Adinarayana Swamy Temple in Kodakanchi is located in Jinnaram Mandal, Sangareddy District, about 40 km from Hyderabad. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is called Sri Sridevi Bhoodevi Sametha Sri Adinarayana Swamy Temple. The temple has a self-manifested (Swayambu) idol on the ground floor along with the Garudamantha idol.
The temple is famous for its gold and silver lizard (Bangaru & Vendi Balli), installed by Kanchi Peethadipati.
The temple also has a small shrine outside the main compound, under a large Neem tree, with idols of Shiva Linga, Nandi, and Lord Hanuman. The entrance has an old gopuram (temple tower), and the main temple, built on a rocky hill, now has a newly constructed platform.
Built in the 10th century CE, the temple is similar to the Kanchi temple in Tamil Nadu. It has golden and silver lizards on the wall, and touching them is believed to remove doshas (negative effects) caused by lizards. According to Telangana folklore, if one cannot visit Kanchi in their lifetime, visiting Kodakanchi is considered equivalent.
The temple’s origins trace back to a visionary experience of Allani Ramoji Rao, a local devotee, who dreamt of Lord Vishnu revealing the location of his idol in the Mambapur forest. Following this divine guidance, the idol was retrieved and installed on a hillock in Kodakanchi. The temple’s rituals mirror those of the Kanchi temple in Tamil Nadu, leading to the local adage: “If you cannot go to Kanchi, go to Kodakanchi.” Devotees believe that visiting this temple offers spiritual benefits akin to visiting the Kanchi temple.
The annual Jatara, held two weeks before Shivaratri, is the only time Kodakanchi village sees large crowds. The village has several old structures, suggesting that a much larger complex once stood here, covering hundreds of acres.
