Srisailam

Srisailam, situated in Nallamala Hills, is a renowned hill town located on a majestic natural setting on the southern banks of the River Krishna. It is an ancient pilgrimage town, bordered on its southern side by the sacred hill of Srigiri, blessed with a beautiful landscapes of forest, ghats, cliffs, and plateaus. The hills are very rich in scenic attractions, breathtaking wild life and offers panoramic views of the surroundings.

The place is divided into three zones - the original pilgrim town which centers around the temples and the old market; Sunnipenta which is a commercial place and full of eateries; and the dam site on the Krishna River.

Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/amitchat/1898811688/

History

Srisailam played a dominant role in our religious, cultural and social history from ancient times. The epigraphical evidence reveals that the history of Srisailam begins with the Sathavahanas who were the first empire builders in South India. The earliest known historical mention of the Hill - Srisailam, can be traced in Pulumavi’s Nasik inscription of 1st Century A.D. The Sathavahanas, the Ikshavakus, the Pallavas, the Vishnukundis, the Chalukyas, the Kakatiyas, the Reedy Kings, the Vijayanagara Emperors and Chatrapathi Shivaji are among the famous emperors who worshipped God Mallikarjuna Swamy. Prataparudra of Kakatiya Dynasty strived a lot for the improvements of this Kshetram and granted Paraganas for its maintenance. Ganapathideva has spent 12000 Golden Nanyas for the maintenance of the temple.

The period of Reddi Kings is the ‘Golden Age’ of Srisailam that almost all rulers of the dynasty did celebrated service for this temple. In 14th Century Prolaya Vema Reddi of Reddy Dynasty constructed stepped path-way to Srisailam and Pathalaganga (Here the river Krishna is called as Pathalaganga) and Anavema Reddi constructed Veera Siromandapam in which the Veerasaiva devotees cut off their hands, tongue, limbs with devotion to attain the realisation of the God. This practice is known as Veeracharam.

The Second Harihararaya of Vijayanagara Empire constructed the Mukhamantapam of Swamy shrine and also a Gopuram on Southern Side of the temple.In the 15th Century Sri Krishnadevaraya Constructed the Rajagopuram on Eastern side and Salumantapas on both sides of the temple.

The last Hindu King who strove hard for the improvement of the temple is Chatrapathi Shivaji who constructed a Gopuram on northern side in the year 1667 A.D.
Be sure to buy some tribal honey, which is packaged by the state govt and sold at the Chenchu Lakshmi Tribal Museum.

Accessibility

Air: The closest airport to Srisailam is located at Hyderabad at distance of about 232 kms from Srisailam. Hyderabad is air connected to Vishakapatnam, Bangalore, Chennai, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. Taxi cars and call taxis are available at the airport. The taxi fare from Hyderabad to Srisailam is about Rs. 2500.

Rail: Nearest railhead to Srisailam is the Markapur Road, in the Guntur-Hubli metre gauge rail route. The major broad-gauge railway station nearby is at Hyderabad at a distance of 232 kms. Taxi cars and call taxis are available at the railway station. The taxi fare from Hyderabad to Srisailam is about Rs. 2500.

Road: Srisailam is well connected by Devasthanam buses and State owned APSRTC buses. APSRTC buses charge about Rs. 80 from Srisailam to Hyderabad. The buses connect Srisailam with Mahaboobnagar, Hyderabad, Devorkonda, Mahanandi, Anantapur, Chitradurg, Guntur, Mantralayam, Tirupati and Vijayawada.

Shopping

Be sure to buy some tribal honey, which is packaged by the state govt and sold at the Chenchu Lakshmi Tribal Museum.

Accommodation

Basic low budget accommodation is the norm at Srisailam, though you can also stay at private guesthouses and motels. The Srisailam Devasthanam offers low cost cottages and choultries. AP Tourism has rest houses and cottages - room tariffs range from Rs25 to Rs 500. Contact Project Tiger Headquarters at Sunnipanta for advance booking.

District
Kurnool district
Location
Srisailam is located on southern banks of the Krishna River in Kurnool District.
STD Code
08524
Termperature
Summer 22-41°C, Winter 15-30°C
Best time to visit
November to March