Sri Chennakesava Swamy Temple Tallapaka,Andhra Pradesh.
Sri Chennakesava Swamy Temple is located in Tallapaka village, about 8 km from Rajampet and around 95 km from Tirupati in the Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh. Tallapaka is a peaceful village, known as the birthplace of the great saint-poet Tallapaka Annamacharya.
Deity Details
The main deity of the temple is Sri Chennakeshava Swamy, a beautiful form of Lord Vishnu. The idol is four-armed, holding the conch (shankha), discus (chakra), mace (gada), and showing the abhaya mudra (gesture of protection). He is worshipped here as the protector and savior of devotees. Next to the sanctum, there are shrines for other deities like Sri Sudarshana Chakratalwar, Lord Krishna, Sri Gopala Swamy, and Sri Hanuman.
Architecture
The temple follows the Dravidian style of architecture. It faces east and has an open courtyard, a mukha mandapam (front hall), an antarala (passage), and the garbhagriha (sanctum). In front of the main sanctum are the bali peetham, dwajasthambam (flagstaff), and a mandapam for Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. A special feature is the Sudharshana Chakra carved from black stone. Below it, there is a rare and charming depiction of Lord Krishna holding butter.
History
The temple is believed to have been originally built by King Janamejaya.This temple was one among the 108 Vishnu temples he established as part of his penance. The current structure dates back to the 11th century, during the Chola period, and was later maintained by Kakatiya and Vijayanagara kings. Today, it is managed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).
Sthalapurana
According to the legend, King Janamejaya, the son of Parikshit and grandson of the Pandavas, once performed a great ritual called *Sarpa Yaga* (snake sacrifice) to destroy the race of serpents that caused his father’s death. After completing the yagna successfully, he wanted to atone for the extreme nature of his act. As part of this atonement, he is said to have built *108 temples for Lord Vishnu*, and the Sri Chennakesava Swamy Temple at Tallapaka is believed to be one of them.
Centuries later, the village of Tallapaka* gained even more spiritual importance as the birthplace of Saint-poet Annamacharya, the first known Vaggeyakara (composer and singer) in Telugu. His family were staunch devotees of Sri Chennakesava Swamy. It is believed that when Annamacharya was a child, the Lord blessed him by inscribing *Beejaaksharas* (divine seed syllables) on his tongue. This divine grace allowed him to compose over 32,000 devotional songs on Lord Venkateswara of Tirumala.
The temple thus became not just a place of worship, but also a source of divine inspiration for Annamacharya’s spiritual journey. It holds a unique place in Vaishnava tradition and in the cultural and devotional history of Andhra Pradesh.
Festivals
The temple celebrates many vibrant festivals throughout the year. The main festival is the annual Brahmotsavam, held in the Ashada month (June–July). It includes rituals like Rathotsavam (chariot procession) and Kalyanotsavam (divine marriage ceremony). Other important celebrations include Vaikunta Ekadashi, Annamacharya Jayanthi, and Annamacharya Vardhanti.
