Usually while talking about any ancient temple in India, we find descriptions of when and how it was built by a certain king or person who received a dream instruction from the deity. But a temple in Telangana is said to be built by demons!

Legend says Jainath Temple in Telangana was carved by demons with their teeth out of devotion for Lord Narayana! This belief connects to the temple’s ornate carvings and its historical significance as an architectural marvel. According to a popular story, demons built the Narayana temple in the region of Jainath, and their craftsmanship involved using their own teeth to carve the structure. The temple is built of black stone.

How old is Telangana’s Jainath temple?

While legend has it that demons built this temple by working night after night to seek God’s blessings, the real history is different. The Jainath Temple in Telangana is approximately 1,000 to 1,300 years old, built between the 7th and 9th centuries CE during the Pallava period. While it is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lakshminarayana Swamy, the name “Jainath” comes from the temple’s blend of Jain artistic influence and the Pallava architectural style.

The temple is an ancient pilgrimage site in Adilabad, dedicated to Lord Lakshmi Narayana, and is considered an important architectural monument from the Pallava dynasty period (4th to 9th century CE). The legend emphasizes the extraordinary skill and dedication that is reflected in the temple’s detailed and intricate carvings.

Jainath originally a Jain temple

Jain traditions, architecture and art can be seen at every step of Jainath temple, which was originally a Jain temple. However, there is another inscription in the temple that says Jagadeva, who ruled this region as a vassal of the Chalukya king Tribhuvana Mallu, built this temple in the 12th century. Historians believe that perhaps during his time it was completely converted from a Jain temple into a Lakshmi Narayana temple. Following this, the village was named Jainad or Jainath and the temple was named Jainath Lakshmi Narayana Swamy Temple. This town is 21 km away from Adilabad.

Celebration done in the month of Kartika

This temple is maintained and managed by the Telangana Devadaya charity or the Telangana Endowments Department, which manages the state’s charitable and religious institutions.

Special celebrations are done in the month of Kartika as per the Hindu lunar calendar. In Jainath temple, the deity is touched by the rays of sun for a few days of the year in the month of Kartika which means from the last week of October to the 10th of November of English calendar. On the Ratha Saptami days in February also the rays of the sun touch the Lord. At least 800 Satyanarayana vratas are performed here on Kartika Poornami day.

Brahmo festivals are celebrated in Jainath temple. A large number of devotees come to this temple not only from the surrounding villages of Jainath but also from Maharashtra. In the temple, there are idols of Lord Anjaneya Swamy or Lord Hanuman, Garuthmanthudu or Garuda along with Chenna Kesava Swamy (a form of the Hindu god Vishnu, whose name means handsome Kesava) idols on one side of the temple and Lord Gadadhar on the other side.

However, the thousand-year-old Jainath Lakshmi Narayana temple, which is a visual delight, needs more development.

How to go to this temple?

Visitors can go to Jainath temple from Tirupati via Vijayawada, Hyderabad (Charlapalli) Krishna Express, which goes to Adilabad every day. This train reaches Adilabad at 6:15 am. From there Jainath is only 21 kms. On the return journey, the same train will leave Adilabad again at 9 pm. Apart from this, you can also go to Adilabad by bus route. The nearest major airports to Adilabad are Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) in Hyderabad and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport (NAG) in Nagpur.

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