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Temple of Chitra Guptaji

About four furlongs outside the Lal Darwaza area. in a locality to the South of Hyderabad  can be seen the temple of  Chitra Guptaji, Sri Chitra Guptaji Maharaj was the son of Lod Brahma the great ancestor of the  Kayestha community.

Built in early 11th century, the Chitragupta Temple situated at the extreme northern end of a row of four temples and extending from south to north is dedicated to Surya, the Sun God. Facing eastwards towards the rising sun, the temple is located about 100 yards south-east of the Chopra Tank,a deep three-storeyed stepped well that was built by the Chandelas. The only Khajuraho temple that is dedicated to Surya, the Chitragupta Temple demonstrates an evolution when compared with the Lakshmana and Vishvanatha monuments. The temple's inner sanctum has a very impressive five feet image of the sun god ,who is shown driving a seven horsed chariot. The temple shows a fair amount of signs of restorative work and is the place where most of the dance performances take place during the Khajuraho Dance.

Bootleggers have made the 200-year-old Chitragupta temple located at Chatrinaka in the old city of Hyderabad has a safe haven to sell 'gudamaba'.
The only Chitragupta temple in the entire of South attracts women devotees who perform a concluding ceremony after their 41-day 'chitragupta vratam'. People, particularly women, who are under going malefic effect of 'Ketu', perform the 'chitragupta vratam 'and seek his blessings here.

Though there is no evidence to ascertain the builder of the temple, local people say that the 'Kayasths', who migrated from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar had built the temple some 200 years ago, says temple priest Ch Rangacharya. Chitragupta, the court master in the court of Yamadharma Raja, the god of death had two wives— Suryaputri and Nagaputri— and there idols are also installed in the temple. Now this place of worship is refuge for people selling illicit liqour. According to local residents neither the endowments department nor the police department was interested in checking the illicit sale of gudamba in the temple premises. In fact, the temple is located at a stone's throw from Chatrinaka police station.

The temple located on a three-and-a-half acre plot has also fallen prey to land encroachers. Nearly 13 families have occupied the 'satrams' (rest houses) constructed for the benefit of devotees, who come from distant places."The endowments department did not act despite a direction from the court to take necessary action and vacate the illegal occupants. The court gave direction in the mid eighties," K Hanumantha Rao, member of the Trust Board says.The cattle shed constructed just in front of the temple has been causing hardships to the devotees and school children,who are studying in the Saraswati Sishu Mandir located in the temple premises.

"The endowments officials have not responded to oft repeated requests to remove the cattle shed," says a devotee.When asked about funds, Rao said,"though a Trust Board has been formed by the department there is no patronage. School management pays Rs 900 as rent. It is not sufficient to pay the salaries of the two priests, who are dependent on the temple."The temple is solely managed through the offerings of essential commodities like oil, rice from the local kirana stores merchants, he added. Interestingly, people of kayasth community rarely visit the temple. "They come once or twice a year.Devotees throng the temple in good number only on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays following the construction of Siva, Saibaba and Hanuman temples in recent past," temple priest said.