Sri Chintala Venkataramana Swamy Temple – Tadipatri

About Chintala Venkataramana Swamy Temple

Sri Chintala Venkataramana Swamy Temple or Chintalarayaswamy Temple is a Vaishnavite temple at Tadipatri, The Temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, who is referred to as Chintala Venkataramana and was built by Pemmasani Timmanayudu II of the Pemmasani Nayaks, situated on the bank of the Penna River, which passes through the town. The temple is known for its granite sculptures and is classified as one of the Monuments of National Importance by the Archaeological Survey of India. The temple has a Garuda Mandapa built as a chariot with rotating granite wheels, which is similar to the one found in the Vithala Temple of Hampi.

The main deity in the Sanctum of Sanctorium is 10 feet high. On Mukkoti Ekadasi day, the sun rays touch the feet of Venkatarama Swamy for three days on Ekadasi, Dwadasi, Trayodasi, which happens once a year. As this sun rays pass through the holes of the monolithic chariot which is about 70 mt away from the deity. The Temple corridor starts from this chariot and was built on 40 pillars, walls and pillars were sculptured with the images from the epics of Ramayana, Mahabharatha, and Bhagavatha. These sculptures were carved in a sequence which narrates the epics. There is an octagonal-shaped flower on the roof of the corridor.

According to legend, the presiding deity Venkateswara was found in the Tamarind Tree formerly Chinta chettu in the Telugu Language, and hence got the name Chintala Venkataramana. The Temple was built during the reign of the Vijayanagara empire in mid 16th Century. Pemmasani Thimma Nayudu II, a contemporary of Vira Narasimha Raya and Krishnadevaraya, built this temple.

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Timmanayudu built this temple after Lord Vishnu is said to have told Thimma Nayudu in a dream that a temple should be constructed for him at Tadipatri. Timmanayudu appointed two archakas and a chief priest, and he gifted lands to the temple. The Chintala Raya Swamy Temple is considered one of the finest examples of Vijayanagara architecture. The initial structure may belong to the Saluva dynasty, but the entrance towers belong to the Tuluva dynasty.