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Srisailam |
Srisailam (Telugu: శ్రీశైలం) is a holy town and mandal, situated in Nallamala Hills
of Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located on the banks of River
Krishna, about 232 km south of Hyderabad.
Bhramaramba Mallikarjunaswamy Temple dedicated to Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy (a form
of Shiva) and Devi Bhramaramba (a form of Parvathi) is located here and it is one
of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Srisailam Dam, located about
245 km from Hyderabad and 132 km from Nandyal, is a multipurpose dam has been built
across River Krishna and caters to the irrigation and power needs of the state.
Akka mahadevi caves (Kadali Vana/Bana, Kadalivanam)
Akka mahadevi caves is one of the must see place in Srisailam. A great lady devotee
of Lord Mallikarjuna swamy, named Akka mahadevi did tapsya here. These caves are
about 16 kms away from Srisailam. We have to go in boat to reach here, A.P tourism
is maintaining boat services to see this place. These caves are formed naturally
about one lack years ago.
During 12th Century A.D. this cave appeared to have attained its present name Akka
Mahadevi caves after the famous ascetic, lyricist and philosopher, Akka Mahadevi
who hailed from Karnataka. It is believed that Akka Mahadevi did penance in this
cave and worshipped the Ishtalinga that naturally existed in the deep and dark end
of the cave.
The A.P. Tourism Department has arranged Motor Boats for visitors to see these caves.
History
The origins of this temple have been lost in antiquity. The Skanda Purana has a
chapter called Srisaila Kandam dedicated to it, which points to the ancient origin.
This is confirmed also by the fact that saints of the past millennia have sung praises
of this temple. It is said that Adi Sankara visited this temple and at that time
he composed his Sivananda Lahiri.
Srisailam is referenced in the ancient Hindu Puranas, and the epic Mahabharata.
Shiva's sacred bull Nandi 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.
It also gained prominence in the twelfth century due to Sharana Movement and Vachana
Sahitya headed by Basavanna. According to legends one of the srisailam caves is
said to be the place where the most famous poet and social reformer Akka Mahadevi
is said to have achieved salvation.
How to reach there
Road: Srisailam is very well connected by State-run bus service APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh
State Road Transport Corporation) And KSRTC from various major cities/towns which
include Hyderabad, Guntur, Tenali, Narsaraopet,Gulbarga, Davangare, Shivamogga,
Addanki, Hospet, Machilipatnam, Vijayawada, Avanigadda, Cuddapah, Mahabubnagar,
Nalgonda, Devarakonda, Vinukonda, Kurnool, Ongole, Nellore, Mahanandi, Mantralayam,
Anantapur, Tirupati, Chirala, Chitradurga, Bangalore, Markapur, Vishakapatnam, Podili,
And Hubli. The Nearest Major Towns Like Narsaraopet and Kurnool.
Rail: The nearest railway stations are Markapur (85 km), Vinukonda (120 km) and
Kurnool (190 km) on the Guntur–Hubli section. The Nearest Major Railway Stations
like Narsaraopet, Kurnool and Nandyal.
Air: Rajiv Gandhi International Airport serving the city of Hyderabad and located
195 km from Srisailam is the nearest International airport.
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