Sri Ramalingeshwaraswamy Devasthanam, Keesaragutta.

There are three ancient and very important Temples not very far from our house at Secunderabad which we can reach within one and half hour. The closest is of Sri Ramalingeshwaraswamy at Keesaragutta which is just 30 Kms. away. The next Temple is of Sri Laxmi Narasimhaswamy at Nacharam which is 51 Kms. away. And the third Temple is of Sri Laxmi Narasimhaswamy at Yadagirigutta which is 64 km. from our house. The above photographs are from our visits to Sri Ramalingeshwaraswamy Temple at Keesaragutta.

The Road to Keesaragutta via Paradise, AOC Gate, Sainikpuri, AS Rao Nagar, ECIL X Roads, Kushaiguda and Keesara, a distance of 30 km. is quite good. For about 16 km. you are within the city limits. From Kushaiguda it is almost a straight road and after you cross Keesara village you will come across the Temple’s welcome arch which you can see in the topmost picture. And this arch-road will lead you to the Temple on the hillock called Keesaragutta. 

The Temple has a very ancient and long history starting from Threthayugam. Lord Rama was advised by Maha Rishis to consecrate a Shiva Lingam to atone for the sin of killing Ravana a Brahmin and an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. And they fixed an auspicious time for the installation of Shiva Lingam. Sri Rama and Sita Devi chose this beautiful place and this hillock for the purpose and ordered Hanuman to bring a Shiva Lingam from Varanasi. As the auspicious time neared and Hanuman had not arrived Lord Sri Rama offered prayers to Lord Shiva to seek a solution.  Then Lord Shiva transfigured as Shiva Lingam and manifested before Sri Rama. It is this Shiva Lingam that is consecrated here in the main Temple. It is called a Swayambu Lingam meaning it is a natural form in which Lord Shiva is always manifested and is eternally present. It is also called as Ramalingeshwara because Lord Rama has installed the Lingam. And the Temple is called Sri Ramalingeshwaraswamy Temple.

Sometime later Hanuman returned from Varanasi with 101 Lingams for Sri Rama to choose one from them for installation. Learning that the ritual of installation was complete Hanuman was unhappy and placed these Lingams haphazardly all over the hillock a few of which you can see in many photographs above. To pacify Hanuman Sri Rama said that this hillock where the Swayambu Lingam and the Lingams brought by Hanuman are installed would be called after him as Kesarigiri meaning ‘Hanuman the son of Kesari’ and ‘Giri’ meaning hillock. Over a period of time, the name Kesarigiri became Keesaragutta and the village nearby as Keesara.