คำอธิบาย15th century Yaganti Umamahesvara temple, Andhra Pradesh India - 172.jpg
English: Also referred to as Uma Maheswara, Yagantesvara, Umamahesvara or just Yaganti temple, this is a Vijayanagara era temple in South Indian style.
The Yaganti valley is a part of the crescent shaped Kadapa (Cuddapah) supergroup of valleys of the Proterozoic age. This supergroup includes the Yaganti valley, Jurreru River valley and Katavani Kunta valley. Well over 75 archaeologically significant quartzite rock art sites – painted in red, black, white – and important Hindu pilgrimage centers are located in these valleys. It is likely that the region with many natural limestones caves was a part of the spiritual geography for the Hindus and local tribes for centuries prior to the construction of this temple. This is evidenced by significantly older engravings and rock art in distant caves featuring Shiva lingas, Nandi, anthropomorphic reliefs with Shaiva and Vaishnava icons. Additionally, in some caves the rock art includes ancient therianthropes, skectches quadriped animal species such as cow, elephant, snake, boars, deers, geometric drawings and concentric circles that have been dated to the prehistoric era.
The Yaganti temple is actually a complex of monuments with a natural spring, one incorporated into the temple water tank for ritual wash or dip. Some of the natural caves in this valley have been incorporated into the temple complex.
The Yaganti temple complex has gopurams (landmark entrance towers visible from distance along the pilgrim hiking trail) Vijayanagara style pilgrim mandapas (choultries, traveler resting places), water tank with secular artwork and shrines, a colossal monolithic Nandi, a network of caves with Shiva linga and smaller Nandi carved from the natural rock, stone stairs and man-made bridges that connected the monuments and caves.
The main temple's mandapa has intricately carved pillars. The reliefs show legends from the Mahabharata, Ramayana and secular scenes such as Yogi, Yogini, acrobats, preaching rishis (saints), farmers, merchants, soldiers, dancers, musicians and others.
The temple complex has several important inscriptions that help date and understand the history of the temple.
It is a pilgrimage site for regional Hindus, with pilgrims preferring a hike on foot through the Yaganti and Katavani Kunta valleys, passing through the Sri Maddileti Narasimha Swamy Temple in Rangapuram village (Bethamcherla), a Vaisnavite temple. They then arrive at the Shaivite Yaganti temple complex, where both Vaishnavite and Saivite iconography is reverentially integrated within the same complex. A modern road connects the temple and the valley caves to India's national highways network, while dharmasalas and hotels surround the temple complex.
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