Mahanandi Temple Water History in Telugu
Mahanandi is a village located east of the Nallamala Hills near Nandyal, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is surrounded by forests. Within 15 km of Mahanandi, there are nine Nandi shrines known as Nava nandulu. Mahanandi is one of the Nava Nandis.
These nine temples are Mahanandi, Shivanandi, Vinayakanandi, Somanandi, Prathamanandi, Garudanandi, Suryanandi, Krishnanandi (also called Vishnunandi) and Naganandi.
Devotees can take holy dip at Mahanandi temple Pushkarni or Koneru in which there are Pancha Lingams of which the center one is called Varuna Lingam. Irrespective of the seasons, water in the Pushkarni [Koneru] is at same constant five feet flow.
It is said that the main water source is originated below the inner Swayambhu Linga at the Garbhagruha and the pilgrims can touch the Shiva Lingam to perform puja and also take the holy water as Thirtham.
The outgoing water of Mahanandi temple is used for irrigation of fertile lands in the surrounding areas of the temple.One of the world’s biggest man-made Nandi of 15 ft. x 27 ft. is present near the Mahanandi temple.
Mahanandi temple is famous for its freshwater pools, called Kalyani or Pushkarni. The architecture of the temple shows the strong presence of the Chalukya Kings in this region.The pools of the temple show the skill of the Vishwakarmas.
The main temple is surrounded by three pools: two small pools at the entrance and one big pool inside the temple itself. This holy tank is 60 square feet (5.6 m2) with an outdoor pavilion called a mandapa in the center. The inlets and outlets of the tank are arranged so that the depth of the water is constantly kept at five feet, thus enabling pilgrims to bathe in the holy waters. Bathing in the inside big pool is prohibited after 5 PM every day.
A peculiarity of the water source is that it has a constant flow irrespective of the change of seasons. The water source originates at the Garbhagruha (inner shrine) just below Swayambhu Linga. One can touch the water near the Shiva Linga (symbol of Shiva). The devotees can offer prayers and touch the Shiva Linga. This is unusual, because traditionally at temples, the main deity is kept away from the touch of the devotees.
The water is famous for its crystalline and healing qualities and is ever tepid. The outgoing water irrigates 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) of fertile land surrounding the village. The surrounding areas are under production with rice fields, fruit, vegetable and flower gardens.The temple is well known for the konneru. The water during the winter season will be very hot and vice versa during the summer. During the early mornings, the water is lukewarm and water gets cooled gradually with the rise in temperature.