Teerthayatra -Yaganti (Sri Yaganti Uma Maheswara Temple), Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh on 26-Feb-2021
This temple was constructed by King Harihara Bukka Raya of the Sangama Dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 15th century.
It was built according to Vaishnavaite traditions.
The sage Agastya wanted to build a temple for Lord Venkateswara on this site. However, the statue that was made could not be installed as the toe nail of the idol got broken.
The sage was upset over this and performed a penance for Shiva.
When Shiva appeared, he said the place suits Shiva better as it resembles Kailash.
Agastya then requested Shiva to give the devotees a Parvathi Goddess as Lord Uma Maheswara in a single stone, which Shiva obliged.
Growing Nandi
The devotees believe that the Nandi idol in front of the temple is continuously increasing its size.
The locals say that the idol was initially much smaller than its present size.
They say that certain experimentation was carried out on this idol and it was said that the type of rock out of which the idol is carved has a growing or enlarging nature associated with it.
It is said that people used to do Pradakshinas (rounds) around it in the past. The temple staff has already removed one pillar as the size of the Nandi has increased.
According to Potuluri Veera Brahmendra swamy, the Basavanna (stone nandi) of Yaganti will come alive and shout when Kali Yuga ends.
Absence of Crows
Legend has it that while the Sage Agastya was performing his penance, crows disturbed him and he cursed that the crows cannot enter the place.
As the crow is the Vahana for Lord Shani, it is believed that Shani cannot enter this place.
At Yaganti temple in Kurnool district, crows fear to caw
Irritated by the sound, Agastya cursed the crows and said that they could not hover around Yaganti. Since then, no cawing can be heard at the temple.
Locals believe that the crow, which has the habit of pilfering and thieving, is the vehicle of Lord Shani.
Transportation
Yaganti is located in the Kurnool District in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, approximately 100 km from the city of Kurnool.
The temple is 14 km west of Banaganapalle (Mandal headquarters) on the Banaganapalle-Peapully road.we can reach the temple even from the Historic site Belum caves in 1.5 hrs and measures a distance of 45 km.
They believe that misfortunes will vanish from their lives with the darshan of Yaganti Uma Maheshwara. There are several cave temples adjacent to the main temple in Yaganti.
The Agastya Cave is believed to be the place where Agastya performed penance to receive Lord Shiva’s blessings.
The Venkateswara Cave is another one of the caves in the region. Locals believe that the idol of Lord Venkateshwara found in the cave is much older than the idol at Tirupati.
