Sri Lakshmi Chennakesava Swamy Temple is an ancient Vaishnava Temple located in Macherla, Palnadu, Andhra Pradesh. Lord Chennakesava Swamy is the presiding deity, the incarnation of Sri Maha Vishnu. Here he holds a Sri Chakram and Shankam in his hands. Lord Hanuman, Sri Krishna and Sri Lakshmi Devi are the other deities inside the temple. Sri Vishnu and Lord Shiva clenched their feet to the sides of the temple, we can view the imprints of their feet. Lord Shiva’s foot print is Rudrapada, whereas Lord Vishnu’s footprint is Vishnupada.
Vaikunta Ekadasi, Rathotsavam, Maha Shivaratri, Navaratri Festival and Mukkoti Ekadasi are some of the main festivals celebrated. Archana, Deeparadhana, Ashtottara Satanamarchana and Abhishekam are the rituals & special Sevas performed here.
Swamy Lakshmi Chennakeshava temple was built in 1113 AD, During the reign of Brahma Naidu, it was converted into a Vaishvanite temple. One of the main reasons why many Hindus converted to Buddhism is the animosity between those who worship Lord Vishnu and those who worship Lord Shiva. People got tired of this constant conflict between sects and converted.
Luckily for us, Adi Shankaracharya preached the Advaita philosophy that God is One and God is nothing but YOU. After his preaching, the Hindus who converted to Buddhism returned to the fold and thus Buddhism disappeared from India.
The main temple is the Sri Laxmi Chennakesava Swamy Temple. It was built around the 13th century AD. The main gate has a large statue of Dwajastambam (flag) Swamy which is covered in wood and bronze. Nearby are four stone figures namely Sri Madbhagavathamu, Srimannarayana Avataram, Sriman Mahabharatam and Srimad Ramayanam. Another temple dedicated to Veerabhadraswamy is located in the old city. It was built in the 18th century AD.
Macherla Chennakesava Swamy Temple Timings:
Morning: 5:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Evening: 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Macherla Chennakesava Temple Address:
Macherla (Mandal) town,
Palnadu District,
Andhra Pradesh – 522426.