ॐ

Har Har Mahadev

02 / 12 · Second Jyotirlinga

मल्लिकार्जुन

A jyotirlingaand a shakti peetha.

📍 Mallikarjuna · Srisailam, Nallamala Hills, Andhra Pradesh

High in the Nallamala forest above the Krishna river, Srisailam holds a rare double sanctity — one of the twelve jyotirlingas and one of the eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas, on the same hill, in the same courtyard.

Darshan & timings Read the legend

Rare becauseJyotirlinga + Maha Shakti Peetha

Sits aboveThe Krishna river gorge

InsideNallamala tiger reserve

Photo: Chintohere · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Checking…Timings Booking Before you go Reach Photos FAQ

A son left home in anger.His parents followed him to the hill.Neither has left since.

The legend

Why Shiva is here, and not somewhere else — as the Shiva Purana and local tradition tell it.

The contest of the fruit

Narada offered a divine fruit to whoever circled the world first. Kartikeya set off around the earth on his peacock. Ganesha simply walked around his parents and said — you are my world. The fruit went to Ganesha.

The son who walked away

Kartikeya returned to find himself beaten by a riddle, and in fury left Kailash for the Krauncha hill in the south, vowing never to return. Shiva and Parvati waited. Then they went after him.

Mallika and Arjuna

The parents settled on the hill to stay near their son. Parvati took the form of Bhramaramba, and Shiva of Arjuna — and because she worshipped him with jasmine, mallika, the shrine became Mallikarjuna. He is a jyotirlinga; she is a shakti peetha. Nowhere else do the two lists meet so completely.

Rare because

Jyotirlinga + Maha Shakti Peetha

Sits above

The Krishna river gorge

Inside

Nallamala tiger reserve

Sparsha darshan

Permitted — you may touch the lingam

Darshan

Timings & the daily aartis

Times shown in IST. The status above is live against the temple's published hours.

—

Now in India--:--

Morning darshan6:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Evening darshan3:00 PM – 10:00 PM

The temple itself opens at 4:00 AM for rituals and shuts at 10:00 PM. From January 2026 the Devasthanam runs a phased slot system on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and public holidays to control crowding — book your slot in advance on those days.

Aarti & ritual schedule

4:30 AM – 5:00 AMSuprabhata SevaWaking the deity
5:00 AM – 6:00 AMMangala Vaayidyam & abhishekam
6:30 AM – 8:00 AMSamuhika AbhishekamGroup abhishekam, booked in advance₹1,500
6:00 AM – 7:00 AMGarbhalaya AbhishekamInside the sanctum, beside the lingam. Very limited slots₹5,000
12:00 PM – 12:30 PMMahamangala HaratiMidday
6:00 PM – 7:00 PMPradosha Kala Puja
9:30 PM – 10:00 PMEkantha SevaThe deity is put to rest

ⓘTimings change on festival days, during Shravan and at short notice. Verified 13 August 2026 — confirm against the official temple portal before you travel.

Booking

Darshan, aarti & registration

What can be booked, what is free, and where the official channel actually is.

Darshan & seva booking

Sparsha darshan, Athi Sheeghra darshan, abhishekam and homams are all bookable on the Srisaila Devasthanam portal. Slots for the sanctum sevas go quickly.

srisailadevasthanam.org ↗

Phased slots on peak days

On Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and public holidays entry runs on timed slots. Booking ahead is effectively mandatory on those days.

Book a slot ↗

Accommodation

The Devasthanam runs a large network of cottages and choultries on the hill, bookable through the same portal.

Devasthanam stays ↗

Before you go

Dress code, rules & what it costs

Dress code

Men

Traditional dress is expected for sanctum sevas — dhoti or pancha with an upper cloth. Shirt and trousers are accepted for general darshan.

Women

Saree or salwar-kameez. Traditional dress is required for paid sevas inside the sanctum.

Not permitted inside

Mobile phones inside the sanctumCamerasLeather goodsFootwear beyond the gate

What it costs

General darshanFree
Sheeghra darshanPaid — see portal
Sparsha darshanPaid, limited slots
Samuhika Abhishekam₹1,500
Garbhalaya Abhishekam₹5,000

Practical advice

Arrive 30–45 minutes before your slot; security and the walk to the gopuram take time.
Do the Bhramaramba Devi shrine in the same courtyard — skipping it misses the entire point of Srisailam.
The road in crosses a tiger reserve and closes to traffic at night. Plan to arrive before dusk.

Getting there

How to reach Mallikarjuna

Srisailam, Nallamala Hills, Andhra Pradesh — 16.074°N, 78.8683°E

✈

By air

Rajiv Gandhi Intl, Hyderabad

~200 km

The practical airport. Taxi takes about four hours through the Nallamala ghats. Vijayawada (~270 km) is the alternative.

🚉

By rail

Markapur Road (MRK)

~85 km

The nearest railhead, connected to Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru. APSRTC buses run the last stretch in about three hours. Nandyal (~158 km) and Cumbum (~102 km) also work.

🚌

By road

By bus or car

Direct

APSRTC and TSRTC run direct buses from Hyderabad (~200 km, 5–6 hrs), Kurnool, Guntur and Vijayawada. The final climb through the forest is scenic and slow.

🗺️ Open in Google Maps ↗

When to come

Best time to visit

October to March is comfortable on the hill. Summer is punishing in the Nallamala; the monsoon makes the ghat road slippery but the forest spectacular. Maha Shivaratri and Ugadi bring enormous crowds.

Maha Shivaratri BrahmotsavamFeb / MarAn eleven-day festival — the largest event of the year here.
UgadiMar / AprTelugu new year; heavy footfall.
Dasara / NavaratriSep / OctCentred on the Bhramaramba shrine.
Karthika MasamNov / DecA month of pradosha and lamp offerings.

Around the shrine

What else is here

Bhramaramba Devi shrine

Same complex

The Shakti Peetha. Tradition holds a visit to Srisailam is incomplete without it.

Srisailam Dam

~8 km

A vast reservoir across the Krishna gorge; the viewpoint is the classic photo stop.

Paladhara Panchadhara

~4 km

Five perennial spring streams in the forest where Adi Shankara is said to have meditated.

Akkamahadevi Caves

Boat from Patalaganga

A long limestone cave reached by launch up the Krishna, named for the 12th-century poet-saint.

Photographs

Mallikarjuna in pictures

Freely-licensed photographs from Wikimedia Commons. Each is credited to its photographer.

SRISAILAM TEMPLE,AP - panoramio — Photo: rajaraman sundaram · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

2025 West Gopuram and Bhramaramba Devi temple view in Srisailam — Photo: Adityamadhav83 · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Night view of Srisailam Temple South Gopuram — Photo: Adityamadhav83 · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

⚖Images are reused under their Creative Commons licences. Follow any photograph to its Commons page for the full licence terms.

Questions

What pilgrims ask

Can I touch the lingam at Srisailam?

Yes — Srisailam is one of the few jyotirlingas offering sparsha darshan, where devotees may touch the lingam. It is a paid, limited-slot seva and should be booked on the Devasthanam portal.

Why is Srisailam special among the twelve?

It is simultaneously a jyotirlinga (Mallikarjuna) and a Maha Shakti Peetha (Bhramaramba) — Shiva and Shakti enshrined in one complex. No other jyotirlinga carries both.

Do I need to book in advance?

On weekdays, no. On Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and public holidays a phased slot system applies from 2026 and advance booking is strongly advised.

How do I reach Srisailam from Hyderabad?

By road, about 200 km and five to six hours by TSRTC bus or taxi through the Nallamala forest. The route closes to traffic at night through the tiger reserve.

Is the temple open during the monsoon?

Yes, year-round. Only the ghat road gets difficult in heavy rain.

What is the dress code for sanctum sevas?

Traditional dress is required for paid sevas inside the sanctum — dhoti with upper cloth for men, saree or salwar-kameez for women.

Have you had darshan here?

Light a lamp for Mallikarjuna and it stays lit across the site — your progress towards all twelve is remembered on this device.

Page last updated 13 August 2026 · All twelve jyotirlingas