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Young World
A testimony to the times
P. SUJATHA VARMA
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A beautiful structure , exploring it is sure to be fun!
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PHOTO: Ch Vijaya Bhaskar
Cave of wonder: The caves of Akkanna and Madanna
The two rock-cut cave temples at the foothill of Indrakeeladri have always been a subject of curiosity to passers by. Located on the way to Kanakadurga temple, taking the old route of the narrow steps leading to the top of the hill, these rock-cut caves are said to have been dedicated to Akkanna and Madanna, ministers in the court of Abul Hasan Tanashah, the Qutub Sh
ahi ruler of 17th century.
A short distance away is another cave that dates back to the 2nd century BC, which hosts the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara.
Art patrons
Akkanna and Madanna were the chief-of-army and the prime minister, respectively, in the court of Abul Hasan, who was the last and the most liberal in a line of very open-minded rulers of Golkonda, which later became the Hyderabad State under the Nizams.
The two brothers rose from the ranks of courtiers and went on to occupy the highest offices under the king.
The Eastern Chlukyas, it is believed, carved the cave temples in the 7th century AD. Earlier, brick structures that existed at this place were replaced, as they were perishable.
Located at two different places, one at the foothill and the other in the middle of the hill, the cave temples are projected with a pillared mandapam and enclosed by a parapet entrance porch.
Inside the caves, socketed pedals were erected for placing the images. The caves are facing the east. The inner walls of the mandapam are sculptured with images of Ganesha, Karthikeya and Goddess Durga. It looks as if during the medieval centuries, the authors of the cave temples believed in the equal importance among the different religious paths.
The pillars are plain and massive and their perfect angularity has been maintained all along.
The upper cave group also has a lot of architectural grandeur. The pillars are monolithic, round and massive.
It is said the sanctum sanctorum was provided with a Sivalinga and images of Brahma and Vishnu but unfortunately, the images went missing leaving only the pedestal with the socket.
The slopes of the hill were turned into a delightful facade with sculptured images and animal figures.
Both the cave groups stand as testimony to the architectural expertise of the masons as well as the lives of the time.
The local officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), however, contend that there is little evidence to prove any connection between the cave temples and Akkanna and Madanna.
The names, they believe, must have been given by the local public in the recent years.
The ASI is trying to conserve and protect these monuments and provide them the much-needed facelift.
It’s always fun to read up more about such things and what’s a better resource than the internet?
Here are some sites you could look at.
The page at http://www.zpkrishna.com/html/district_history.htm is about the many dynasties that ruled or controlled Vijaywada at different points in history. It has some information about the two chieftains.
Not much information about the brothers is available.
But a few sites on the net have some information.
Look at the page at http://rangareddy.nic.in/tourism.html. It has a few details.
The http://www.vijayawadaonnet.com/body_places.html is an interesting site for it has a list of the various places of historical interest that you visit.
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