AP: Pilgrims throng Padmanabha Swamy Temple

KARIMNAGAR: Pilgrim rush to the Vemulawada temple has increased in the last few days despite no major festival being celebrated now. Devotees are making a beeline to the Ananta Padmanabha Swamy sub-temple in the Vemulawada temple after news on unearthing of a treasure trove at the famed Ananta Padmanabha Swamy temple in Thiruvanantapuram broke out in the recent days.The Padmanabha Swamy (a form of Lord Vishnu) sub-temple is in the same compound of the Sri Rajarajeswara Swamy (Lord Siva) temple and it is for this reason that the Vemulawada temple is also known as ‘Harihara Kshetram’.Devotees visiting the Vemulawada temple, earlier, used to take a glance at Padmanabha Swamy sub-temple but now, people are specially visiting the Vemulawada temple for offering prayers to Ananta Padmanabha Swamy.Padmanabha Swamy is found in the Anantasayanam posture in eternal sleep of yognidra in the sub-temple. “During our earlier visit to the temple, we did not know much about Padmanabha Swamy. But after news on his riches at Thiruvanantapuram temple has broke out, our curiosity has increased and we offered prayer for sometime at the Swamy’s temple,” said Tirupataiah, a devotee from Karimnagar.Apart from temples of Lord Siva and Lord Vishnu, there is also a Sitarama Chandra Swamy temple in the main temple complex. For this reason, both Saivite and Vaishnavite festivals, apart from Srirama Navami, are celebrated at the Vemulawada temple.A Dargah within the precincts of the temple stands evidence for religious tolerance.