A serene spiritual sojourn

“Sarva Aparadha Naashaaya,
SarvaPaapa Haraaya Cha,
Deva Devaaya Haraaya,
Sri Dattatreya Namosthuthe”

The devotee bows to Dattatreya revered as one, who negates all mistakes, destroys sins and is the supreme God of all Gods.

An embodiment of the Hindu trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, the form of the three-headed Dattatreya radiates serenity and he is regarded as the absolute guru transcending the tri-gunas or three qualities that bind a human being.

The three important places related to Dattatreya are Pithapuram near Kakinada, where he took birth; Kuruvapuram, where he meditated for 12 years, and Ganugapur, where he attained Samadhi.

Dattatreya stated that the entire universe was his learning ground and is said to have had in all 24 teachers including various elements of creation like air, water, sun, space, a honeybee, a deer and a python among others.

The Kuruvapuram Temple built for Sripada Srivallabha, Lord Dattatreya’s first incarnation in Kaliyuga is located in Raichur district of Karnataka and is a powerful draw for devotees, who consider this place his Karmabhoomi.

It can be reached from Makthal, which is about 192 kms away from Hyderabad and is a four-hour drive, by road.

The drive on the Bengaluru highway is very pleasant except for the rough 25km patch between Makthal and Vallabhapuram, which is an uneven, muddy single lane track.

The route from Raichur is used by the many devotees from Karnataka and Maharashtra, who throng the temple during weekends and festive days. Whichever route we take, one has to cross the Krishna from different banks to reach the temple.

The temple situated on an island in the Krishna River is about two kilometres but it takes a good 20 minutes to reach in the coracles (small oval shaped light weight boats referred to as ‘theppa’ or ‘putti’ locally).

About 10 people are accommodated at a time in these little boats, which are not very comfortable but remain the only means to reach the temple.

The ancient temple houses the idol of Dattatreya in the spot where Sripadavallabha is said to have meditated.

The temple itself is serene and filled with positive energy where devotees are asked to sit in meditation while the doors of the sanctum sanctorum remain closed for rituals.

The priests, who are conversant in Telugu, Kannada and Marathi, explain the importance of Dattatreya, whose worship brings a marked change in the way we perceive things and lead us on to the path of enlightenment.

The most beautiful aspect here is the lack of any hundi for donations commonly seen in temples with maintenance taken care of by the trust that runs it.

Although it is obvious that the temple maintenance requires a lot more funds there is something about the simple and unostentatious surroundings that make you feel content and relaxed.

Food is served to visiting devotees free of cost if they are informed in advance about their arrival. “We had curry leaf rice, poori and chole for lunch.

The tasty food was piping hot and served with care. There is also free accommodation for those, who want to stay,” a devotee from Raichur, who has been visiting the temple and stays here overnight every two months for the past decade, informs us.

Special poojas are performed on auspicious days and on Karthika Pournami every year, a Baba from Bengaluru performs special pujas to a mud lingam prepared amidst chants of devotees.

The temple is lit up with thousands of oil lamps and more than 5,000 people participate in the event. “I return with renewed confidence every time I seek a solution to a problem here.

In the peace and calm here I find answers,” says Alaka Bai, a resident of Koti in Hyderabad, who has been a regular visitor for years.

An old Banyan tree outside the temple and a small cave with the padukas (footwear) of Sripadavallbha stand as witness to the movements of the enlightened one, whose presence pervades the place.

Many devotees take a holy dip in the Krishna before entering the temple, where entry is barred if one is not wearing traditional clothes.

Men have to take off their shirts and wear a dhoti and angavastram and women have to wear sarees or churidars with dupattas.

These clothes are available for rent so that visitors, who are not prepared, can enter the temple in traditional attire.

Despite the discomfort of the coracle and the haggling boatmen, the serene island temple is alluring, and the peace one experiences is all encompassing.

One wishes that the government extends its help in the maintenance of the temple, cleaning up the river and ensuring proper boat service so that pilgrims are not inconvenienced and enjoy the experience.

While it is commendable that the trust is providing food and stay, despite limited resources, it would be in the government’s interest to provide better facilities to promote spiritual tourism, which is seeing a spurt all over the country. A visit to Kuruvapuram is certain to remain a cherished memory.