Srisailam

Religious

Andhra Pradesh

33°C / Clouds

History
Places to visit
How to reach

An adorable town situated in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, Srisailam is the kind of tourist destination which any adventure buff should explore. Known for its twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, this town is situated at the banks of mighty River Krishna.

Thus, people who are spiritually inclined are bound to love Srisailam. To start with, you can explore and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva by visiting places like Sikhareshwara and Mallikarjuna Swamy temple.

History of Srisailam

Srisailam plays a very dominant role in our culture and religious prominence. It is intriguing to know that the history of this place dates back to around 30,000- 40,000 years ago. Can you imagine? Furthermore, the epigraphical evidence also reveals that it was the “Satavahanas” people themselves who were the first empire builders in this Geographical stretch of Southern India.

Legends Associated With Srisailam

The Story of Parvatha

Parvatha was the son of Silada Maharishi and is said to have performed extreme penance to impress the Adiyogi, Lord Shiva. It is said that through his pure devotion, he was able to please him and even made him agree to live in his own body somehow. How could a Godlike being like Lord Shiva reside in the body of a human?

It was an unusual request but Parvatha also prayed that all the Devthas and the sacred waters of all the Theerthas permanently remain on his top. And all devotees who come to him seeking liberation are granted with nothing less than Moksha.

But Lord Shiva was quite impressed with him and thus granted him with all his wishes. Suddenly, Parvatha found himself turned into a giant hill. This was the only way where anybody could reside upon him and devotees could come to offer their penance.

And as promised, after Parvatha had become a mountain, Lord Shiva lived upon him as Sri Parvatha Swamy and since then this place is known as Srisailam.

The Story of Vasumathi

According to another legend, there was a girl named Vasumathi who was the daughter of a rishi and had done extreme penance on this hill to impress Lord Brahama. When finally, after a lot of sadhana and Tapasya, he did show up, Vasumathi asked him to grant her with the name “Sri” which was then also associated with the name of the hill Srisailam. It is considered that since then, this place is known as Srisailam.

Major Attractions in and Around Srisailam

1. Patala Ganga

It is a sacred place located in the backwaters of the river Krishna. Here devotees are allowed to take a holy dip in the sacred waters of the Ganges. The river here flows in a very peaceful manner with only the small gurgling sounds of waters.

2. Srisailam Tiger Reserve

Standing as the largest tiger reserve in India, this geographical stretch is spread over an area of around 3568 acres. Not just tigers can be spotted here but this place also has a very large variety of flora and fauna like leopards, sloth bears, dhol, Indian Pangolin, Chital, Sambar deer, and many others. For someone who is interested in wildlife photography, this place is no less than a treasure trove.

3. Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple

Located on the banks of River Krishna, this temple is the center of attraction in the town of Srisailam. The Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple is a famous temple in the town and was constructed under the supervision of the King Harihara Raya of Vijayanagar. Tourists can see really amazing architecture which can be seen on the walls that are beautiful enough to intrigue the curiosity of any traveler.

4. Srisailam Dam

Srisailam Dam is one of the main charms of the town. And, you will take pride in the fact that the dam is among the 12 largest hydroelectric projects in India. Moreover, the scenic beauty of this destination will simply leave you awestruck. The town nearing this place is bordered by forests, greeneries, cascading waters, deep canyons. If you are looking to spend some quality time then this place won’t disappoint you at all.

How to Reach Srisailam

Srisailam is an adorable town situated in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. It is also considered as one of the Shakti Peethas in India. It is located at a distance of 1,806 km, 1,037 km, 1,491 km, 533 km from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru respectively. Here is how you can reach here via the following routes.

By Air

Srisailam doesn’t have its own airport. The nearest aerodrome from here is the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport situated in Hyderabad. This airport is located at an approximate distance of 201 km. Many airlines operate to and fro here connecting this place with various Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai.

Delhi - Board IndiGo, AirAsia, Vistara, Spicejet from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. The airfares are starting from Rs.5,000.
Mumbai - Board Spicejet, AirAsia, IndiGo, Vistara from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The airfares are starting from Rs.3,000.
Chennai - Board AirAsia, IndiGo, Air India, Spicejet from Chennai International Airport. The airfares are starting from Rs.3,000.
Visakhapatnam - Board IndiGo, Spicejet, Air India, AirAsia from Visakhapatnam International Airport. The airfares are starting from Rs.3,500

After you deboard at the airport, you can take a cab or some other means of public transportation to reach your respective destination.

By Train

Srisailam doesn’t have its own railway station. The nearest train stations are Tarlupadu railway station, Cumbum train station. Depending upon your destination point, you can pick out where to deboard.

The Cumbum railway station is located on the Nallapadu-Nandyal section and is useful for people who are heading to Nandyal, Hubli, Vijayawada, Guntur. The Tarlupadu railway station is located in a place named Tarlupadu and is not a major railway station. It is also important to note that these stations don't have extensive connectivity with major Indian cities.

Vijayawada - Board Amaravathi Express from Vijayawada Junction and deboard at the Cumbum railway station.
Guntur - Board Amravathi Express from Guntur Junction and deboard at the Cumbum railway station.