Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple, Srisailam

Srisailam, "the sacred mountain", rises in the forested Nallamala hills of Andhra Pradesh, high above a deep gorge of the Krishna river. In the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Smaranam the line reads "Shrishaile Mallikarjunam", and Mallikarjuna is counted second among the twelve.

The temple is unusual because it is both a Jyotirlinga and one of the eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas. Shiva is worshipped as Mallikarjuna, and the Goddess as Bhramaramba, the mother who took the form of bees. Pilgrims have darshan of both, as Shiva and Shakti together.

The name is often explained as Mallika, the jasmine, for Parvati, and Arjuna for Shiva. Another tradition says a princess named Chandravati worshipped the linga here with mallika flowers. Either way, Mallikarjuna is Shiva and Parvati as one.

Srisailam is also called the Kashi of the South and Dakshina Kailasa, and tradition holds that even seeing the peak of Srisailam, the Shikharam, frees one from rebirth. The temple has been a great centre of Shaiva devotion for over a thousand years, and saints such as Adi Shankaracharya and Akka Mahadevi are linked with it.

The Shiva Purana tells that Shiva and Parvati wished to marry their sons, Ganesha and Kartikeya. They said that whoever first went around the whole earth would be married first. Kartikeya set off at once on his peacock, while Ganesha simply walked around his parents, saying that they were his whole world.

Pleased with his wisdom, Shiva and Parvati married Ganesha to Siddhi and Buddhi. When Kartikeya returned and learned what had happened, he was hurt and went away to live alone on the Krauncha mountain.

Shiva and Parvati could not bear to be apart from their son and came to the mountain to see him. Kartikeya moved further away, but Shiva and Parvati stayed on the Srisaila hill, appearing as a Jyotirlinga, Mallikarjuna, so that they would always be near him. It is said that Shiva still visits him on Amavasya and Parvati on Purnima.

The Goddess here is Bhramaramba. Tradition says that the asura Arunasura had a boon that no two-legged or four-legged being could kill him. Parvati took the form of countless black bees, bhramara, and destroyed him. Devotees say that if you listen closely at the back wall of her shrine, you can still hear a faint humming.

Srisailam is one of the oldest Shiva shrines of South India. Inscriptions show that it was honoured by the Satavahanas, Ikshvakus, Chalukyas, Kakatiyas and Reddy kings, and the Tamil Shaiva saints sang of it in the Tevaram.

The Vijayanagara kings built much of what pilgrims see today. Harihara Raya II is credited with the mukha mandapa, and Krishnadevaraya with one of the great gopurams. The temple's high walls are carved with scenes from the epics and the Puranas.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj visited Srisailam in 1677 and built the northern gopuram, which still bears his name. In modern times the Srisailam dam was built across the Krishna in the gorge below, and the temple town has grown into a major pilgrimage centre managed by the Devasthanam.

The temple stands inside a huge rectangular enclosure with walls about 6 m high, covered with carved panels of deities, animals and Puranic scenes. Four tall gopurams mark the entrances on the four sides.

Inside are the main shrine of Mallikarjuna, with its small Jyotirlinga, and the shrine of Bhramaramba on a higher level behind it. The mukha mandapa in front of the sanctum has finely carved pillars from the Vijayanagara period.

Around the courtyard are many smaller shrines, including the Vriddha Mallikarjuna linga, said to be the oldest, the Sahasra Linga, and the Panchapandava lingas.

The drive up through the Nallamala forest, with glimpses of the Krishna gorge far below, prepares the mind for the temple. Inside the great walls, the sound of bells and Telugu and Sanskrit chants fills the courtyards.

Many devotees book the Sparsha Darshan, when they may touch the Jyotirlinga with their own hands, a rare privilege among the great Shiva temples, and then climb to Bhramaramba's shrine to complete the darshan of Shiva and Shakti.

The Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Devasthanam offers quick darshan, Sparsha Darshan, abhishekam, archana and kalyanam tickets, as well as accommodation, on its official website and at the counters.

Common offerings are bel leaves, flowers, coconuts and kumkum for the Goddess. Laddu prasad is available at the Devasthanam counters.

Maha Shivaratri Brahmotsavam, an eleven-day festival with processions on vahanas and the divine wedding on Shivaratri night.

Ugadi, the Telugu new year, when lakhs of devotees from Karnataka and Maharashtra walk to Srisailam.

Karthika Masam, the holiest month for Shiva in the Telugu tradition, with lamps lit across the temple and special worship on Mondays and Karthika Purnima.

Navaratri (Dasara) for Bhramaramba, with the Goddess decorated in a different form each day.

The day begins with Suprabhata Seva before dawn and ends with Ekanta Seva at night. Abhishekam, Kumkumarchana for Bhramaramba and the Kalyanotsavam, the divine wedding of Mallikarjuna and Bhramaramba, are among the sevas offered.

Sparsha Darshan, when devotees may touch the linga, is available at set times with a ticket and traditional dress. Book on the official Devasthanam website, as slots fill quickly on Mondays and festivals.

By air: Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad is about 200 km away, a drive of about five hours.

By train: Markapur Road station is about 85 km away. Kurnool and Hyderabad are larger stations with buses to Srisailam.

By road: APSRTC and TSRTC buses run from Hyderabad, Kurnool, Vijayawada and other cities. The last stretch passes through the Nallamala forest and tiger reserve, where the road may be closed to traffic at night, so plan to arrive in daylight.

Srisailam town is small, and the temple is within walking distance of most stays. Autos and Devasthanam buses go to Shikharam, Sakshi Ganapati and the Patalaganga ropeway.

The Devasthanam runs many cottages and choultries in Srisailam, which can be booked on its official website. There are also caste and community choultries and private hotels in the town.

Rooms are very scarce during Maha Shivaratri, Ugadi and Karthika Mondays, so book well ahead.