Alampur, Mahbubnagar

Alampur అలంపూర్
Town
Sangameshwar temple at Alampur
Alampur Location in Telangana, India
Coordinates: 15°52′41″N 78°07′55″E / 15.878°N 78.132°ECoordinates: 15°52′41″N 78°07′55″E / 15.878°N 78.132°E
Country	India
State	Telangana
District	Mahbubnagar
Elevation	269 m (883 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	9,350
Languages
• Official	Telugu
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Vehicle registration	TS-06

Alampur is a temple-town situated in Mahbubnagar district,^[1] in the state of Telangana, India. Alampur is the meeting point of the sacred rivers Tungabhadra and Krishna and is referred to as Dakshina Kashi(also known as Navabrahmeshwara Theertha) and the Western Gateway of Srisailam, the famous Shaivite (Shaivism) pilgrim centre. The principal deities at Alampur are Brahmeshwara and Jogulamba. It is surrounded by the Nallamala hills. Alampur is situated on the left bank of the Tungabhadra river.

History

Alampur was under the rule of Shatavahana Ishvakus of Nagarjunakonda, Badami Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagara Empire and Qutb Shahis of Golconda. Alampur was previously Known as Halampuram, Hamalapuram And Alampuram. Name of this place as Hatampura, mentioned in the inscription dated AD 1101 belongs to Western Chalukya^[2] Tribhuvanamalla Vikramaditya VI. The Alampur Navabhrama Temples are historically important and reflect remarkable architectural skills.

Temples

The Alampur temples are listed as an archaeological and architectural treasure on the official "List of Monuments" prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India under the The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.^[3]

Walls of Temple complex

The shrine of Jogulamba devi

Shiva carrying the corpse of Sati Devi

The Yogamba (Jogulamba) temple is regarded as a Shakti Peetha where Sati Devi's upper teeth fell. The mythology of Daksha yaga and Sati's self immolation is the story of origin of Shakti Peethas.^[4][5][6]

Shakti Peethas are shrines which are the most divine seats of the Mother Goddess. The body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi has fallen in these places, when Lord Shiva carried it and wandered throughout Aryavartha in sorrow. There are 51 Shakti Peeth linking to the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit.

Navabrahma Temples

Alampur Navabrahma Temples^[7][8] are located at Alampur in Telangana. There are a total of nine temples, dedicated to Shiva. These temples date back to the 7th century A.D and were built by the Badami Chalukyas rulers who were great patrons of art and architecture.^[9]

Geography

Alampur is located at 26°01′N 78°47′E / 26.02°N 78.79°E.^[10] It has an average elevation of 159 metres (521 ft).

Demographics

According to The Imperial Gazetteer of India,^[11] Alampur was a taluk of Raichur district, Hyderabad State. It has an area of 184 square miles (480 km²) in 43 villages. The population in 1901 was 30,222, compared with the 27,271 in 1891. Alampur, the headquarters, had a population of 4,182. Krishna river separates the taluk from Mahbubnagar district on the North and the Tungabhadra from Madras state. The confluence of these two rivers is situated in the extreme east of the taluk.

As of 2001 India census,^[12] Alampur had a population of 9350. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Alampur has an average literacy rate of 61%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 64% of the males and 36% of females literate. 16% of the population is under 6 years of age.

External links

• Glory of the past - Alampur
• Group of Monuments, Alampur, Andhra Pradesh

References

1. "Alampur, Historical Places in Mahabubnagar District". Archived from the original on 22 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
2. "ALAMPUR". Retrieved 2009-03-26.
3. "Alphabetical List of Monuments - Andhra Pradesh". Archaeological Survey of India. Archived from the original on 25 June 2014.
4. (Translator), F. Max Muller (June 1, 2004). The Upanishads, Vol I. Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 1419186418.
5. (Translator), F. Max Muller (July 26, 2004). The Upanishads Part II: The Sacred Books of the East Part Fifteen. Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 1417930160.
6. "Kottiyoor Devaswam Temple Administration Portal". http://kottiyoordevaswom.com/. Kottiyoor Devaswam. Retrieved 20 July 2013. External link in |work= (help)
7. Chalukyan Temples of Andhradesa By B. R. Prasad. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
8. "Alampur, Temples of Andhra Pradesh". Retrieved 2009-03-25.
9. "Bewitching temple architecture". Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
10. Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Alampur
11. Alampur in The Imperial Gazetteer of India (1908), vol 5, pp. 204
12. "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.