Swayambhu Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Gandicheruvu.

Today we visited the ancient 500-year-old Temple of Swayambhu Sri Ranganatha Swamy at Gandicheruvu in Hayathnagar Mandal of Ranga Reddy District. It is an extraordinary Temple on a hillock with huge rock formations. The sanctum sanctorum is a cave with a beautiful deity of Sri Ranganatha Swamy which is 5 feet long, in a reclining posture, with an equally beautiful Godha Devi sitting by his side. The hillock is surrounded by the beautiful scenery of green valleys, fields and hills. I hope you can visualize this beauty through the attached pictures.

The Temple and all the rituals there are being managed by generations of the same family with contributions from devotees and rich patrons. The Temple priest had the following to say about the origins of the Temple. Around 500 years ago, as some Brahmins led by one named Keshava Patnam Singaraiah were passing through nearby Koheda village, at a place close to Hanumantha Padam (Hanuman Temple) they heard the sound of OM being recited from a cave and a fragrance emanating from it. They informed about this to the village heads. When the village heads and village people went inside the cave they found a huge anthill and on dismantling it they discovered the idol of Sri Ranganatha Swamy with Godha Devi. They felt very happy and soon someone received a divine message that the idol should be taken out in a procession in a bullock cart and the idol installed at the first place where the bullock cart stops on its own. The bullock cart stopped at this hillock in Gandicheruvu and the Idol was installed in the cave on this hillock.

The Temple is just 34 kilometres from our house and there is a total change in the environment there…so beautiful and peaceful, free of the City’s eyesore suffocating concrete structures, free of noise, dust and vehicular pollution, free of dirty roads and chaotic traffic.

I strongly recommend this place for an outing, for divine blessings and freedom from the chaos of the city.