Namaste!

Balakrishna Temple is located in a village called Chengizkhanpet (The name is derived from original ‘Sangi Sani Peta’,
‘Sanga Sani’ being a court dancer of Sri Krishna Devaraya and this land (which now is a village) was gifted to her.

The Vennamudda BalaKrishna Temple (meaning “butterball” in Telugu) boasts a unique idol of Lord Krishna. This grand statue, the only one of its kind in India, depicts Krishna holding a ball of butter (venna mudda).

Located near Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, the temple resides in the village of Chengizkhanpet, nestled at the foot of the historic Kondaveedu hills, once home to a fort built by the Reddi Kings.

Reaching the temple is easy with good motorable access from Guntur, Chilakaluripet, and Narasaraopet towns. The road is suitable even for small cars, making it a perfect destination for a day trip.

Important Note: As amenities might be limited, it’s advisable to carry your own food and water for your visit.

ISKCON is busy developing a grand temple complex known as the ISKCON Kondaveedu Spiritual Heritage Revival Project (IKSHR) next to the temple. This ambitious project envisions a gold-coated temple surrounded by an array of attractions inspired by the Hindu epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. The sprawling complex will encompass an international school, a medical center, a religious theme park, a museum dedicated to preserving heritage, a Vedic school, and even a cow protection center.

ISKCON is developing a beautiful Temple complex. http://centres.iskcon.org/centre/iskcon-kondaveedu-guntur-vennamudda-gopala-krishna-golden-temple/ 

 

Visit nearby places:

Very close to this temple you can visit,

1. Siva Temple (in ruins) with its ‘kattula baavi’ (Water well with swords/lancets in the base)
2. Trek up the kondaveedu hill or
3. drive up the hill, made possible with recent road (we went up by cycles in one of our recent cycle trips)
4. Look out for stone tablets strewn here and there and try to decipher the writings.
5. Find some disfigured temple stones and idols here and there

The pictures below are of a Siva temple nearby which is in ruins with clues to its grand past. There is a self-appointed elderly Muslim man who acts as a guide and gladly receives your gracious ‘bakshish’

Pictured below, the Kondaveedu hills,  that can be visited from the temple offer great trekking opportunities. Rumoured to have hidden treasure in the hills. Legend is that there were some lucky hunters!

Visited this area again in June 2016 on cycles with my friend Anand who works in ITC. We cycled from Guntur. Total trip is about 60-70Km

Here are some photos from 2016

Balakrishna temple, Kondaveedu hills and other dilapidated temples and historical artefacts are a must-visit to one and all. Its a day trip.

Carry your own water and food.

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Don’t forget to keep the environment clean.

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Repeat cycling trip in 2018:  We cycled up the new road on the hills. details: https://www.facebook.com/connect.gs/posts/10215626329266958

Kondaveedu was ruled by ?ed?y kings in the past. They built their fort atop Kondaveedu Hills. It was very difficult to climb these hills. Now a new ghat road has been laid up to the top. We decided to go for cycling. We started from Guntur at 5:30 it was an exciting ride and climb up to the top. Road is beautifully laid. We came back by 1030 to Guntur. Totally it was about 70 km ride

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