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Kalluru Sri Mahalakshmi Venkateshwara Temple, Kallur, Raichur District, Karnataka

Kalluru or Kallur is a small village located in Raichur District, Karnataka. Kalluru in Kannada means a place full of rocks and stones and hence this name. A muddy rugged road leads to this Temple from the main road. Sri Mahalakshmi Temple in Kallur has a small South facing Welcome Arch and on top of this Arch is an Idol of Sri Mahalakshmi who is seen atop a Simha Vaahanam in a seated posture. There is a small North facing wooden door leading to the Maha Mandapam. It is a very small Temple but its entire flooring is neatly tiled. The Temple has a small Sub Shrine of Sri Anjaneya Swamy who is seen West facing looking towards the Moolasthanam. The Maha Mandapam of Sri Mahalakshmi Venkateshwarar Temple in Kallur is made up of several pillars but the Mandapam itself is quite small compared to that of other Temples. On top of this Maha Mandapam there is an Idol of Sri Mahalakshmi which can be viewed through a glass pane. On the left of the multi pillared Mandapam leading to the Moolasthanam is an Ganapathy Idol within a glass panel and to the right is an Idol of Sri Mahalakshmi.

The threshold of the Moolasthanam looks glittering and the Images of two Dwara Baalakis are etched on the gold platings. Apart from these two Dwara Baalakis the Images of Ashtalakshmi too are etched on the gold platings and it looks dazzling to the eyes of the Devotees viewing it. The Sanctum Sanctorum of Sri Mahalakshmi Venkateswara Perumal Temple is East facing and small. In this East facing Moolasthanam there is a black stone Idol of Sri Venkatesa Perumal who is seen flanked by Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi. Next to the Idol of Sri Venkatesa Perumal is the East facing Sandalwood Idol of the Presiding Deity Sri Mahalakshmi. The Sanctum Sanctorum which holds the above two Idols is quite small but the Omnipotence and the Power of the Presiding Deity of Sri Mahalakshmi is Sky high. The Urchavamoorthy Idol of the Presiding Deity too is kept close to the Moolasthanam. There is a proclivity among the Devotees to tie twin coconuts in this Temple and Pray to Sri Mahalakshmi. No sooner their requests are fulfilled the same Devotees come back to the Temple and untie the coconuts. Devotees can circumambulate the Temple and the inner peripheral is kept clean and tidy. The rear of the Moolasthanam is gorgeously painted in gold colour with a red border. The Temple has a small Madapalli within its premises. There is a small but deep Sacred Tank or Pushkarani close to the Welcome Arch. There are two shops viz. Srinivasa Pooja Shop and Satyathma Pooja Shop next to the Temple selling Divine Bangles, Dhotis, Beads, Coconuts and Copper Vessels.

The story behind the Temple as follows. The Temple is believed to be more than 500 years old. It was several centuries ago during the time of Mohammed Adil Shah's invasion there lived a Devote person by name Sri Lakhmikanthacharya who was an ardent Devotee of Sri Narasimha Swamy and Kolhapur Mahalakshmi. Due to unforeseen circumstances He had to migrate to Kallur from Bijapur along with his vedic school students. He was bent upon visiting Kolhapur Sri Mahalakshmi as many times as possible. Due to old age he could not do so after few years and was regretting for it. Then Sri Mahalakshmi came in his dreams and told Sri Lakshmikanthacharya that She would visit him in Kallur itself. One day when he was rubbing a cleaning a Sandalwood he fould the Image of Sri Mahalakshmi on it and hence built a simple Temple for Her. After quite sometime when he was walking around Kallur he found that the Plough of a peasant getting caught in the ground and could not restore it and started lamenting. Seeing this, Sri Lakshmikanthacharya told the peasant that there could be hidden treasure or an Idol beneath the soil. He told the peasant to dig that area and advised him that if Wealth is found it can be taken by him and instead if there was an Idol he requested the peasant to give it to him. As luck would have it, upon digging a black Idol of Sri Venkatesa Perumal flanked by Sri Devi and Bhoo Devi was excavated and was rightly restored to Sri Lakshmikanthacharya. This Idol was brought back to the Temple and kept along with the Presiding Deity of Sri Mahalakshmi Temple that he had built in Kallur. Slowly this news started disseminating far and near. It was from this time that people around this area started flocking this Temple. Likewise within this Temple the Water or Theertham was by habit kept on a piece of slabstone. Gradually the Purohits started noticing an outline of Anjaneya Swamy on this and installed it West facing looking towards the Moolasthanam of the East facing Sri Mahalakshmi Venkateshwara Swamy. Till now the descendants of Sri Lakshmikanthacharya do Poojas and look after the Welfare measures of the Temple. The ten day Navarathri function is celebrated with great fanfare.

Contact Details: Suhrut 88611 38723, Srinivasa Pooja Shop Grururajachari 94815 46903, Sri Satyathma Pooja Store 95903 05250, 97433 05250 and 94815 46901

Temple Timing: 8 AM to 1 PM and 4 PM to 8 PM

Distance from Mantralayam to Kallur is 52 Kms

Distance from Kurnool to Kallur is 121 Kms

Distance from Kadapa to Kallur is 323 Kms

Distance from Chinnatumbalam to Kallur is 64 Kms

Distance from Urukunda to Kallur is 73 Kms

Distance from Panchamukhi to Kallur is 45 Kms

Distance from Bichali or Bichale to Kallur is 40 Kms

Distance from Kolhapur to Kallur is 391 Kms

Distance from Kollur to Kallur is 464 Kms

Distance from Horanadu to Kallur is 513 Kms

Distance from Sringeri to Kallur is 490 Kms