Raikal

Raikal is the mandal (sub-district) headquarters and a small town in Karimnagar District, Andhra Pradesh, India.^[1]

Raikal is about 65 km from the district headquarters Karimnagar. This small town has historical significance for two things. The first is the ancient temple of Kesavanatha Swamy which was built in the 13th century by the Kakatiya dynasty. This temple’s idol is Panchamukhalingeswara Swamy (Lord Siva with five faces) which is believed to be one of the only two existing , the other being at Varanasi. The second attraction is the annual Bhimanna Jatara (Hindu festival) held for 3 days during January – March. Dussera is celebrated in a big way with many people gathering at the “Jambi” near the shivaji statue, which is at the perimeter of the town. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people. Rice, corn, turmeric, chilli are typically grown. Dairy, poultry and goat farming are the upcoming industries. There is much horticulture, with many mangoes being produced in and around this region. Though there are other business such as weaving and sawmill as well, many people live on rolling the beedis; which is a popular occupation for the housewives in this region. Education is given importance and many people from this small town are doctors, engineers and in various important administrative departments holding important positions. There are schools in the town which attract students from near-by villages. Many people are migrating to bigger cities and other countries to earn their living.

A newly constructed Ayyappa temple is attracting lots of devotees. The Ayyappa temple resembles that of the Shabirimala temple. GuruswamiMUNUGOTI SATYANARAYANA SHARMA is the purohith of ayyappa temple. He is son of MUNUGOTI GANGADHAR SHARMA . There is also a Saibaba Temple very close to Raikal. The famous Holy Temple in Raikal is Chennakesava Swamy Aalayam, and is located near Sri Saraswathi Shishumandir.