Chance find in Dubbak reveals Telangana’s 3rd Bhairava mantra peetham

Hyderabad: A chance find in a quiet Shaiva shrine at Dubbak has added a significant new chapter to Telangana's geography. Heritage enthusiasts have identified a Bhairava mantra peetham at the mandal headquarters in Siddipet district after a Yogabhairava-Kalika sculpture, long worshipped by villagers, was closely examined and correctly interpreted. "This is the third Bhairava mantra peetham identified in Telangana," said Sreeramoju Haragopal, convenor of Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam (KTCB). The sculpture was found on the Shivalinga peetham inside the Shaiva temple locally known as the Vitthaleshwara temple. Siripuram Narendra, a Dubbak resident and member of KTCB, identified the idol as Yogabhairava seated with goddess Kalika, Haragopal said. According to P Mahesh, iconographist, and Haragopal, the identification is firmly rooted in iconographic details. The sculpture is in sukhasana murti, with Bhairava holding a parashu (axe) and shvana pataka (dog banner) in the rear hands, an akshamala (rosary) in the right front hand, and offering darshan with the left hand in prasarita hasta (extended) pose. The Devi is depicted holding a khatvanga (staff) and showing prasarita hasta. They said the idol had earlier been worshipped as a Vaishnava murti "due to ignorance of its iconographic features," resulting in a long-standing misidentification. Kalamukha tradition Haragopal traced the spiritual lineage of the peetham to the Kalamukha tradition, noting that Pashupata Shaivism later branched into Kapalika and Kalamukha sects. He said Kalamukha traditions reached the Telugu region by the 6th century CE and remained influential between the 9th and 13th centuries. "Many inscriptions mentioning the Kalamukhas were found in Telangana," he said, adding that several temples later faded into obscurity due to the absence of inscriptional records.Haragopal said previously identified Bhairava mantra peethas in the state include the nine-headed Chanda Bhairava at Edulabad and the Svachchhanda Bhairava seats at Indresham. "A fourth peetham remains to be explored," he said, adding that there is no information so far about similar Bhairava mantra peethas elsewhere in the country.