Srisailam Temple – It Is Placed At A Pinnacle Of 457 Meters On The Southern Bank Of Krishna River

SRISAILAM TEMPLE 

AT

KURNOOL

The holy town of Srisailam is located on top of the Nallamala Hills in Kurnool District. It is situated on the banks of Krishna River, about 212 kilometres south of Hyderabad. Because of its forest sanctuary, the town is a popular weekend getaway destination.

However, it also is known for its Shiva shrine. Bhramaramba Mallikarjunaswamy Temple, which is dedicated to Mallikarjuna Swamy, is located in Srisailam.

The temple is placed at a height of 457 metres, on the southern bank of Krishna River. It was constructed about six centuries ago, during the reign of King Harihara Raya from the Vijayanagar Dynasty.

The temple is built in the typical Vijayanagar architecture and what makes it special is that it is home to one of the twelve Jyothirlingas found in India. The sanctum sanctorum is shaped like a shell and enshrines Lord Mallikarjuna.

The presiding Deities of this Kshetram God Mallikarjuna Swamy is one of the twelve Jyothirlingas and Goddess Bhramaramba Devi is one of the eighteen Mahasakthis and both are believed to be self-manifested.

The unique feature of this Kshetram is the co-existing of Jyothirlingam and Mahasakthi in one Temple complex, which is the rare and only of its kind.

At this place the river Krishna flows through a deep narrow valley, approximately 100 meters wide and nearly at a depth of 1000 meters from the hill top.

The river flows at a distance of 70 Km to the up of Srisailam and continues to flow in the same valley for a further distance of 80 Km to the down till it reaches Nagarjunasagar.

The narrow flow of the river at such deep valley is fine looking and more pleasant near Srisailam where it is called as Pathalaganaga. Actually the river takes two repeated bends at Pathalaganga with in a short distance and makes a large stretch of high Plateau in each bend.

The right part of it we have Srisailam and whereas on the left there is ruined Chandraguptanagara which is mentioned in the Skandapurana and also some of the celebrated Literary works of 12th to 16th centuries.

By Air

Nearest airport is Hyderabad which is from 232km

By Train

Trains come up to Markapur (on the Guntur-hubli line), 85 km from srisailam, from where you can get a taxi or bus.

By Bus

State Transport buses and the local Devasthanam buses ply regularly.

Tourists Gather Malshej For Monsoon Magic

State Director of Tourism Satish Soni said that almost total reservation is at Malshej, Bhandardhara, Matheran, Karla, Chikaldhara and Tadoba are at 90 per cent for the next two months

Malshej Ghat is located 700 metres above sea level amid the ranges of Western

Ghats, and is equidistant from Mumbai and Pune.

Malshej Ghat has emerged as the most popular tourist attraction in the state this monsoon, with government resorts packed with bookings for the next two months. Bhandardhara is a close second, with Matheran and Karla also avidly sought after by tourists, mainly from Pune, Mumbai and Nashik.

State Director of Tourism Satish Soni told The Indian Express that while the occupancy rate at the 22 resorts run by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is almost 60 per cent, those at Malshej, Bhandardhara, Matheran, Karla, Chikaldhara and Tadoba are at 90 per cent for the next two months.

MTDC officials said the rush this year could be attributed to the abundant rain, thanks to which these weekend getaways are likely to remain tourist hotspots till September. 

Malshej Ghat is located 700 metres above sea level amid the ranges of Western Ghats, and is equidistant from Mumbai and Pune. Approximately 154 km north-west of Pune, the rugged landscape is thickly forested and laced with several rivers. The hills come alive with cascading waterfalls during the monsoon.

Despite the recent landslide that blocked the road to Malshej Ghat, the rush of tourists is unabated. “A massive landslide had toppled a truck into the valley and we have urged visitors to be careful. The road has been opened up just a day before and highway police are ensuring smooth travel for visitors,” Soni said.

In the Vidarbha region, Chikaldhara and Tadoba have had high occupancy rates and bookings are full for the next two months, Soni said. While Tarkarli and Ganpatipule MTDC resorts have a high occupancy rate throughout the year, visitors prefer to visit these places after September, as the Konkan region witnesses very heavy rain, he explained.

The hill station of Mahabaleshwar, too, has its share of tourist rush, but Malshej has emerged the hottest tourist destination this monsoon.

After online bookings showed a high occupancy rate, MTDC officials said they started getting personal calls for accommodation. “We have now decided to introduce package tours from August at affordable rates,” Soni said.

A one-day Mumbai-Malshej-Mumbai tour has been arranged for Rs 900. Other tours, such as Mumbai-Bhandardhara- Mumbai and Mumbai-Shirdi-Bhandardhara, are also being offered. “We anticipate more rush with long weekends coming up during Independence Day and Ganesh Chaturthi,” Soni said.

UNESCO Declared World Heritage Sites In Tamil Nadu - Darasuram

UNESCO DECLARED WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN TAMIL NADU 

DARASURAM

Darasuram is 4 Kms from Kumbakonam. This temple built by Raja Raja Chola dedicated to Lord Siva, is either called as Drasuram temple orAiravateswara Temple. This is well preserved temple of  the 12th century Chola Kingdom. The columns of the temple have unique and excellent miniature sculptures. This is termed as one of the Great Living Chola Temples along with Big Temple and the Gangaikondan Cholapuram temple.

During the 14th century the large stone statues surrounding the temple was replaced with brick and mortar statues similar to that of Big Temple at Thanjavur. Achaeological Survey of India has restored the temple. UNESCO declared it as World Heritage Monument in its 2004 list.