Bhramaramba Mallikarjunaswamy Temple is a hill temple located at a height of 457 m at
Srisailam in
Andhra Pradesh. The temple is devoted to Sri Mallikarjunaswamy and his consort Devi Bhramarambika. One of the 12 '
Jyotirlingas' in India, the temple is situated on the south bank of
Krishna River in Nallamalai forest. 'Bhramara' means 'bee' and goddess Bhramarambika is (
Parvati), the consort of Lord Mallikarjuna (Shiva). She is said to have assumed the form of a bee and worshipped him. The goddess is worshipped as
Brahmani Shakti. Legend says that one can get mukti by taking birth at Srisailam. The sanctum of the temple, a shell-like structure, enshrines Lord Mallikarjuna.
The temple resembles a large fort and is known for its sculptures. Built by the Vijayanagar King Harihara Raya (1404-1405) the temple is characterised by the Vijayanagar architectural style. The row of sculptures on the walls gives the impression of a gallery. The remarkable feature of the temple is a sculpture of sage Bringi standing on three legs. It is said that the sage was damned by the Goddess Parvati to turn into a skeleton since he worshipped only Shiva. The Lord appeased Parvati and gave the sage one more leg to stand on. There are smaller shrines devoted to Nandi, Sahasralinga and Nataraja.
The Satavahanas, Vakatakas, Kakatiyas and Vijayanagar rulers were great devotees of Lord Mallikarjuna as is evident from early inscriptions found here. The gopuram of the temple was built by Chhatrapati Shivaji, the Maratha ruler.
The Krishna River passing through this shrine, is the holy teerth known as pathalaganga. Pilgrims take holy dip in this river. Nearby is the
Shikaram, Tripurantakam, Paladhara Panchadhara and Alampur Navabrahmma temples.
Hyderabad airport is at a distance of 230 km. The railway station at Markapur is 91 km from Srisailam along the
Guntur-
Hubli line on
South Central Railway. Buses are easily available to and from this place to other parts of the state.
