic places that attract tourists. Waterfalls, trekking areas and ashram are some of the places that tourists are interested in. Besides these, the shrine of the Someshwara temple with the presiding deity, Lord Shiva also forces the tourists to come down and appreciate the architectural skills put inby the artisans. The Shiv Linga form of Lord Shiva is worshipped here.
The shrine of the 8th century temple of Goddess Kanak Durga on the banks of River Krishna in Vijayawada is also worth visiting. Mother is said to have manifested herself (Swayambhu) on the Indrakeeladri Hills.
The Mughalaya Rulers built the Malleshwara temple at this place where the Goddess manifested herself.
The Rajas of Jetprole had initially constructed the Madhava Swamy temple in the 16th century AD at Manchalakatta on the banks of river Krishna. The architecture involved here is makes one spellbound. The detailed carvings on the walls depict the 24 aspects of Vishnu and the Dasa-Avatars of Vishnu are too artistic. The many pillars supporting the Mandapa and the Garudalaya also exhibit magnificent architectural skills and add give the temple a more spiritual feel. The temple was later shifted to Kollapur owing to the Srisailam Project.
Interesting facts about Kollapur:
Kollapur Mangoes are exported to many parts of the world.
Kollapur boats of having a helipad and Aerodome since as early as 1900’s.
Few Important Rulers of Kollapur in Ancient Times:
The town had seen a good and just ruler in Kotla Venkatasubbaiah who had been the Deewan Bahadur during the pre-independence period. The Kotlas had come down from Bengal/ Odisha and had settled down here and married the local’s castes girls in the area.
Another famous ruler in Kollapur was the Kotla Ranganayakamma who if living would have been 120 years now. He was a very strong ruler and had indepth knowledge of the Vedas.
Pagidala Manoramamma, the woman administrator had also proved her skills and was quite popular amongst the people. She still lives in Mahabubnagar.
Nearby Tourist Attractions:
There are other tourist places around the town. The Singavatnam attracts many tourists throughout the year. This place is hardly 9 kms away from Kollapur. It has the famous Sri Laxmi Narsimha Swamy temple and a huge reservoir that serves nearly nine nearby villages meeting their irrigation needs.
Another small town, Jetprole about 15 kms from Kollapur is also famous for the scenic beauty of the land. Jetprole is also famous for Sri Venugopalaswamy temple.
Lately, Kollapur is emerging as a major tourist place for the Telangana Region.
How to reach:
By Road: One can easily reach Kollapur from Wanaparthy. The public transports and the privately booked transports are readily available from this place.
By Train: The Railway would not be a good option to reach the town. The Hyderabad Deccan Railway Station, the only existing one is also about 161 kms far from Kollapur Mandal.
By Air: One can use the Airway to reach the Shamshabad Airport in Hyderabad.
