Sthala Purana
Ananta padmanabha swamy at Anantagiri hills is a swayambu devata of timeless antiquity.
Rajarshi Muchukunda, a great king of the Ikshvaku dynasty was son of Mandhata and brother of Ambarisha and an ancestor of Sri Rama. Devendra requested him to assist in a war against the rakshasas. After fighting for years with rakshasas and restoring order in the heavens, Muchukunda came to Ananthagiri to take rest and went into deep sleep, He got a boon from Devandra that who ever interrupts his sleep will be burnt to ashes.
The Bhagavata Katha recounts the story of Kalayavana and his destruction at this hill. Kalayavana, the rakshsa, attacked Mathura, the capital city of the Yadavas. Sri Krishna and Balarama led Kalayavana away from Mathura and drew him to the location of Muchukunda’s rest, the Anantagiri hills. There he followed Lord Krishna and Balarama into the cave where Muchukunda was resting and violently interrupted the sleep of the Rajarishi. Muchukunda woke up in a rage and with one look burnt Kalayavana to ashes. Lord Krishna gave darshana in the form of Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy to Muchikunda and blessed him that he may take a permanent place in the world in the form of river. The Muchukunda river that originates in these hills, is a tributary to the river Krishna. This river flows in the Deccan Plateau region of Telangana and passes through city of Hyderabad is also referred to as Musi River.
According to Skanda Purana the deity of Ananta Padmanabha at the Anatagiri hills descended to the earth to bless the rishi Markandeya in the Dwapara Yuga. Markandeya Rishi came here for yoga sadhana. Markandeya used his yoga siddhis to go every day to Kasi from Ananthagiri to take a holy bath in the Ganges through a cave in the hills. On a certain day Dwadasi started in the early hours of the morning and rishi Markandeya was unable to travel to Kasi, because Dwadasi is inauspicious for travel. Sri Ananta Padmanabha Swamy gave darshana to the rishi and arranged the Ganges to flow to perform a holy bath for the rishi. Sri Anantha Padmanaba Swamy assumed the form of a charka and took permanent residence at the site of the yogi’s cave.
The present temple in the hills is said to have been built in the 16th Century CE.
Media
Visuals from the temple and surroundings
Nagasamudram lake (Kotipalli Reservoir) – close to this temple
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