Keesaragutta Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple
Keesaragutta Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy Temple is the one of Famous Lord Shiva Temple, situated 13 kms away from Hyderabad. In Keesara Gutta Temple, the Lord Shiva is known as Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy as Lord Rama installed the Shiva Lingam. There are 101 Shiva lingas around the Temple.
In Keesaragutta Temple along with Lord Shiva, his consorts Bhavani and Sivadurga can seen. As Lord Sri Rama installed the Shiva Lingam is also called as Ramalingeswara Temple.
Keesaragutta temple is about 30 km away from Hyderabad and 12 km from ECIL. The temple is located on a small hillock. Laksh of devotees visit the temple on Shivaratri and in karthika masam.
According to Legend Lord Sri Rama installed the Shiva Lingam here to atone for the sin of killing Ravana, a Brahman.
Lord Sri Rama selected this beautiful valley surrounded with hills and verdant greenery and and ordered Lord Hanuman to bring a Shivlingam from Varanasi. As Hanuman was late in arriving with the Shiva lingam and as the auspicious hour was nearing, Lord Shiva himself appeared before Sri Rama and presented a Shivilingam for installation. Hence the Lingam in the temple is called Swayambhu Lingam.
Mean while Lord Hanuman returned with 101 lingams for selection from Varanasi and felt aggrieved at not having his lingam installed. Hence he threw them all over the area. Even today several lingams are found scattered all over the place outside the temple.
To mollify Hanuman, Lord Sri Rama ordained that precedence would be given to him for worship at the temple. He also said that the hillock where the lingam was installed would bear his name kesarigiri that is, Hanuman, the son of Kesari. Over a period of time, it has colloquially transformed and is now known as Keesara and the hill as Keesaragutta. Ever since, the rituals follow the command of Sri Rama.