Antarvedi

About Antarvedi

Antarvedi is a village in Sakhinetipalli mandal located close to Narsapur near the 
Bay of Bengal coast and Vasistha River, in East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Antarvedi is at the tip of the confluence of the Vasistha River with the Bay of Bengal.

Antarvedi is the land famous for the temple of Sri Laxmi Narasimha Swami,who is man-lion incarnation of Lord Vishnu.the Laxmi Narasimha Swamy temple constructed between the 15th and 16th centuries.A temple of lord siva is also present which is older than narasimha swamy temple,the idol of lord siva was installed by lord srirama.Vashista Godavari is one of the branches of River Godavari and is said to have been be brought to this place by Maharishi Vashista, . There are other equally prominent places at Antarvedi. The Sea, the Vashista River which is said to be brought to this place by Sage Vashista, one of the Saptarishis (seven great sages) of Hindu Mythology.The Sagar Sangam (place where the river Vashista meets the ocean Bay of Bengal) also called as Anna Chelli Gattu and ‘Sapta Sagara Sangam Pradesham’in Telugu. 


The Raktakulya River which is formed when the goddess Maya Shakti released the blood of the demon Raktavilochana and the Chakratheertam where Lord Narasimha Himself washed His Sudarshana chakra, after killing the demon are all not to be missed. The temple of Lord Shiva, called as Neelakanteswara, is another attraction not to be missed. The idol of Lord Shiva here was worshipped by Lord Brahma Himself. There is a launch facility to visit the small island at the other side of the river and to travel to the point where the river and the ocean would actually meet. A nominal amount is charged for this which usually depends on the season and number of people. More number of people and peak season, more amount is charged and during off-season, the rates are reasonable. To experience the actual power of the place, one has to sit peacefully and absorb the vibrations and nature. The sunrise and sunset offers an enthralling sight which leaves an unforgettable memory of your visit.

Mogalturu Raja's are the traditional trustees of ANTARVEDI Temple since 19th century. Late Shri Raja Kalidindi Kumar Ramachandra Raja Bahadur contributed a lot to the temple. He was the former chairman of temple development board and heirarical trustee of temple. In 18th century Peddapuram Raja's were trutees and they also developed the temple.

A religious fair in that area held on Bheeshma Yekaadasi which comes generally in January or February which attracts thousands of people to this usually sleepy village located at the confluence of River Godavari with Bay of Bengal. Lord Narasimha Swamy's Kalyanam is performed on Dasami and rath yatra was Performed on 'Ekadasi day'. The royal mogaltur male descendants are the first persons to pull the rope of rath,and then its pulled by the devoties. Hundreds of thousands of devotees attend this festival starting on Dasami and continue till following 'Pournami'(full moon day).

History

The land of legends, Antarvedi has untold significance. According to the Puranaas (holy books), during the time when Lord Vishnu took the form of ‘Kurmavatara’ (the boar form of Lord Vishnu) to bring back the Earth which was submerged in water, the first part which rose up was “Antarvedini” which is this Antarvedi. It is also said that Lord Brahma, who is regarded as the Creator of the World, first stepped on this part of the land and began His Creation. The churning of the Milky Ocean where Lord Shiva drank the “HalaHalam” (poison) to save the World, is said to have taken place in Antarvedi. Some Puranaas has it that, Sage Gautami, in order to reduce His curse from killing a cow, performed penance and brought the River here which came to be known as River Gautami, after him. This river was broken down into seven tributaries by the great sages and made to join the ocean at seven different places. Even Sage Vashista brought a tributary of River Godavari to this place which came to be known as Vashista Godavari. The sage along with his wife Arundhati Devi and hundred sons constructed a ashram and settled here. Today, Sage Arundhati Vashista temple stands at the same place along with a Vashista Sevashram. As per the Hindu tradition, during the marriage ceremony, the bride and the groom are shown the Arundathi star which is just below the Vashista star. This ritual is considered sacred for the couple as it is supposed to bring them happiness and prosperity. Hence visiting this temple is said to be good for a happy married life.

Getting there

Antarvedi is located at a distance of 130kms from Kakinada, 100kms from Rajahmundry and 65kms from Amalapuram. Sakhinetipalli village is located 15kms from Antarvedi and Narsapur village is 10kms from here. This small but prominent pilgrimage village, Antarvedi can be reached by bus or car from these nearby places. There are regular buses from Rajahmundry, Kakinada and Razole which takes you to the temple. To enjoy the nature’s beauty and explore more, the best option is to travel by car. There are trains to Rajahmundry, Samalkot and Kakinada from most parts of the state. From there you can hire a taxi or board the bus to Antarvedi. From Razole, Antarvedi is 31 kms and from Bhimavaram the temple town is 64 kms away. There are many RTC buses at particular time from these places.

Light House

Antervedi Lighthouse,previously known as Narsapur Lighthouse named after Narsapur point, is situated on the East Bank of Vasishta Godavari River entrance. The name Antervedi for the Lighthouse was adopted from the name of the nearby temple of Antervedi Narsimha Swamy. The lighthouse is about 40 Km from Rajahmundry Railway station.

A 2.5 m high Square Brick masonry column existed half a kilometer west of the present Lighhouse which served as a Beacon during the early years of the 20th century. This was probably the original Narsapur Point beacon.

The construction of the Lighthouse at the present site was taken up in 1966-67 and completed in 1970-71. The optical equipment with 1500W 110V incandescent lamps, supplied by M/s B.B.T., Paris, was installed on the tower. The lighthouse was commissioned in June 1971. The radio Beacon equipment supplied by M/s Nautel, Canada, was installed at the station and put on the air in January 1980. the DGPS equipment manufactured by M/s Leica Geo Systems, U.S.A as well as 500W transmitters of Southern Avionics Co make were integrated in April 2003 converting the Radio Beacon to DGPS station.

The main light source 1500W 110V incandescent lamp was changed to Metal Halide lamp 400W 230V in Septmber 1997. The emergency and main light source were modified to a cluster of three 150W 230V metal Halide lamps in August2004.