Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple

Location

The famous Mallikarjunaswamy Temple located at height of about 457 meters on the southern bank of River Krishna is a major pilgrim spot in Srisailam hill town. This temple is one of the 12 Jyothirlinga temples in the country. The sanctum of the Mallikarjuna temple is a shell like structure and it enshrines Lord Mallikarjuna with all its beauty and breathtaking appearance. The Mallikarjuna Swamy temple appears like a large fort and is renowned for the rich and beautiful sculptures.

Mallikarjuna temple has its origin about six centuries back. It was built by the King Harihara Raya of Vijayanagar (1404-1405). This temple depicts the Vijayanagar architectural style with many sculptures, towers and adornments. The prime sculptural attraction is that of sage Bringi standing on three legs. Mythical stories say that the sage was cursed by Goddess Parvati as he offered prayers only to Lord Shiva and sage was forced to stand. Later Lord Shiva appeased Goddess and gave one more leg to the sage to stand comfortably.

Mallikarjuna temple has small temples in and around dedicated to various Hindu Gods including Nandi, Sahasralinga and Nataraja.