Srisailam · Nallamala Hills, Andhra Pradesh, India
Where The Neck Of The Mother came to rest, the jasmine-white Lord keeps vigil beside Her.
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Entry tended 28 Jun 2026
Nallamala Hills, Srisailam Above the Krishna gorge Jyotirlinga & Shakti Peetha Srisaila, the auspicious mountain Mallika, the jasmine Lord
The road climbs through teak and bamboo until the world you left feels very far below. Then the gorge of the Krishna opens under you, and on the auspicious mountain the Temple of Srisailam comes into view. You are arriving at one of the rarest thresholds in Hindu devotion: a precinct that is doubly holy, a Seat Of The Goddess and a luminous shrine of Shiva at once.
One of the Fifty-One Shakti Peethas: here, the tradition holds, the Neck Of Maa Sati fell to earth, and this mountain became Her Seat forever.
Beside Her burns one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the luminous shrines of Shiva, so pilgrims of both the Shakta and the Shaiva paths bow at a single threshold.
Dense teak and bamboo forest wraps the whole precinct, a withdrawal from the ordinary world that once demanded a trek of weeks and still begins on the road itself.
The story the mountain remembers
The old grief begins this story too. When Maa Sati gave up Her body in the fire of Her father's insult, Shiva carried Her across the world in a mourning that threatened to unmake it, until Vishnu's discus parted Her Body into Fifty-One pieces. Where each piece touched the earth a Shakti Peetha was born, and upon Srisaila, the auspicious mountain of the Puranas, fell Her Neck.
So on this hill The Goddess Is Worshipped as Maa Bhramarambika, and Shiva stands beside Her as Mallikarjuna, the Lord white as the jasmine flower. Two great litanies meet in one precinct: the twelve luminous shrines of Shiva count Srisailam among them, and the Fifty-One Seats Of The Mother count it too. Pilgrims have long made the hard journey into these forests because a blessing sought here Is Given twice over.
What you'll actually see
1
One threshold, two litanies
Srisailam is counted at once among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva and the Fifty-One Shakti Peethas, the Seats Of The Goddess. Few of India's great pilgrimage destinations carry both honors, and here Shaiva and Shakta worship reinforce each other's sanctity.
2
The jasmine-white Lord beside The Mother
Mallikarjuna means, in Sanskrit, the Lord white as the jasmine flower. He Is Worshipped beside Maa Bhramarambika, so the masculine and feminine faces of the cosmos are honored side by side on one hilltop.
3
The forest tirtha
The Temple rises above the Krishna River gorge in the Nallamala Hills, ringed by teak and bamboo. The Puranic literature names these hills Srisaila and counts them among the most potent tirthas of South India.
The Temple pond at Srisailam, at the Shrine Of Maa BhramarambikaThe Temple of Srisailam rising in the Nallamala Hills, home Of Maa Bhramarambika
The temple pond and the shrine at Srisailam · photos CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
A sanctity found almost nowhere else
Jyotirlinga and Shakti Peetha, under one sky
Most pilgrim maps of India keep the shrines of Shiva and the Seats Of The Goddess apart. Srisailam refuses the separation: the luminous linga of Mallikarjuna and the Seat Of Maa Bhramarambika share the same forested hilltop, and worshippers of both lineages arrive by the same mountain road in a shared act of reverence. The Jyotirlinga tradition holds that such shrines bring the devotee close to the very effulgence of the divine; here that light Is Held in the lap Of The Mother.
If you come for Maa, greet the jasmine-white Lord as well. On this mountain the two worships strengthen one another.
Plan your visit
Where
Srisailam, in the Nallamala Hills of Andhra Pradesh, above the gorge of the Krishna River.
The journey
Historically a forest trek of weeks; today a road journey into the hills. Allow a full travel day and confirm current routes locally.
Timings
Darshan hours are not yet verified in our records; confirm with the Temple office before you travel.
Best time
Early morning is generally the quietest hour at great shrines; check current queue practice on arrival.
Dress
Modest, traditional dress with covered shoulders and knees is the safe standard.
Entry
Darshan passes and offering counters vary; confirm details at the Temple office.
His name traces to mallika, the jasmine: Mallikarjuna, the Lord white as the jasmine flower, keeps company with The Mother on this hill.
The Puranas call these hills Srisaila, the auspicious mountain, long counted among the most potent tirthas of South India.
The teak and bamboo forest around the precinct is part of the blessing: the withdrawal from the ordinary world begins on the road, well before you reach Her gates.
Questions pilgrims ask
Why is Srisailam a Shakti Peetha?
The tradition holds that the Neck Of Maa Sati fell upon this mountain, making it one of Her Fifty-One Seats. The Goddess Is Worshipped here as Maa Bhramarambika.
What does the name Mallikarjuna mean?
In Sanskrit it means the Lord white as the jasmine flower. It is the form of Shiva enshrined beside The Goddess on this hill.
Is this Temple also a Jyotirlinga?
Yes. Srisailam is counted among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva as well as the Fifty-One Shakti Peethas, a double sanctity that is rare among India's great pilgrimage destinations.
The Sthan in photographs
Walk the sacred map
This Is one Seat among many. Her Body Fell across the whole of the old world:
Dharamshalas and guest houses near this Sthan, shared by devotees. Adisthan takes no bookings and no money; contact each stay directly.
No stays are listed here yet. Know one that serves pilgrims well?
Are you a priest, trustee, or sevak of Maa Bhramarambika Mallikarjuna Temple? Claim this page to add true timings, festival dates, and a way for pilgrims To actually reach you.
