The Jagannatha Venkateswara Swamy temple, located atop hillocks in Anantharam village, is turning into a sought-after place for nature-lovers and devotees of Lord Venkateswara.
The temple, which is said to have been built in the pre-Kakatiya period, is located amid wild bushes, with a charming lake at its foothills.
According to local lore, one Anantha used to climb the hillock and pray to Lord Jagannatha. With his consorts Subadhra and Balabadhra, Lord Jagannatha appeared before Anantha and received his prayers. Unfortunately, for a long time the spot become a place for anti-social persons and vagabonds.
Much later, few locals installed a Lord Venkateswara idol, which came to be patronised by the public. Owing to unfriendly environs the and wilderness, not many dared to visit the temple for quite some time.
However, since the 1960s, local landlords contributed generously for the development of the temple, and it has now become a beautiful spot. Devotees have been thronging the temple in good numbers.
In the newly carved Mahabubabad district, there are two notable places of worship – the Anantharam Venkateswara temple and the Sri Veerabadhra Swamy temple at Kuravi.
The chief priest of the Anantharam temple, Godavarthi Chakradharacharyulu, said there were big development plans in the pipeline. About 13 rooms were being constructed for pilgrims to stay overnight. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) was also planning to construct a kalyana mandapam here.
The temple is now being managed by the State Endowments Departments, as it earns annual revenue of over ₹6 lakh. “There has been a steady increased in devotees. On an average, 500 people come here every day, and during holidays up to 10,000 people visit the temple,” the chief priest said.
The district administration was also planning to develop the temple into a tourist attraction.
