Macherla is a town and a municipality in Guntur District in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located on the bank of Chandra Vanka. It is the capital of the region Palnadu.
Macherla is located at 16.48°N 79.43°E. It has an average elevation of 136 metres (446 feet). It is 25 kilometers from Nagarjuna Sagar.
As of 2001 India census, Macherla had a population of 131000. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Macherla has an average literacy rate of 59%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 68%, and female literacy is 49%. In Macherla, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
This town is in the heart of Palnadu, and has a history of over a thousand years. The famous battle Palnati Yudhdham (War of Palnadu) took place between Macherla and Gurajala between 1176 AD - 1182 AD.
The Palnadu Battle is also called the Andhra Mahabharatam because of several similarities.
The town is renowned for the Chennakesava Swamy temple built here during the reign of the Haihaya Kings. The annual festival, celebrated on a grand scale, attracts pilgrims and tourists from far and wide.
The main temple is the Sri Laxmi Chennakesava Swamy Temple. It was built around the 13th century A.D and renovated by Reddi King "Peruri Muktiraju". The main gate has one tall Dwajastambam (Flag Staff) Swamy statue which is covered with wood and bronze. Close by are four stone figures viz., Sri Madbhagavathamu, Srimannarayana Avataram, Sriman Mahabharatam, and Srimad Ramayanam. Another temple dedicated to Veerabhadraswamy is located in the Old town. It was built in 18th century A.D. Another Historical Laxmi Chennakesava Swamy temple was built around 13th century A.D in Nagulavaram Village which is located 12 kilometers from Macherla town.
]
Nagarjunakonda, meaning the hill of Nagarjuna, was named after the Buddhist scholar and savant Acharya Nagarjuna. It was a great religious center promoting Brahmanical and Buddhist faiths, molding the early phases of art and architecture affiliated with them. It was an extensive Buddhist establishment nourishing several sects of Buddhism that culminated into the full-fledged Mahayana pantheon. At present it is a unique island in India housing an archaeological museum and transplanted and reconstructed monuments of Nagarjunakonda valley datable to prehistoric to late medieval times endangered with the submergence under the Nagarjunasagar project. The objects displayed in five galleries include carved limestone slabs, sculptures, inscriptions and other antiquities all assignable to 3rd-4th century AD constitute a majority of the exhibits. The key gallery is known for the masterpieces of Ikshvaku art and architecture in the form of all pervading serene Buddha, well sculptured ayaka-slabs, the cross beams of ayaka-platforms capturing in all finesse the episodes of the life of the enlightened one punctuated with joyous mithunas and elegant tree nymphs, etc. Two galleries located in a large hall, exhibit the decorated drum slabs, dome slabs, cornice beams and other architectural units of a stupa, a few Brahmanical sculptures besides a variety of earthen ware of the Ikshavaku and subsequent periods. The carved architectural units which once decorated the various stupas, capture the life of the Master from his birth to Mahaparinirvana passing through the events of great departure, meditation, enlightenment and preaching. The popular miracles he performed during his life time and the stories of the previous births known as Jatakas like Sasa-jataka, Champeya-jataka, Sibi-jataka, Mandhathu-jataka, etc. also form subjects of carvings.
0 comments:
Post a Comment