The Balkampet Yellamma temple, one of the oldest and most revered and famous Hindu temples in Hyderabad, is located in Balkampet, close to Ameerpet.
Why visit the Balkampet Yellamma Temple?
- Balkampet Yellamma Temple is one of the most popular temples in Hyderabad.
- The temple is dedicated to Goddess Yellamma, who is also known as Renuka or Sri Lakshmi.
- Yellamma Devi who is considered to be the “mother of the universe.” is also the patron goddess of the village of Balkampet.
- The temple is located in the heart of the city and is easily accessible by all. The temple is open all days of the week and there is no entry fee.
- The temple is a must-visit for all devotees of Yellamma Devi and is a popular tourist spot, attracting many visitors from all over the world.
- It is said that this Goddess is very powerful and will grant your wish in a week.
The Legend of Balkampet Yellamma Temple:
It is said that in the 15th century, people were digging a well in the Balkampet area. During their digging, they found a rock with the Goddess Yellamma sculpted on it. They tried to remove the rock to continue with the digging.
In spite of several efforts, they were unable to budge the rock, and there was water swirling around the rock. They then decided to construct a temple around the rock.
Even today, the idol of the Goddess lies 10 feet below ground level.
Over time, people realized that the water swirling around the idol has curative powers, and it is said that a bath with that holy water cures people of all skin ailments.
The temple is dedicated to Goddess Yellamma who is considered the incarnation of Goddess Parvathi and is also known as Goddess Renuka and Goddess Jagadamba.
The temple was quite small for quite many years until the endowment department of the state took over the administration in 1978 and allotted funds for its development. At that point in time, the temple authorities also decided to have an Akhand Jyothi in the temple, a flame that is lit 24 x 7.
This temple is now quite popular and scores of people visit it, particularly on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
The goddess is also believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Kali. Hence, you will find a massive crowd during Bonalu, a festival of Goddess Kali. and a lot of animal sacrifices of chickens and goats in the temple complex to appease the Goddess. The festival of Makar Sankranti is also celebrated in a grand fashion at the temple.
It is said that people have tried to figure out the source of the water around the idol and have been unable to do so. Today, the temple water is being taken out of the well and distributed to people as “Theertham”. People come from all over the country to have a bath with this water to cure their skin diseases.
When you enter the temple, you first see the idol of Shri Ganesh. You need to go down 10 feet to have a glimpse of the idol of Sri Yellamma. On the right side, there are idols of Pochamma Devi, Naga Devatas, and Annapurna Devi.
Tips:
1. Parking space for a 4-wheeler at the temple is a challenge. It’s advisable to go by cab to avoid this issue.
2. Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays are crowded. So it’s best to go on other days if you want to avoid the crowd.
Entry Fees:
No entry fee to the temple.
Timings on all days:
6 am to 1 pm
3 pm to 8 pm
Address of the temple:
Balkampet Yellamma Temple
Balkampet Rd, BK Guda,
Balkampet, Hyderabad,
Telangana, 500038,
India
Phone:
040 -23704311
Official website of the temple
Click here for the official website of the temple
What to do next?
Check out my post on Temples in Hyderabad which you can’t afford to miss
