Also known as Siddharameshwar or Siddarama, Siddharameshwar was a Kannada poet and mystic and one of the acharya of Lingayat. Siddhrama is said to have written a total of 68,000 vachanas. 1379 vachanas out of these are still existent. He believed in the philosophy of karmayoga or service to mankind and he did not believe is caste or sex base discrimination system. Siddharameshwar used metaphors borrowed from diverse spheres of day to day life to lay stress on realization through personal experience.

The Siddharameshwar temple is located in Solapur, Maharashtra. Siddarama was the ruler of Solapur or Sonnalgi. In 12th century, he encouraged intercaste marriages as part of the Sharana Revolution and undertook several irrigation plans for the good of the common people. Solapur was a drought prone area and with the help of 4000 Sharanas, he dug a lake. The problem was thus solved.

Shri Siddharameshwar, who was a historical figure of the 12th century, was transformed into a God-figure over time due to his karmayoga towards Solapur, his native land. He saw divinity in every living thing.

Considered as one of the five prophets of the Lingayat panth, Siddarameswara contributed greatly to this religion and gained “siddhi”.

History of the Siddharameshwar Temple

In 12th century, a lot of militant activity was witnessed in the region and this gave rise to a sect of Shaivism which is devoted to Lord Shiva. The temple was built as a mark of respect for Lord Siddharameshwar and it reflects upon the changing perception of that period. The advent of Shaivism was followed by its promotion as part of Veerashaiva sect.

The temple also celebrates the evolution of the Shaivism sect and its integration with the society. Shaivism is also known as Veerashaiva as Lord Siddheshwar was one of the five prophets of the Lingayat Veerashaivism sect.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is associated with destruction and death. This temple is of great relevance to those who believe in life after death and Karmayoga.

King Tamradwaj got this temple constructed. With stunning designs and intricate carvings, this temple is an architectural marvel. The figures of mythological characters are extremely beautiful and worth seeing. This is a perfect example of excellent craftsmanship of the workers of that era.

Attractions

The first thing that grabs the attention of the visitors is the intricately carved figures on the walls of the Siddharameshwar temple. The temple lies only 2 km away from the city of Latur in Maharashtra. Situated in the middle of a lake, this picturesque temple is visited by many people every year. With the backdrop of a fort behind it, the view is simply breathtaking. A total of 68 lingams of Lord Shiva were installed in the city of Solapur. The beautiful lake surrounding the temple is home to a number of fish and the locales of the place consider it holy and pious to feed the fish. Even a huge amount of food is thrown into the lake, the lake is considerably clean.

Apart from the main Shiva Lingam, there a number of temples of different Gods in the Siddharameshwar temple complex. These temples are huge and spacious. It is believed that Shri Siddharameshwar attained Jeeva Samadhi in the temple complex itself. The Samadhi of Shri Siddharameshwar draws a lot of pilgrims from far and wide.

The temple opens for visitors early morning. The temple can be visited at 5:30 in the morning. Rituals are performed by priests within the temple complex if any special offering is to be made. The doors of the temple are shut after the evening aarti after 8 pm.

The maintenance of the temple is done by the Siddharameshwar trust which looks after the temple. It is worth noting that the trust is doing a great job. The entire temple complex is well maintained and clean. Even though there is a huge crowd of people, especially during festivals, it is managed really well. There is a proper queue system that allows men and women to enter the sanctum sanctorum separately. This makes the entire experience extremely comfortable. Books and photographs related to the temples history can be bought from the shop of the temple. Apart from this, a lot of social work and charity is carried out by the trust. The huge library within the temple complex has a wonderful collection of religious literature.

Best Route to Visit

By Air

Latur is well connected by air route. The airport at Chincholiraowadi is 12 km away from Latur.

By Rail

An Indian railway also connects Latur. Latur can be reached comfortably Mumbai or Pune via the rail route.

By Road

Latur lies close to the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and the road connectivity is good too. Hence this city can also be reached easily from these two states as well.