Live Darshan of Mallikarjuna Temple at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh

Mallikarjuna and Bhramaramba temples, Srisailam

Situated amid the Nallamala Hills on the banks of the Krishna in Andhra Pradesh, Srisailam is exceptional because it is revered both as one of the 12 Jyotirlingas and as a major Shakti Peetha. Shiva is worshipped as Mallikarjuna and Parvati as Bhramaramba Devi.

Sthala Mahatmyam: Tradition relates that Shiva and Parvati came to this mountain to console their son Kartikeya, who had withdrawn to Krauncha mountain following a disagreement involving his brother Ganesha. Shiva subsequently manifested here as Mallikarjuna. Another tradition associates the name with Princess Chandravati's worship of Shiva with mallika (jasmine) flowers. Srisailam is therefore regarded as a rare kshetra where the worship of Shiva and Shakti is inseparably united. It also has Bhramarambika temple, which is one of Shaktipeethas in the country.

Getting there

Fly internationally to Hyderabad (HYD); continue by road to Srisailam, commonly about 5–7 hours, depending on traffic and forest-road conditions. Tirupati or Vijayawada are alternatives if they suit the rest of your journey. There is no rail station in Srisailam; Markapur Road is a useful railhead, followed by road travel. Intercity buses and hired cars serve Srisailam. Arrange the return car or bus before entering the hill area, check the current forest-gate operating hours, and avoid planning a late-night arrival.

Darshan, booking and time on site

The hill shrine contains the Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga and the Bhramaramba shrine. The Devasthanam sells darshan and selected seva tickets and accommodation through its own site. Carry the original passport matching a booking; its FAQ explicitly accepts passports as registration ID. Sparsha darshan and seva access may change with crowding. Allow an overnight stay during festivals.

Allow at least half a day for the shrine and local transfers, and considerably longer on festival days. Check the official temple source just before setting out; queues, hours, clothing requirements and security rules may change without much notice. A room reservation is not a darshan entitlement.

Srisailam temple

Dos and don’ts

Visit both shrines; follow the marked queue and remove shoes.

Do not assume a standard darshan ticket includes personal worship or touching the linga.

Do not bring prohibited items into the shrine; confirm current baggage arrangements at the counter.

Avoid unofficial agents, littering and feeding wildlife on the forest road.

Do: carry only essential ID and small cash; Arrive before any ticket reporting time; Follow staff and posted signs; Use official counters and ask for receipts; keep your hotel address in writing.

Don’t: push in queues, photograph where prohibited, pay brokers for “VIP” access, leave valuables unattended, litter or assume that a visitor of another faith has the same access rules at every temple.

Before leaving your country

- Check passport validity and the visa or e-visa rules that apply to your nationality on India’s official visa portal. Keep your entry documents accessible. An OCI holder should carry the OCI document and linked passport.

- Book flights, a hotel and onward transport with time for delays. Temple bookings are separate from travel bookings. Keep an offline copy of confirmations and the original ID used for any temple reservation.

- Indian currency is the rupee (INR). Carry some small-denomination cash; a foreign card or overseas UPI account may not work at every counter. Obtain a local data connection or roaming and save offline maps.

- Wear comfortable clothing that covers shoulders and knees; carry a light scarf, socks for hot stone floors, drinking water and any regular medication. Store shoes and belongings only at staffed or clearly marked facilities.

Contacts and emergency plan

Devasthanam: +91 83339 01351–01356; +91 8524 287126; endow-eosri@gov.in.

Across India, dial 112 for emergency assistance. Save your own embassy/consulate emergency contact, insurer and hotel number. Indian local and toll-free numbers may not connect from abroad; call once in India or use the official website. Numbers and schedules can change: verify them before publication and again before departure.

Source and update note

Travel routes are planning guidance, not a promise of a particular flight, train, road opening or journey time. Checked 29 September 2026.