SRI SAILAM - SRI MALLIKARJUNASWAMY TEMPLE

Sunday, 17th November 2019
Sri Sailam, Andhra Pradesh.

Sri Sailam is a temple town in hills, a distance of 530 km from Bengaluru.

SHRI MALLIKARJUNA SWAMY TEMPLE

SHIKHARA

After leaving from Ahobilum, reached Nandyal, from there we took another bus to SriSailam and  reached there at 9 pm.

ANNACHATRA LODGE

Subramanya could find accommodation for us at Brahmana AnnaChatra, near to Temple, a nice two room house with kitchen, washroom and toilet.

Next day early morning 4.30 am we went to SHRI MALLIKARJUNA SWAMY TEMPLE for Darshan of the Lord. We took Rs 300 special darshan tickets, already there were some crowd of people. It was few seconds darshan of the deity and we were in side the temple premises seeing other deities.

The main deity Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy is one of the twelve Jyothirligas and one of the 18 Peethas of Sri Bramarambha Devi's house.

at SAKSHI GANAPATHI

According to belief, it is very very sacred and divine visiting temple and shikhara, top of the GarbhaGudi. At one place we could see its image through water.

Out from the temple, after breakfast we proceeded to see the other visiting places around SriSailam, by engaging an autorikshaw.

SAKSHI GANAPATHI -  At a distance of about 5 km, a nice Ganapathi Temple, modernized for people to visit and have darshan of the Lord. Huge canopy for people to stand in the line and a place to sit for sometime.

at PANCHA THEERTHA

Next we visited couple of other temples, and then to PANCHA THEERTHA,  walking down about 75 steps, watching water splashing out from Shiva Idol.

at SHIKHARA

The proceeded to hilltop location called SHIKHARA, from where on could see the Gopura of MallikarjunaSwamy Temple and also Shikhara of the deity. It's amazing to see some sitting with binoculars, asking people to see through it charging Rs 5.00. Apparently there is nothing much seen, different from naked eyes.

at PATHALA GANGA

Next visit was to PATHALA GANGA, back water of Krishna River, walking down 700 steps to reach the water level and have dip in the sacred water. It was done with great sweat and exhaustion and coming up was a challenging. Could make it sitting few times.

It was then time for lunch and had nice oota on banana leaf in AnnaChatra,  checked out from the lodging to catch the bus to Bengaluru at 3.30 pm.

It was a log drive passing through Dornala, Atmakur, Karnool and Ananthapur. Bus delayed due to some technical issue, reached our stop Esteem Mall at 6 am, where Rishikanth was waiting to take us back to BirthiMane, thus ending three days of religious, divine and challenging tour.

Posted Friday, 22nd November 2019