Amararama - Amaravati Amaralingeshwara Temple Pancharama Kshethras

Amaralingeswara Swamy temple is located in Amararama which is one of the Pancharama Kshetras which is located at Amaravati town near Guntur City in Andhra Pradesh in southern India. Lord Shiva is known as Amareswara Swamy or Amaralingeswara Swamy here. The temple is situated on the southern bank of Krishna River. The consort of Lord Amareswara Swamy is Bala Chamundika. The Sivalinga at this place is installed and established by Lord Indra.

The Sivalinga here is very tall that the archakas mount a pedestal platform, and perform the daily rituals as well as Abhisheka. The top of the Linga has a red stain on it. It is said that Sivalinga was growing up in size and to stop its growth, a nail has been hit on the top of the Sivalinga. When the nail dug into the Linga, blood started to ooze from the Sivalinga it seems. The stain can be seen even today.

Amaravati temple has also a wealth of inscriptions on its walls like those of the Kota chiefs of Arnaravati and of Sri Krishandevaraya, the great Vijayanagara emperor. On a pillar in the Mukhamantapa the wife of Proli Nayudu, who was the minister of Kota King Ketaraja, has left an inscription.

Pancharama

As per mythology, a Shivalinga was owned by the demon king Tarakasura. No one could
win over him due to the power of his Shivalinga. In the war between Lord Muruga
and the powerful demon Tarakasura, Lord Muruga used his Vel (Shakthi Ayudha) to kíll
the demon. By the power of his Vel, the body of Taraksura was torn into pieces. But all
the pieces reunited to give rise to the demon. Lord Muruga repeatedly broke the body into
pieces and it was re-unified again and again.

Lord Vishnu appeared in front of Muruga and advised him to break the Shivalinga to kill
the demon. Lord Muruga used his Agniasthra (weapon of fire) to break the Shivalinga.
The linga broke into 5 pieces and fell at 5 different places. By the order of Lord Vishnu
Lord Surya fixed those 5 pieces and worshipped by building temple over them.

These five temples are known as Pancharama Kshetras, and all the five Shivalinga in these
places have got scaly marking as them which are believed to be formed by the power of
Agniasthra used by Lord Muruga.