Jyotirlinga 2nd • Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh

Mallikarjuna

The twin-deity shrine of Shiva and Parvati atop the Nallamala hills — where the hill itself is considered a Shivalinga.

Overview

Shiva and Shakti United

Mallikarjuna Swamy temple in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh, is uniquely revered as both a Jyotirlinga and one of the 18 Mahashakti Peethas, where the Goddess Bhramaramba (an aspect of Parvati) is also worshipped. The name combines "Mallika" (jasmine, a name of Parvati) and "Arjuna" (a name of Shiva meaning white or pure), reflecting their divine union.

The temple sits atop the Nallamala hills on the banks of the Krishna river, surrounded by dense forest. According to the Shiva Purana, when Kartikeya (son of Shiva and Parvati) left for the Krauncha mountain after a dispute, his grief-stricken parents came to Srisailam to be near him. Shiva manifested here as the Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga.

JyotirlingaShakti PeethaDravidian TempleNallamala Hills

History

Ancient Temple of the Deccan

Srisailam is one of the most ancient pilgrimage sites in the Deccan. References to the temple appear in the Mahabharata, the Puranas and the works of Adi Shankaracharya. The Chalukya dynasty kings were major patrons, and the Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya built many of its gopurams and mandapas in the 16th century.

The saint-poets Allama Prabhu, Basavanna and Akka Mahadevi — central figures of the 12th-century Lingayat Veerashaiva tradition — composed deeply spiritual vacanas (poems) at this shrine. Akka Mahadevi is believed to have attained liberation (mukti) here, making the temple a critical site for Veerashaiva pilgrims.

The temple complex underwent major restoration under the Andhra Pradesh government. The surrounding Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, one of India's largest, adds to the pilgrim's sense of entering a truly remote and sacred landscape.

Plan Your Visit