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Srisailam - A Travelogue
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We planned to visit Srisailam on a weekend coinciding with the Navarathri festival. Srisailam is 232 kms away from the Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh (AP). We opted for a two-day tour organized by the AP Tourism Department, which included a room at the Punnami Hotel for a night. Other options are to drive down or rent a vehicle, and to stay at the cottages and rooms rented by the temple management or at the private hotels. The coach started at 9 am from the Yatri Nivas Hotel on Sardar Patel Road of Secunderabad (a suburb of Hyderabad). After almost an hour of crisscrossing through the main roads and bylanes of the city we were on the outskirts. As I looked through the window I was fascinated by the rocks of different shape and size standing on hills and mountains. They are of various shapes and sizes and perched precariously. After about 100 kms the bus crossed the Dindi dam and town and started climbing the ghat (mountain) road on the Nallamala hill ranges. The Nallamala forest area had started. We could see dense vegetation. Signs by the forest department warned against poaching. This forest is said to be home to tigers, deer and many species of rare birds. The travel up and down the ghat roads was an exhilarating experience. I could feel the coolness of a hill station as we gained altitude. Srisailam is at a height of 1500ft above sea level. After a while, we glimpsed the Krishna River winding its way through the mountains. We reached the Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy Dam, built to harness the Krishna river water and generate hydro-electric power. One of the gates was opened and the water cascaded down and sprayed up forming a wonderful fountain as high as the dam. The mist from the waterfall created a beautiful rainbow. When all the gates are opened (typically after heavy monsoon rains), it must be a sight to behold. Our bus crossed the other side of the river via a bridge and we proceeded to the temple town of Srisailam. Our first stop was Paladhara-Panchadhara. We climbed down a hill to a spot where there is a small waterfall. The water is said to have medicinal properties. Here there is a small temple dedicated to the Hindu guru and Saint Adi Shankaracharya of the 8th century who meditated here. The surroundings is thick with vegetation and there are locals selling herbal plants, seeds, roots and bark that claim cure to some of the common diseases. We also visited the Shakshi Ganapathi temple and stopped at Paatalganga where we can climb down 800 steps to take a holy dip in the Krishna River. A ropeway has been introduced for people who can’t take the strain. There is a ferry point where you can either go board a ferry or sit in a cup-shaped paddle boat to enjoy the serene waters of the River Krishna. There are posh hotels situated nearby overlooking the hills and the river. By 6 pm, we checked into the hotel, showered and proceeded to the temple of Srisailam which is said to be as ancient as 2nd century AD. It was renovated by the dynasties that came into rule in South of India. The main temple is dedicated to Mallikarjuna Swami, an avatar of lord Shiva. There is a life size statue of the holy bull, Nandi at the entrance of the temple. Another temple worth mentioning is the one dedicated to Bramarambha Devi. The figurines sculpted on the pillars are very artistic and remind one of the temples of Hampi in Karnataka. There are corridors of smaller temples around the main temple. There is a small stage where small girls were performing the Kuchipudi dance (the classical dance form of Andhra Pradesh). The place was lit with colorful bulbs and it was pleasant to stand in queue for darshan (“seeing god”). We went to the temple again early next morning to have one more darshan. In the morning light the aura of the temple (which we missed at night) was unmistakable. I have visited many temples but what I liked here is the cleanliness and the greenery inside and outside the temple. Potted plants are kept all over the temple adding to the beauty of the temple. There is lot of history and culture associated with this temple. Before we started our journey back to Hyderabad, we visited the Chanchu Laxmi Tribal Museum. Here the life and traditions of major tribes of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh has been showcased. The caretaker gave us an excellent commentary about each tribe: what they cooked, how they hunted and how they celebrated their festivals. The Nallamalla forests were said to be first inhabited by the Chenchu tribes and they were the first devotees at the temple. Our last stop was the Shikhareshvaram which is the highest peak of the mountain range and is 2830 feet above the sea-level. We climbed up the steps and stood on the peak to have an aerial view of the Srisailam temple and the surrounding mountains. Thus ended our memorable trip to Srisailam. This place is a delight for devotees, nature lovers and people who are interested in hydroelectric dams. For vacationers to Hyderabad, a visit to Srisailam is definitely recommended. Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.
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