Edupayala Temple

Built-in 12th Century, Edupayalu Vana Durga Bhavani temple is one of the most famous and powerful pilgrim destinations in the region, dedicated to Goddess Kanakadurga. This is a picturesque shrine located amidst the lush green forest and natural stone formations inside a den. The location marks the confluences of seven rivulets into the Manjeera River and hence the name Edupayala, which means Edu (seven) and Payalu (streams). The destination attracts around 30 lakhs devotees annually not only from Telangana State but also from neighboring states such as Karnataka and Maharashtra to worship to the Goddess Durga.

According to the legend, Maharaja Parikshit (the grandson of the great warrior Arjun of Mahabharata) performed “Sarpa Yagya” to get rid of a curse. When Garuda, the eagle, was transporting the snakes used in the Yagna, their blood is said to have fallen at seven different places and place where blood spilled became streams. Recently while constructing a bridge, a layer of ash was found below the Manjeera river bed.

The temple is also famous for Jatara (fair), a three-day grand affair celebrated during Shivaratri in the month of February. With hundreds of devotees pitching up their makeshift tents around the Edupayala Vana Durga Bhavani temple, the stage is set for a three-day event attracting more than 5 lakh pilgrims. In the rainy season, the river water flows in heights and reaches the foot of the goddess and thousands of devotees come to Edupayala to watch this amazing event.

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