The Thousand Pillar Temple, popularly known as Veyyi Sthambala Gudi in Telugu, is a masterpiece of Kakatiya architecture. Located in Hanamkonda, it was built in 1163 AD by the Kakatiya ruler Rudra Deva (also known as Prataparudra I). Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Surya, and Lord Vishnu, the temple has shrines for each of these deities and is also referred to as Trikutalayam.
The significance of the name
The temple gets its name from its unique design of a large number of pillars closely-knit together in its complex. There’s also a mandapam in front of the temple. Though this temple is one of the most popular attractions in Telangana, not many are aware of the intriguing story behind its creation.
The mandapam facing the Temple rebuilt in 2024
The legend of Prataparudra’s birth
According to legend, when Prataparudra was born to Prola Raju II, astrologers predicted that the child would one day commit patricide but would also become a great ruler if allowed to live. Despite his courtiers’ advice to eliminate the child, Prola made a different choice: he quietly left his son at the Swayambhu Temple in Ekasila Nagaram.
A tragic misunderstanding
At the temple, the chief priest cared for the abandoned child, naming him Rudra Deva and training him as a warrior. Prola Raju would secretly visit the temple daily in the early hours, watching his son from a distance. On one such visit, Prola Raju discovered his grown-up son sleeping peacefully within the temple premises. Overjoyed with paternal love, he embraced Rudra, who tragically mistook him for an enemy, fatally wounded him with a dagger.
In the aftermath of this heartbreaking incident, Prola Raju showed great compassion and wisdom declaring Rudra as his successor. Rudra was taken aback at the series of events and his past. To seek redemption from the grave act of killing his father, Rudra Deva set out to build the Thousand Pillar Temple—a symbol of love, fate, and redemption.
Today, the Thousand Pillar Temple stands as a timeless sentinel of a father’s love and a child’s atonement.
Story Credits: Ancient Temples of Telangana, Govt. of Telangana
Image Credit: Wikipedia (Thousand Pillar Temple), Rajkoti Patel (Mandapam)
