High upon the Nallamala Hills, where the sacred Krishna river bends in reverence — Lord Mallikarjuna and Goddess Bhramaramba reign together, enshrining in one magnificent temple the dual glory of Jyotirlinga and Shakti Peetha — the only such confluence in Andhra Pradesh.
Srisailam — the City of Sri, the abode of the auspicious — rises upon the Nallamala Hills above the sacred Krishna river in Nandyal district, Andhra Pradesh. The magnificent Mallikarjuna temple enshrines both Lord Shiva as the second Jyotirlinga and Goddess Bhramaramba as one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas, making Srisailam one of the rarest and most complete sacred sites in all of India.
Mallikarjuna — Mallika meaning jasmine and Arjuna meaning white — is Shiva adorned with jasmine flowers offered by Goddess Parvati. The legend says Lord Ganesha and Kartikeya competed to circumnavigate the universe — Kartikeya flew off on his peacock while Ganesha simply walked around his parents, declaring them the universe itself. When Kartikeya returned to find Ganesha married, he went to Krounch Parvat in dejection. Shiva and Parvati, longing for their son, came to Srisailam on every new moon and full moon to be near him.
Srisailam is one of the rarest shrines in India — where both the supreme Shaiva and Shakta traditions find their highest expression side by side on the same sacred hill.
Shiva in his most beloved and gentle form — adorned with the white jasmine flowers of Parvati's devotion. As the second Jyotirlinga, his light at Srisailam is among the most ancient in the Shaiva tradition, worshipped since the age of the sages. Even Adi Shankaracharya composed the Shivanandalahari here.
One of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas — Bhramaramba, the Goddess who manifests as a swarm of bees, destroyed the demon Arunasura to protect the three worlds. Her fierce compassion governs Srisailam. Darshan of Bhramaramba alongside Mallikarjuna is considered essential for the complete blessing of both divine energies.
Like Baidyanath, Srisailam holds the rare distinction of being simultaneously a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peetha — making it doubly sacred to both Shaiva and Shakta traditions. This dual power is found at very few sites in all of India.
Srisailam is revered as Dakshin Kashi — the Kashi of the South. Ancient texts declare that a single darshan at Srisailam equals the merit of visiting Kashi (Varanasi). For devotees of the Deccan and South India, it is the supreme pilgrimage destination.
Adi Shankaracharya himself visited Srisailam and was so moved by its divine atmosphere that he composed the celebrated Shivanandalahari — 100 devotional verses to Lord Shiva — here on the banks of the Patalaganga beneath the temple.
The Krishna river carves a dramatic gorge through the Nallamala Hills below the temple — the Patalaganga. Bathing in these sacred waters before darshan is considered supremely purifying. The forested gorge below the temple is a breathtaking natural wonder.
The current temple complex was magnificently expanded under the Vijayanagara Empire — featuring grand gopurams, mandapas, and the famous Mukha Mandapa with its intricately carved pillars. The outer wall with 72 feet high towers is a testament to South India's greatest empire.
According to Puranic legend, Lord Shiva visits Srisailam on every Amavasya (new moon) and Pournami (full moon) out of love for his son Kartikeya who dwelt in the nearby Krounch Parvat. These lunar days thus carry extraordinary potency for worship here.
The sacred Krishna river flows 400 metres below the temple in a dramatic forested gorge — known as Patalaganga (the underground Ganga). Reaching it by the ancient stone steps is itself a sacred act.
The sight of the Krishna river winding through the dense Nallamala forest, flanked by vertical cliff walls, is one of the most spiritually overwhelming natural vistas in South India.
The Srisailam region is also home to the Nallamala Forest — one of the largest contiguous tiger reserves in India (Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve). The approach to Srisailam through the forested ghat road passes through this ancient wilderness, where wild animals still roam freely as they did in the age of the sages.
Ancient inscriptions from the 2nd century BCE refer to Srisailam, and the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and several Puranas all mention this sacred mountain. Sages like Dattatreya, Narada, and the Siddhas of the Nath tradition performed tapas in the Nallamala forests surrounding the temple.
Receive the combined blessings of Shiva as Mallikarjuna and Shakti as Bhramaramba — through sacred sevas performed with full Agamic vidhi at one of India's most powerful dual-sanctity shrines.
Let us arrange your sacred Jyotirlinga darshan, Shakti Peetha puja, and complete Srisailam pilgrimage experience. Our priests and pilgrimage guides await to serve you at the mountain of Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti.
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