SSC
The Srikalahasti Temple, famous for the Vayu Lingam, is located in:
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Answer: Option C — Andhra Pradesh
Detailed Solution
The Srikalahasti Temple is located in the town of Srikalahasti, in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, about 36 km from Tirupati, on the banks of the Swarnamukhi river.
About the Srikalahasti Temple:
It is dedicated to Lord Shiva, worshipped as "Kalahasteeswara", and his consort Parvati as "Gnana Prasunambika".
It is one of the "Pancha Bhoota Sthalams", the five Shiva temples representing the five elements. Srikalahasti represents "Vayu" (air or wind).
The lingam is called the "Vayu Lingam". A lamp in the sanctum flickers constantly, although there is no visible air movement, which is believed to show the presence of wind.
Its name comes from three devotees who worshipped Shiva here: "Sri" (spider), "Kala" (serpent) and "Hasti" (elephant). According to legend, all three attained salvation.
The hunter-saint "Kannappa", one of the 63 Nayanars, is said to have offered his own eyes to the lingam here.
The temple is praised in the Tevaram hymns of the Nayanar saints.
The main structure was built by the Cholas (11th century), and later expanded by the Vijayanagara rulers. Krishnadeva Raya built the large gateway tower in 1516. The original gateway collapsed in 2010 and was rebuilt.
It is famous for "Rahu-Ketu Puja", performed by devotees to remove the bad effects of these planets.
It is also associated with "Kalamkari" art: Srikalahasti is one of the main centres of the hand-painted Kalamkari style, which has a GI tag.
The Pancha Bhoota Sthalams:
- Earth (Prithvi): Ekambareswarar Temple (Tamil Nadu).
- Water (Jala): Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval (Tamil Nadu).
- Fire (Agni): Annamalaiyar Temple, Tiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu).
- Air (Vayu): Srikalahasti Temple (Andhra Pradesh).
- Space (Akasha): Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram (Tamil Nadu).
- Srikalahasti is the only one of these located outside Tamil Nadu.
Other famous temples in Andhra Pradesh:
Srisailam (Mallikarjuna, a Jyotirlinga), Simhachalam (Narasimha), Kanaka Durga Temple (Vijayawada) and Annavaram.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Tamil Nadu has the other four Pancha Bhoota Sthalams.
- ✗Karnataka has temples such as Murudeshwar and Gokarna.
- ✗Telangana has temples such as Yadadri and Bhadrachalam.
Quick tip
Remember: Srikalahasti = Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh (Vayu Lingam, one of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalams; spider, serpent and elephant legend; Kannappa; Kalamkari); the other four Pancha Bhoota Sthalams are in Tamil Nadu.
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This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.