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Srisailam is situated in the thick and
inaccessible forests of the Nallamalai hills, in the northeastern portion
of the Nandikotkur Taluk of Kurnool
District. It is one of the most ancient and sacred places in South India,
and this important religious shrine stands on the Rishabhagiri hill, on
the southern bank of the sacred river Krishna. Srisailam is referred to as
"Sri Giri", "Sriparvata", "Rudra Parvata"
and "Seshachalam" in several texts and Puranas.
The
presiding deity at the place is Sri MallikarjunaSwami in the form of a
lingam, which is one of the twelve 'Jyotirlingams' existing in the
country. Another important temple at the place is that of 'Bhramaramba',
the consort of Lord 'Mallikarjunaswami'.
The Legend
It is said the 'Vrishabha', the sacred bull of Lord Shiva performed
penance here. Lord Shiva appeared before him, with his consort Parvati in
the forms of Mallikarjuna and Bharamaramba. Other shrines within the
temple include the 'Sahasra Linga' 'Panchapandava Temples' and 'Vata
Vriksha'.
Historical Significance
The temple abounds in sculptural beauty and there are about 116
inscriptions in and around it. It is associated historically with such
great rulers as the Chalukyan kings, Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara and
Chatrapati Shivaji. Adi Shankara is also said to have worshipped the deity
at the temple.
The Buddhist pilgrims, Fahiyan and Hieun t`sang have made references to
the Sriparvata hill, which is in the Nagarjunakonda valley of the same
river Krishna. The sanctity of this place is claimed both by the Hindus as
well as by the Buddhists.
A Unique Ritual
The most appealing feature of this temple is that anyone of any cast and
creed, can touch the deity and worship here, a custom not found anywhere
in Andhra Pradesh. The river Pathalaganga (In Srisailam the Krishna river
is known as Pathalaganga, and is regarded as a very sacred river for
pilgrims) is about two miles from the temple, with a flight of stone steps
leading to it. People bathe in this river before going for the darshan of
the Lord. There are several "Teppalu" (small boats in circular
shape) and one can enjoy riding on the Pathalaganga.
A Scenic Spot
Apart from its religious importance, Srisailam is also a place of scenic
beauty and one of the most important tourist spot in the country. At
'Sikharam', the highest of the Srisailam hills, is 'Sikhareswara Swami', a
temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Another beautiful temple is Sri Ganapathi temple, dedicated to Lord
Ganesh. The 512m long Srisailam Dam and the Paladhara and Panchadhara
waterfalls located here are surrounded by natural beauty. Srisailam
wildlife sanctuary, which covers areas in five adjoining districts, has
tigers, panthers, spotted deer, giant squirrels, great lizards, pangolins,
crocodiles, civets and a varieties of snakes.
Maha Shivaratri festival, celebrated at
Srisailam, is of all-India importance. This festival usually falls in the
month of February-March and is a time to solemnly invoke Lord Shiva
through fasts and chants. Lakhs of pilgrims throng to worship the deity
and have a holy dip in the river Krishna known as the Pathala Ganga.
Goddess Bhramaramba whose festivals come a month or two after Shivarathri
attracts even larger crowds consisting of 'Lingayats'. Goddess
Bhramarambika is said to be one of the eighteen leading 'Shaktis' of
India.
Air: The nearest airport is at
Hyderabad
(232-km).
Rail: The nearest railway stations are at
Kurnool and Nandyal on the
Guntur-Hubli road at a distance of
158-km.
Road: Srisailam is well connected by APSRTC and Devasthanam buses
with Hyderabad, Mahaboobnagar,
Nalgonda, Devorkonda, Guntur,
Vijayawada, Kurnool,
Ongole, Mahanandi, Mantralayam,
Anantapur,
Tirupati and
Chitradurg among other places.
There are excellent choultries built by the Temple Devasthanam, in which poor pilgrims can stay free of cost. Cottages and guesthouses, with all amenities are also available over here.
The Andhra Pradesh Travel & Tourism Development Corporation operates package tours from Hyderabad to Srisailam every week. The tour begins at 11:30 am on Saturdays and ends at 9:00 pm on Sundays.