Sri Matsya Venkateswara Swamy Temple is located on a hill at Devarampadu village in Rajupalem Mandal, Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh. The temple is popularly known as Nethi Venkanna and is also associated with the name Palnati Tirumala. This unique shrine is especially known for the worship of Lord Venkateswara in connection with the Matsya, or fish, form.
The exact age of the present temple is not clearly recorded. However, the shrine has a long-standing place in the religious traditions of the Palnadu region and has been worshipped by devotees from the surrounding villages for generations.
The presiding deity is Sri Matsya Venkateswara Swamy. The Lord is popularly known as Nethi Venkanna because of the special butter tradition followed at the temple. The Matsya connection is an important part of the temple’s identity, as devotees believe that the Lord reveals himself in a fish-like Matsya form through the sacred butter offered to him.
The temple has the simple character of a traditional hill shrine and is surrounded by the natural landscape of Devarampadu. One of its distinctive features is the belief that the main deity is exposed to the rays of the Sun during the day. The combination of the hill setting, the traditional shrine and the unique worship practices give the temple a character of its own.
The history of the temple is closely connected with the religious traditions of the villages around Palnadu. Over the generations, the shrine developed into an important local pilgrimage centre. Its annual celebrations also preserve the agricultural traditions of the region, with farmers and villagers coming together to offer their prayers and participate in the festivities.
According to local tradition, Lord Venkateswara manifested himself at Devarampadu in a special Matsya form and became known as Nethi Venkanna. The most important legend of the temple is connected with the offering of fresh butter.
It is traditionally believed that after cattle give birth, the first butter obtained from them is offered to the Lord. The butter is placed over the deity and, as it is exposed to the warmth of the Sun, it gradually melts and becomes like ghee. Devotees believe that during this process a form resembling a fish can be seen in the melted butter. This is regarded as the divine manifestation of Lord Venkateswara in his Matsya form.
Because of this unusual and sacred tradition, the deity is known as Nethi Venkanna, while the Matsya form has given the shrine its identity as Sri Matsya Venkateswara Swamy Temple. The belief has been preserved through generations and remains one of the most special features of this temple.
The shrine is also associated with prayers for children. Devotees visit the temple with faith and offer prayers for their wishes to be fulfilled. These local traditions and beliefs form an important part of the spiritual heritage of Devarampadu.
The main festival of the temple is the annual Tirunallu. It is traditionally held after Maha Shivaratri and continues for three Saturdays. Large numbers of devotees gather at the temple, prepare pongal and offer it to the Lord. Farmers bring beautifully decorated bullock carts and take them around the hill as part of the celebrations. On the festival days, devotees also seek darshan of Nethi Venkanna in his special Matsya Avatara form. The festival beautifully brings together devotion, agriculture and the traditional village culture of the Palnadu region.
