Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple Srisailam - One Of The Twelve Jyotirlingas Of Lord Shiva - Andhra Pradesh - India

The Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple Located on the southern bank of the Krishna River One of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples of Lord Shiva. Mallikarjun Temple is situated on Shri Shaila Mountain by the banks of the Patal Ganga, Krishna River at Srisailam in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh In India. Also known as Kailash of the South India, Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple constitutes one of the 12 Jyotirlingam shrines of Lord Shiva and is one of the greatest Shaivaite shrines in India.

Location: Srisailam, On the southern bank of the Krishna River Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh In India
State: Andhra Pradesh
District: Kurnool
STD Code: 08524
Languages Spoken: Telugu
Major Festivals: Maha Shiva Ratri (Feb/Mar), Dusshera (Oct)
Visiting Hours: 1-2 Days
Nearest City: Hyderabad (229 Kms), Kurnool (181 Kms)
Best Time to Visit: September to March
Peak Season: September to December & February to May
Temperature: In Summer: Max - 41°C and Min - 22°C In Winter Max - 30°C and Min - 15°C

The Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva has a great historical and religious significance and it's one of the 12 Jyotirlingas Of Lord Shiva and also one of the 18 Sakti Peethas. According to popular legends, the religious leader had visited the temple and had composed his famous Sivananda Lahiri. It is also believed that Goddess Durga had taken the form of a bee and worshiped Lord Shiva here and selected this holy place as her abode. Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple was built in Dravidian style with high operas on all sides of the temple. The sanctum is a shell like structure that enshrines Lord Mallikarjuna. The small black linga has a hooded golden cover. The garbha griha is small and only priests are allowed inside. It has a large idol of Nandi, facing the sanctum which presides over a pillared hall. It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams. One unique feature of the temple is that all the devotees who visit the temple are allowed to touch the idol which is not prevalent in any other temple.

Srisailam is located in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. This whole area is full of forests of Kadali, Bilva trees, mountain ranges and Patalaganga Krishna river. All of them echo from these joyous voices of devotees. Lakhs of devotees take a holy dip here and then go for the Darshan of the JyotirLinga. Mahashivratri is the main festival celebrated at Srisailam Mallikarjuna Swamy temple . On the wall of temple there are scripture of heroic legends from the Mahabharata and Ramayana and Srisailam is reffered to as Sri Parvata means the blessed hill. The Mallikarjuna Swami temple and its devotees are mentioned in the records of the first empire builders, Shathavahanas back in the 1st century A.D. Gradually, came along a series of kingdoms of the Ikshvakus, Pallavas, Chalukyas, Reddi, who were the followers of the Mallikarjuna Swami. Origin of this temple is not yet clear as how and when this temple was formed. The architecture of the ancient Mallikarjun Temple is very beautiful and intricate. The temple has fort like walls, towers and a rich endowment of sculptural work. The huge temple is built in the Dravidian style with lofty towers and sprawling courtyards and is considered to be one of the finest specimens of Vijayanagar architecture. The temple is located at a distance of 245 km from Hyderabad.

Entry Fee And Other Charges For Visit Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple Srisailam

There are no any charges for entry in temple. There are some charges for special pujas and abhishek collect by temple board. Special darshan tickets are available for Rs. 50 & Rs. 100. Mobile, Cameras are not allowed inside the temple. There are counters near the queue entrance to deposit these items.

Timing For Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple Srisailam

• Temple Timings In Morning: 5:00 AM to 3:30 PM
• Temple Timings In Evening: 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM

Best Time To Visit Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple Srisailam

The best time to visit Srisailam is during the winters, especially the months of November, December, January, February and March. The Mahasivarathri festival in the month of February/March is celebrated as Brahmothsavam (annual festival). There are huge crowd on that day at Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple Srisailam. The temple is usually crowded on weekends. The festivals of Shivaratri, Dussehra and Karthika Poornima attract lakhs of devotees from all over southern and western India.

Tourist Attractions Near Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple Srisailam

Srisailam is one of the main pilgrimage destinations of Andhra Pradesh. One finds a whole host of temples and holy sites to explore in and around the area. Bramaramha Temple is located inside the main temple complex and can be visited together. Besides the main Mallikarjuna Swamy Jyotirlinga temple, visit the Bhramaramba Devi Temple. Srisailam Dam is one of the major attractions of Srisailam. Mallela Theertham waterfall and Srisailam Sanctuary both are must visited places closed from Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple. Sikharam is most sacred spot is located at about 8 Km from the main temple. Hatakeswaram is a beautiful spot located about 5 km from Srisailam. Panchadhara is located about 4 Km from here. Akkamahadevi Caves is built During the 12th century A.D very closed from temple. Sakshi Ganapathi is About 3 Kms from Srisailam.

Shopping Near Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple Srisailam

There aren't too many elaborate shopping complexes or novel specialties here. One can however, take home some honey collected by the tribes and packaged by the state government, available for sale at the Chenchu Lakshmi Tribal Museum.

Restaurants Near Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple Srisailam

The cuisine here is vegetarian as in most Indian temples. The cuisine in the nearby regions in the state of Andhra Pradesh is a delicate blend of all the cultures present here. Here is the list of some popular and famous Restaurants which are very closed from Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple Srisailam.

• Trishul family restaurant
• Kamma Satram Mess
• Apple Family Restaurant

Hotels Near Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple Srisailam

Srisailam offers a vast array of moderately expensive to budget hotels run by Temple Board, AP Tourism and private operators. The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department runs a few hotels like Ganga Sadan, Gouri Sadan and Punnami Guest House.Advanced reservation is recommended during peak season, festivals and long weekend. Here is the list of some popular and famous Hotels which are very closed from Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple Srisailam.

• Haritha Srisailam Resort
• Hotel Grand Akka Mahadevi
• Akhila Bharata Redla
• Hotel Sahasra

How to Reach Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple Srisailam

By Air:

There are no straight air services from the major cities to Srisailam. Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad is the nearest one and the distance between the two spots is around 156 km.

By Rail:

Direct rail facilities are not available in Srisailam, the nearest railway station, lies at a distance of 60 km. There is another railway station, around the same distance as the previous one, Tarlupadu station.

By Bus:

There are various public vehicles and private ones too, that takes you to Srisailam.

Google Map For Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple Srisailam