Srisailam - Lord Mallikarjuna and Goddess Bhramaramba

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Stone carving showing serpent form of Shiva and goddess Shakti at Srisailam

temple, Andhra Pradesh state, India

 

Located on the side of the ancient sacred hill of Srigiri, in the Nallamalai

range of Andhra Pradesh, is the exotic temple of Srisailam. The temple complex,

whose existing buildings date from the 2nd century AD, is one of the twelve

Jyotir Linga Shiva shrines as well as one of the eighteen most sacred goddess

shrines, or Shakti Pithas. This unique combination of major god and goddess

shrines at the same site makes Srisailam one of India's most holy sites. Shiva

is worshipped here in his form of Lord Mallikarjuna, and Shakti, his consort, as

Sri Bharamaramba Devi. The images of these deities, both extremely old, are

enshrined in the more recent temple built by the Vijayanager king Harihara Raya

around 1404 AD. The temple, whose popular name is Sriparvata, is surrounded by a

great fortress-like wall that is 20 feet high, 6 feet wide and 2120 feet in

circumference. Built in in 1520 AD, the wall has 3200 stones, each weighing over

one ton, and is decorated with fine relief carvings depicting scenes from Hindu

mythology.

 

Goddess worship occurred in India since deepest antiquity and certainly predates

both the Aryan incurions (1800BC) and the Indus Valley Harappan civilization

(3000 BC). Worship of the goddess in her many froms occurs all over the

sub-continent and in many places she is more popular than the gods Shiva or

Vishnu. All the goddesses of Hinduism are considered to be manifestations of the

multi-faceted personality of the one great Mother Goddess of creation. According

to certain Hindu myths, the goddess is the combined energy of all the gods, who

created and then equipped her with weapons so that she might destroy a demon

whose power was greater than theirs. Different temples will enshrine different

images of the goddess, from her peaceful aspects of Parvati, Lakshmi, and

Saraswati, to her fearful aspects of Durga, Chamunda and Kali; she is both the

gentle giver of life and the terrible mistress of death. Worshipped by

particular sects of Hinduism known as Tantric, the goddess encourages meditation

on yantras (visual mantras and magic diagrams), erotic sexual practices, and the

ritual slaughter of animals. Before her shrines at many Shakti Pitha sites are

large, two-pronged forks for securing the heads of animals being sacrificed. In

the active Shakti Pitha shrines at least one goat will be sacrificed daily and

on major festival days several hundred goats and many buffaloes will be

slaughtered. Pilgrims passing the place of sacrifice will dip a finger in the

blood and touch it to their lips and foreheads. The background idea here is not

that the goddess is cruel, but that she is looked upon as the protectress from

all evil, ailment, danger and death. She should frighten away the demons and

sorcerers of misfortune. In her terrible aspects she also confronts the pilgrim

with the transience of life and death, and thereby encourages them to seek

eternal wisdom and enlightenment.

 

The primary sacred places of the goddess are the Shakti Pithas and they are

variously described in different texts as being 18, 51, 52 or 108 in number,

each of these sites being associated with a particular part of Shakti's body. A

fascinating legend (recounted from Pilgrimage in the Hindu Tradition, by

Morinis) gives insight into the miraculous healing powers of the Shakti Pithas.

Shakti is the daughter of Daksa and Prasuti, and the wife of Shiva. Daksa

decided to hold a great sacrifice to which he invited neither his daughter nor

son-in-law. Shakti was offended by this slight and attended the sacrifice

uninvited. There she was insulted by Daksa and, thus humiliated, she took her

life. On hearing this news, her husband Shiva hastened to the house of Daksa,

disrupted the sacrifice, killed Daksa, and claimed the body of his wife.

Inconsolable at his loss, he placed Shakti's body on his shoulder and began a

mad dance through the three universes. His dance threatened to destroy all

creation and the gods became distraught at this prospect. One version of the

story has it that the gods approached Vishnu to restrain Shiva. Vishnu sent

arrows or his discus to dismember the body of Shakti limb by limb. An

alternative version states that Brahma, Vishnu and Sani entered Shakti's body

and caused it to disintegrate. When Shiva was thereby deprived of the body, he

ceased his mad dance. The parts of Shakti's body fell from Shiva's shoulders to

the earth, and the places where they landed became the sacred Shakti Pithas. For

countless centuries these sites have been visited by women having ailments in

certain parts of their bodies - the temple enshrining a particular part of

Shakti's body is believed to have the miraculous capacity to heal that exact

part of a woman's body. Some of the Shakti Pithas are also called Siddha-Pithas

because they are considered highly effective for the acquisition of spiritual

powers; At these sites, Srisailam being one of them, the goddess is known to

confer wisdom, bliss and enlightenment. The names and locations of the Shakti

Pithas are too long to list here, readers interested in studying and visiting

these places should consult the works by Bagchi, Housden, Morinis, Sastri, and

Sircar. A particularly good listing of the 51 Shakti Pithas is given in

Housden's excellent book, Travels Through Sacred India.

 

SRISAILAM Serene Srisailam, 232 km south of Hyderabad is situated on the banks

of river Krishna. The 512 meter long Srisailam dam located here is surrounded by

natural beauty. On the south bank of the Krishna river, in the Nallamalai

forest, on a 457 meter high hill is the Bhramaramba Mallikarjunaswamy temple, it

is one of the 12 'Jyotirlingas' in India.

The temple is also the seat of Mahakali in the form of Bhramaramba. 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.

 

A massive fort, with 6 meter high wall encloses the temple.

 

A cluster of minor shrines within the temple enclosure include the Sahasra

Linga, Panchapandava temples and Vata Vriksha. The most appealing feature of

this temple is that anyone of any cast and creed, can touch the deity and

worship here.

 

At Sikharam, the highest of the Srisailam hills, is Sikhareswara Swamy, a temple

dedicated to Lord Shiva. Another beautiful temple is Sri Ganapathi temple,

dedicated to Lord Ganesh. 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.

 

Srisailam

The temple at Srisailam is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is considered as one of

his twelve Jyotirlingas. Srisailam, also known as Sriparvata is situated in the

Rishabgiri Hills on the Southern banks of the river Krishna in Kurnool district

of Andhra Pradesh. Mention of Srisailam as Sriparvata has been made in the

immortal epic of the Hindus - the " Mahabharata " .

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

Temparature: Mean Max. Mean Min.

Summer : 38 Deg.C. 30 Deg.C.

Winter : 26 Deg.C. 20 Deg.C.

Rainfall : Seasonal.

Season : September to February

 

HOW TO GET THERE

 

Air : The nearest airport is at Hyderabad (232 km) which is airlinked with

Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Madras, Nagpur, Vishakapatnam.

Other private Airlines like East West Airlines & Continental Aviation also

connects Hyderabad with Bombay.

Fare : Bombay - Hyderabad Rs.1520/-

 

Rail : Nearest railhead is Markapur Road on the Guntur-Hubli metre gauge line.

Nandyal and Kurnool on the same line are also convenient railheads. However

convenient railhead is Hyderabad (232 km).

Fare : Bombay - Hyderabad Ist class Rs.510/- IInd class Rs.169/-

 

Road : Road distances from Srisailam are Atmakur (113 km), Anantapur (325 km),

Bangalore (538 km), Bombay (971 km), Calcutta (1491 km), Delhi (1685 km), Dornal

(49 km), Hyderabad (232 km), Kurnool (180 km), Madras (568 km), Nagarjunasagar

(180 km), Nandyal (158 km), Tirupati (436 km), Vijayawada (248 km),

Visakhapatnam (614 km).

 

Bus Services : 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.

 

Local Trans. : Cycle Rickshaws are available.

 

CONDUCTED TOURS

 

The Andhra Pradesh Travel & Tourism Development Corporation Operates package

tours from Hyderabad to Srisailam every week. The tour begins at 11:30 A.M on

Saturdays and ends at 09:00 P.M on Sundays. The tour cost is Rs.145/- for Adult

and Rs.80/- for Child, which excludes accommodation charges. Accommodation can

be arranged on prior notice at tourist cost.

 

PLACES OF INTEREST

 

Damsite, Hatekeswaram, Pathalaganga, Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple,Sakshi Ganapathi

Sikharam

 

EXCURSIONS

 

Alampur (27 km), Dindi Reservoir (64 km), Kurnool (180 km), Nagarjunasagar (180

km), Papanasam (2 km), Sangameswar (18 km).

 

Situated on the banks of River Krishna, in the Nallamalai forest, Srisailam is

232 km south of Hyderabad.On the south bank of the river, on a 457 metre high

hill, is the Bhramarambha Mallikarjunaswamy Temple. Sri Mallikarjunaswamy, the

presiding deity, is one of the 12 'Jyotirlingams' in India.

 

A massive fort, with walls 6 metre high encloses the temple.

A cluster of minor shrines within the temple enclosures include the 'Sahasra

Linga' 'Panchapandava Temples' and 'Vata Vriksha'.

The highest of the Srisailam hills, is Sikhareswara Swamy, at Sikharam.

The 512 meter long Srisailam dam along with the hydel power project is also

worth seeing.

 

The Srisailam temple is also the seat of Mahakali in the form of Bhramaramba. 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.

 

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.

 

The sacred hill Srisailam, a unique combination of forest sanctuary and

pilgrimage town, makes a refreshing weekend break from Hyderabad. The River

Krishna carves a deep gorge through the woods of the Nallamalai Hills, and

leaves in its wake a lush forest that is home to India's largest tiger reserve.

The reserve is huge - 3568 sq km - spread over five districts in Andhra Pradesh.

It shelters blackbuck, panthers, chinkara, spotted deer, nilgai, pangolins,

leopards, soft-shelled turtles, porcupines, crocodiles and a variety of other

animals, birds and snakes, in addition to the tiger. There is a successful

crocodile reintroduction programme in Ethipothala, a cataract close to

Srisailam. Nearby, the 512 m long Srisailam Dam on the River Krishna is set

amidst beautiful natural scenery - ghats, cliffs, craggy ridges, plateaus and

dense forests.

 

The forests have attracted human visitors for centuries, not only because of the

ecological systems that it supports, but also as a pilgrimage centre. Pilgrims

bathe in the Pathalaganga - the local name for the River Krishna - before

visiting the sacred shrines of Brahmaramba, Mallikarjunaswamy, Uma-Maheshwara

and Saraswati.

 

Shiva's sacred bull Vrishabha is said to have performed penance at the Mahakali

temple till Shiva and Parvati appeared before him as Mallikarjuna and

Brahmaramba. The temple is one of the 12 hallowed jyotirlingas; Lord Rama

himself installed the Sahasralinga, while the Pandavas lodged the Panchapandava

lingas in the temple courtyard. Heroic legends from the Mahabharata and Ramayana

are sculpted in stone on the temple walls and the Mahabharata epic refers to

Srisailam as Sri Parvata - the blessed hill. You can hear the buzzing of a bee

through a tiny hole in the Brahmaramba temple, where Parvati, in the form of a

bee, slew the demon Mahisasura.

 

One of the nicest aspects of these temples is that everyone is allowed to pray

here and touch the Lord's feet, unlike some other ancient temples. So come to

Srisailam for that interesting holiday you've always wanted - it's a different

world altogether.

 

Srisailam, located at an altitude of over 1,500 feet above sea level, is a

sacred place of pilgrimage in India. Set in picturesque natural surroundings in

the northern-most plateau of the Nallamala Hill range, it houses a temple of

Shiva known as the Bhramaramha Mallikharajunaswami temple, which is one of the

twelve Jyotirlingas in the country. The temple is also the seat of Mahakali in

the form of Bhramaramha. The temple abounds in sculpture and there are many

inscriptions in and around it.

 

Apart from the religious importance, Srisailam is also a place of scenic beauty

and one of the most important tourist spots in the country.

 

NAGARJUNSAGAR-SRISAILAM TIGER RESERVE

 

FACTS & FIGURES

 

Area 356,000 ha Altitude 400-917 m Maximum Temperature42°C Minimum Temperature

12°C Languages SpokenTelugu, Hindi, and English Best Time to VisitNovember to

March STD Code 08524 (Srisailam)

Instant Hotel Booking for Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve

Hotels around Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve INTRODUCTION

 

With an area of 356,000 hectares and sprawling over five districts of central

Andhra Pradesh, the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) is the largest

tiger reserve in the country. It has also been one of the largest wildlife

habitations in the country. Off the regular tourist circuit, a visit to the

Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve helps in gaining a closer look into a

forest that was almost given up as lost until a few years ago. It is not

possible to see the entire reserve at one go but one trip can always lead to

another.

 

LOCATION

 

The sanctuary lies in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in the catchment

area of the Krishna River. The region comprises five districts of the state

namely Kurnool, Prakasam, Guntur, Nalgonda and Mahboobnagar. The sanctuary

extends between latitude 16°15¢-16°45¢ in the North and longitude 78°45¢-80°00¢

in the East. It is surrounded by the Nallamalai Hills on the southern and

eastern side while the Krishna River forms the boundary on the other side. The

sanctuary is 13 km from Macherial.

 

BEST TIME TO VISIT

 

The climate of this region is hot and arid. Summer months are especially

unbearable with the maximum temperature going above 40°C in the moths of

March-June. Winters are pleasant with the minimum temperature hovering around

10°C. Rains are brought about by the southwest monsoon that prevails from June

to October.

 

TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS

 

Evolved out of different needs, the town of Srisailam is divided into three

zones. Srisailam or the original pilgrim town centers round the age-old temples

dedicated to Lord Mallikarjuna and Goddess Bhramaramba, incarnations of Shiva

and Parvati. A fairly stocked marketplace and several lodges for pilgrims lie

alongside the temple quadrangle. About eight kilometers from the temple town is

Sunnipenta, another ridge top where most offices and a few eating houses are

located. Also located here is the office of the Project Tiger and the Field. The dam site on the river Krishna-the Srisailam Hydel Projects-makes

up the third zone.

 

Nestling in the Nallamalai Hill ranges, an offshoot of the Eastern Ghats, with

cliffs, gorges, ridges and plateaus, endowed with a variety of flora and fauna,

the NSTR protects a large portion of the once flourishing ecological system that

existed here. Without having the benefit of being an erstwhile royal game

preserve, the forest in this area was always open to human visitation. Pilgrims

from all over southern India carved out routes through the forest to reach

Srisailam. It was in 1973 that the area was declared a sanctuary and

incorporated under Project Tiger a decade later.

 

A little over 6 sq km in area, the Rollapadu grasslands near Srisailam are

dotted with dry, thorny bushes and is home of about a hundred blackbucks. From a

distance, one can observe families of blackbucks out on their breakfast trail, a

couple of bustards gazing at the horizon while taking a tentive foot forward. At

present, day visits to Rollapadu Sanctuary is permitted.

 

PLACES AROUND NAGARJUNSAGAR

 

Mannanur is a pre-existing tribal hamlet with a comfortably furnished camp

bungalow. Next to the bungalow are a crocodile pond and an environment education

center. From Mannanur, one can explore the western corner of the tiger reserve.

The forest area here is thickly set with miscellaneous timber species with local

names like Nallamadi (Terminalia tomentosa), Chirumanu (Anogeissus latifolia),

etc., as well as stretches of teak forest. One can also spot spotted deers,

sambars, and nilgais here.

 

Nagarjunsagar is the place where excavations have unearthed many historical

monuments belonging to 1st and 2nd century AD. The place is also home to a large

dam built on the river Krishna.

 

HOW TO REACH

 

BY AIR - The nearest airport is at Hyderabad, 316 km away from Srisailam.

Hyderabad is connected to many important cities in India including Delhi and

Mumbai, the major international gateways.

 

BY RAIL - Srisailam is connected through Hyderabad as well as via Markapur (85

km away) on the South Central Railway.

 

BY ROAD - Srisailam is 190 km from Kurnool, 220 km from Guntur, 470 km from

Chennai, and 85 km from Mannanur.

 

WHERE TO STAY

 

Three guesthouses/temple cottages with 248 beds are available at present in the

forest area. Therefore, the available accommodation at these places can be

depended upon while visiting the reserve.

 

We offer excellent accommodation facilities in and around

Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve.

 

Tourism-of-India.com provides complete information on tourism in

Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve. Tourism-of-India.com offers package tours

in order to make your visit to Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve Pleasant.

 

Tourism-of-India.com Offers for Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger ReservePackage

ToursYesBudget HotelsYesOther AccommodationsYesTransportYesGuidesYesEscorts

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SRISAILAM

 

Introduction

 

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 lies on a straight line west of Vijayawada, right as it were in the centre of

South India. It is 73 miles north of Nandyal Railway Station. On leaving

Nandyal, one has to proceed to Atmakur, which is at a distance of 38 miles by

road and from Atmakur to Nagaluti, which is 10 miles off. There are two routes

to reach Srisailam from Nagaluti. One goes via Pedda Cheruvu, and across the

hills, and through dense forests by footpath, and the other by road to Dornal,

and from Dornal to Srisailam, by the recently opened ghat road. The road from

Nagaluti to Pedda Cheruvu is paved with a remarkable series of stone steps, and

the forest scenery, and the ravines of the rock are magnificent and hallowed.

 

This important and religious shrine is situated, on what

 

SRISAILAM

This important and religious shrine is situated, on what is called the

Rishabhagiri hill, on the southern bank of the sacred river Krishna, and is

famous as Srisailam or Sri-parvata, which is one of the several aspects of the

Lord Shiva. The sanctity of this place is claimed both by the Hindus as well as

by the Buddhists.In the samkalpas, i.e., the recitations on the occasion of

religious baths, the name of this sacred place is mentioned along with the other

holy places of India. In almost all the Hindu puranas, mention is made of this

ancient place.Srisailam is a sacred place of pilgrimage, which has been known

from ancient times in India.

 

 

SRISAILAM

A reference to this place in Mahabharata in the Vanaparva is as follows:

" At Sriparvata on the Srisailam Mountain, the resplendent Lord Siva abides with

his consort Parvati, immersed in divine delight. Brahma also stays there along

with other Gods. One bath in the sacred lake, with purity and self-control of

mind, has the same efficacy as the performance of an Asvamedha sacrifice. Not

only the pilgrim is benefited, but his entire race is also liberated. " On the

top of the Srisailam hill, is the famous temple of Lord Siva, known as

Mallikarjuna which is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga. The Lingapurana also refers

to the Jyotirlinga here. The Goddess is known by the name of Bhramaramba. The

place is one of the eight main sthanas of Lord Siva and there is a great Sakti

peetha of the Goddess here.

 

SRISAILAM

Sri Adi Sankara, the great Advita teacher who reestablished the Hindu religion

in this land, has during his pilgrimage all over India, visited Srisailam and

stayed at this spot for some time. It was during his stay here, that Adisankara

composed those exquisite verses in praise of Mallikarjunaswamy in his celebrated

work Sivanandalahari. It was also during his stay here that he sang in praise of

Goddess Bhramaramba, in his Bhramaramba Ashtaka. Sri Sankara has sung in praise

of Lord Mallikarjuna in his Dwadasalingastotra as follows:

" I bow before Lord Mallikarjuna, who helps men to get over, as if by a bridge,

the great ocean of Samsara, and who always resides on the Srisailam hill and the

Seshadri hill. "

 

SRISAILAM

The Sthalamahatmyam of the temple has a very interesting story, regarding the

origin of the temple, where a princess called Chandravati who was the daughter

of a Gupta King called Chandragupta, is said to have offered daily a garland of

Jasmine flowers to the God in Srisailam and eventually married him. This legend

embodied in the Sthalamahatmyam is partly represented in detail in one of the

stone records of the 16th century in this temple.

" Years ago, there lived a princes named Chandravati who was the daughter of a

rajah who ruled from the Chandragupta patnam, on the northern bank of the

Krishna River. Her father was a valiant warrior who used to be absents from his

courting quite often due to his other pre-occupations. The Princes Chandravati

grew up into a beautiful maiden. She was very pious and devoted by nature and

due to a domestic calamity, she went to the forest of Srisailam on the southern

side of the river for prayer and penance. She took nothing with her except

faithful herdsmen and some cattle.

 

SRISAILAM

The princess was living with the herdsman and the cattle, and living mainly on

the forest produce, and upon the milk produced from the cows. She noticed that,

one black cow out of her herd, was not giving any milk at all. She thereupon

instructed the herdsman to find out the reason for this, and to watch the cow.

The herdsman hid himself behind the cow, and watched its movements and came back

and reported, that it Was not yielding any milk, because it gave up all its milk

during the course of its wanderings, form of a Linga. The princess also

witnessed the scene. That night Lord Siva appeared in a dream before her and

told her, that the black stone lying in the forest was nothing but a

manifestation of the Lord Himself. He enjoined upon the princess, the necessity

for building a temple round his own linga. This is said to be the origin of the

first temple in Srisailam.

 

SRISAILAM

Among the numerous bas-reliefs that were built on the outer side of the

courtyard there are two panels, which illustrate this legend in stone.

There is another legend concerning the origin of this temple, among the tribal

population, called Chenchus, who live in this part of the hills. According to

this legend prevalent among the Chenchu tribes, Lord Siva came once to Srisailam

on a hunting expedition, and fell in love with a beautiful Chenchu woman, whom

he married, and who used to accompany him in his hunting expeditions to the

neigh boring forests. Hence even today Lord Mallikarjuna is known among these

tribes as " Chenchu Malliah. " This tribal legend is beautifully borne out by an

interesting bas-relief, on the prakara of the temple, in which a tiger is shown

as being killed by Lord Siva with a thrust of his trident. In this Lord Siva is

shown as being followed by Parvati dressed as a forest woman with arrows and

four dogs. It is Interesting to note, that the Chenchus have free permission,

even today, to go into any part of the temple, Including the Garbha Griha,

enshrining the sacred Linga. It is in fact this tribal

people, which help to drag the car in the big ratha festival of the temple and

also at other minor services within the temple.

 

SRISAILAM

During the great Sivarathri festival, when thousands of people congregate to

bathe in the sacred waters of the Pathalaganga and worship Lord Mallikarjuna,

the Chenchus also go and worship inside the Garbha Griha independent of all the

Priests’. To this day, caste, creed or sex does not prohibit any one, providing

he or she is a Hindu, from doing Abhisheka to the Lord from the waters of the

Pathalaganga or to do Archana with flowers directly. Such a catholic form of

worship is unknown anywhere else in Andhra, except at Srisailam and this custom

probably dates back to the Buddhist period when caste rules were not so rigid.

Srisailam may be traced back to the Buddhist period and perhaps even earlier

than to the Mahayana school of the Buddhism, which is known to have flourished

during the 1st century A.D. The Buddhist pilgrims, Fahiyan and Hieuntsang have

made references to the Sriparvata hill, which is in the Nagarjunakonda valley of

the same river Krishna.

 

SRISAILAM

After the decline of Buddhism, the Hindu religion would appear to have

re-established its authority, probably due to the efforts of Adi Sankara and

Srisailam, which is a seat of Hinduism, is now counted as one of the sacred

Kshetras with an important seat for Sakti in the name of Madhavi which later an

came to be called as Bhramaramba. Srisailam is also a principal seat of the

Jangams and is one of the five main mathas of the Veera saivas. Both the

Brahmins and the Lingayats called as Jangams worship the 'Swayambu Linga' of

Mallikarjuna calling it as Linga Chakravarti. The Jangams have one of their five

important monasteries on the Srisailani hill, the most prominent of' which

appears to have been the Veerasaiva Siddhi or Bhikshatana vrithi monastery

mentioned in the inscriptions. Even today, the Lingayats wear around their

necks, the Linga stones obtained from the bed of the Pathalaganga at Srisailam,

preserving them in little caskets made of wood or silver.

 

SRISAILAM

The main festivals of the temple last from February to the end of May and during

this period, the temple is under the management of the Pushpagiri Math of

Cuddapah district, whereas on the other days, the management is left to a Jangam

priest assisted by the local Chenchus. The festivities of Sivarathri as at

present conducted, are not, as is seen from the inscriptions that are available,

as magnificent the festival night, a big piece of unbleached cloth over a

hundred yards in length is wrapped round the prominent figure of the Nandi along

the roof line and the pinnacle of the temple, unobserved by the expectant

crowds. The Chenchus take the leading part in the festivals both before and

after Sivarathri. Goddess Bhramaramba whose festivals come a month or two after

Sivarathri attracts even larger crowds consisting of Lingayats. Goddess

Bhramarambika is really a form of Kali and is said to be one of the eighteen

leading Sakthis of India.

 

SRISAILAM

The temple stands in the little hollow on the top of Srisailam hill overlooking

the sacred river Krishna and surrounded on all sides by beautiful forest. On the

eastern side of the temple, the causeway from Nagaluti is carried straight on,

down the hill, to the bed of river Krishna, which is here known as Pathalaganga,

and is regarded as a very sacred river for pilgrims. The river Pathalaganga is

about two miles from the temple, with a flight of stone steps leading to it. An

inscription in the temple records shows that these steps were built by a Reddi

king of the Kondaveedu Reddi dynasty which ruled in Andhra Desa in the 15th and

16th centuries A.D.

As Srisailam is one of the most famous and important of all the temples in

Andhra, it will be worthwhile to study its structure and formation in detail.

 

SRISAILAM

The site plan of the Srisailam temple is given.

The enclosure to the temple forms roughly a square measuring five hundred feet

from east to west and six hundred feet from north to south. On the northern,

southern and eastern sides are lofty gateways. In the centre of the outer

enclosure, is a stone enclosure containing the main temple. The main temple of

Lord Mallikarjuna stands in the centre of this inner courtyard and is surrounded

by a number of minor, shrines. The temple of Bhramaramba or the Amman temple as

it is popularly known is in a separate enclosure west of the inner courtyard.

 

The main temple is a little structure, consisting of a cell enshrining the Lord

in the form of a Linga and with a small pillared porch attached to the front.

The main temple of Mallikarjuna is a stone-built structure, and in front of the

shrine, does the Vijayanagar king Harihara build the exquisitely carved Mukha

mantapa or the pillared hall the second in 1404-1405 A.D. It contains several

beautifully sculptured stone pillars and ornamental stone eaves. The most

valuable and sacred object within the temple is an exquisitely carved bronze

image of Lord Siva, in the form of Nataraja. The idol is a masterpiece of

craftsmanship, and induces Bhakti and devotion by its mere presence.

 

SRISAILAM

Between the Mallikarjuna temple and the eastern gateway of the courtyard are two

handsome pillared halls one of which contains the Nandi. On the northern side of

the temple under the shade of a 'Vata vriksha' is another shrine dedicated to

Mallikarjuna, and local legends say that this shrine contains the original linga

over which the black cow of the princess Chandravati gave its milk.

On the northern side of the pillared Mukhamantapa, is a little Siva temple

containing a carved stone Linga called the Sahasra Linga. This famous

representation of the Lord is made by the stone being divided into twenty-five

facets each of the latter having a representation of forty lingas thus making a

total of one thousand Lingas. The threebeaded Naga is coiled round the breast of

the Linga and is mounted on a beautiful stone pedestal. A remarkable feature of

this temple is that originally the stepped tower over the shrine chamber, the

door frames and the eaves of the pillared hall in front of it, and the figure of

the bulls etc., were all engraved in copper gilt plates and ornaments.

 

SRISAILAM

Srisailam is also famous for its wonderful bas-reliefs depicted on the outer

sides of the courtyard wall. The most 'interesting are situated on the southern

and eastern walls. The scenes, figures and portraits are numerous and varied,

and a detailed account of them would fill a large volume by itself. The

Srisailam bas-reliefs are a valuable museum and library rolled into one. All the

popular forms of Lord Siva are represented here and the legend connected with

them are illustrated in detail, and at considerable length. A few of them only

are described below.

In one of the upper panels, the story of Lord Siva as 'Bhikshatana' is

represented. The puranic legend runs as follows. When Lord Siva cut off one of

the heads of God Brahma, he committed the sin of Brahmahatya, and hence. The

skull of Brahma stuck to his hand and would not be removed. In order to get rid

of the sin, and the skull, it was ordained that Lord Siva should wander on earth

as a naked wanderer, called 'Bhikshatana', till he reached the sacred spot on

the Himalayas known as 'Brahmakapalam,' where he would be released

simultaneously from the sin and the skull.

 

SRISAILAM

This legend is portrayed in stone in Srisailam. Here Lord Siva is shown as

accompanied by two ganas carrying an umbrella and a tower, and a small boy in

front carrying a begging bowl. The Damaruka and. the Trident is shown in his

upper hand. Bhikshatana in whatever form he may be, is still the divine Lord,

and he possesses divine beauty in his face and figure. So much so, when he

reached the Darukavana forest, some of the Rishi-pathnis forgot themselves in

contemplating on the divine beauty of the form of Lord Siva. This scene is also

depicted here and the two conventional trees to the right of the panel denote

that the incident took place in a forest, viz., the Darukavana.

 

SRISAILAM

There is another panel with an inscription, which says:

" This is the place where the bridegroom was brought to be shown to Himavanta. "

 

This has a reference to the marriage of Goddess Parvati as the daughter of

Himavanta with Lord Siva. Lord Siva in order to test the strength of the

devotion of Parvati appeared before her in the disguise of a tottering old man,

supported by Brahma and Vishnu, and presented himself to Parvati and her

parents. In spite of this disguise of the Lord, Parvati was able to recognise

the Lord of her dreams and worshipped him. The panel intone depicts Himavanta,

with a tall head-dress, and with one hand on his daughter's shoulder, calling

her attention to the distress of her mother at the prospect of her marriage with

such a decrepit old man. In another inscribed panel, the bas-relief portrays

Vishwakarma, the architect of the universe, with a pair of scales weighing Lord

Siva in one pan, against the other entire God & in the other.

 

SRISAILAM

There is also a good representation of the Kiratarjuniya story in one panel.

When Arjuna, the hero of the Mahabharata, was doing penance to obtain from Lord

Siva, the powerful Pasupatha, Lord Siva in order to test his power of devotion,

appeared before him, in the guise of a wild hunter, accompanied by Parvati,

similarly dressed, and with the retinue of Sivaganas in the same guise. They

drove a wild boar towards Arjuna who was performing the penance. Arjuna on

seeing the charging boar, and being a skilful Warner, shot it dead with his

arrow. At the same time, Lord Siva also shot the boar with his arrow, and since

both the arrows struck the boar, a dispute arose between the hunter and Arjuna

as to whom had actually killed the boar. The controversy became bitter and Lord

Siva as The hunter, and Arjuna started wrestling. Naturally no one could stand.

 

SRISAILAM

There are many other interesting bas - reliefs depicting Siva and Kali as

dancing together, Siva as Gajaha Murthy i.e., slayer of the demon in the form of

an Elephant, and Durga as Mahishasura Mardani i.e., slaying a demon in the form

of a buffalo, Siva saving the boy Markandeya from the death noose of Yama, and a

number of other Saivite. Scenes from the puranas. There is also a carving of the

serpent Sesha whose body is coiled and interlaced representing the Hindu symbol

of eternity.

Srisailam is also a principal seat of Veerasaiva. The term 'Veerasaiva' itself

shows that their sect came into existence at a time when the people had to

defend their faith with valor. Veerasaiva used to wear the Sivalingas in open

defiance of the Jains who persecuted them, and hence the lingas came to be

called as Pranalingas, since they had defended them with the very prana of the

wearer. Veerasaiva do not accept the Adhyasa theory of Sankara a regard the

Visista- dvaita, theory of Ramanuja also as self- contradictory. They believe

that Pasu or Jeeva is tied to the three impurities of Mala, Karma and Maya, and

that liberation means freedom from these impurities only. Their initiation or

Diksha is by the Siva Panchakshari Mantra after which they have to wear the

Shivalinga continuously on their bodies. Even ladies can have this initiation.

 

SRISAILAM

Thus Srisailam with its ancient and holy tradition is a very important and

ancient temple of Andhra and to this day attracts large number of pilgrims. Its

sanctity dates back from the days of the Mahabharata. Even the puranas declare

this as the place where Vrishabha or the sacred bull of the Lord Siva himself

performed penance and that to please him Lord Siva appeared in the form of

Mallikarjuna, with his consort as Bhramaramba. This temple with its wonderful

bas-reliefs containing many Saivite stories and legends attracts the

archaeologist, the sculptor, and the devotee in an equal measure.

 

SRISAILAM

There are good travel facilities to the temple. From Kurnool, Guntur and other

places direct buses now go to Srisailam. The ghat road from Dornal, recently

opened, takes one straight to the temple by road. There are excellent choultries

built by the temple Devasthanam in which poor pilgrims can stay free of cost.

The Devasthanam at a rent of five rupees a day also provides cottages with all

amenities. There is a very good guesthouse also here with all modern amenities.

The Devasthanam has provided protected water supply and the place are also

served with electricity. All facilities are extended to the pilgrims who come

here in large numbers, by the Devasthanam, and Srisailam, which, a few decades

ago, was almost inaccessible, is now easily reached and bides to become the

second important shrine of Andhra, the first of course being the shrine of Lord

Venkateswara, at Tirupati.

SRISAILAM

 

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