Kalahasti Attractions - Tourist Places To Visit In Kalahasti

Sri Subrahmanya Swamy Temple in Srikalahasti is dedicated to Lord Murugan. The temple is located right in the middle of the town and is easily accessible by road. The temple is famous for the Aadi Krithika festival that is celebrated in the temple each year with great devotion and fervour.

The celebrations last for eight days and during this time the temple sees a lot of activities, including dance and music. The temple is decorated with lights and flowers and on the final day of the festival three chariots carrying idols of Lord Subrahmanya Swamy and his consorts, Sri Valli and Devasena are taken outside the temple and driven through the town much like a procession.

The festival of Aadi Krithika holds a lot of importance for the people of the town as well as for the devotees of Lord Murugan who throng to the temple in large numbers to participate in the festivities.

Kalahasti Temple, as the name suggests, is situated in the town of Srikalahasti in Andhra Pradesh. It is one among the most important temples of Lord Shiva. The temple is at a distance of 36 km from Tirupati and is the site for the famous Vayu Linga that represents one of the five elements, the Air or the Wind, of the Panchabootha Sthalams or the temples associated with the elements.

The Linga enshrined in this temple is considered a form of Lord Shiva and is worshipped as Kalahasteeswara. According to a legend, Bhakta Kannapa prayed to Lord Shiva in this temple and offered his eyes to the Lord who sought out to test the devotion of this devotee.

The lord appeared before him and granted his devotee salvation. The temple was constructed in two parts; the inside part was built in the 5th century, and the part that is outside was built in the 12th century.

The outer part of the temple was built by the Chola kings and the outside architecture is in keeping with style preferred by the Cholas. This temple is thronged not only by devotees of Lord Shiva, but also those who wish to abate Rahu and Ketu doshas in their horoscope, by the way of special pujas. People who visit Tirupati make it a point to visit the Kalahasteeswara temple in Kalahasti.

Sahsra Linga Temple in Srikalahasti draws devotees in large numbers from all over the country. The temple has many myths and legends associated with it and it is considered to be a prominent temple in the town. The temple is scenically located in the middle of a jungle and a majestic hill forms the backdrop of the temple.

Many tourists also make it a point to visit the temple because of its surrounding locales. The word ‘sahsra’ means 'thousand' and is aptly associated with the temple because there are thousand Shivalingas carved out on a single Linga. It is believed that coming to the temple would help one get rid of all the sins that one has committed in this as well as in the previous births.

Sri Durga Temple of Srikalahasti is dedicated to Goddess Durga who is considered as the divine form of ‘shakti’ or power. This is a very old temple that attracts thousands of devotees every year. The temple is built on a small hillock of about 800 m height and is located on the northern side of the Kalahastishwara Temple.

The temple is easily and comfortably accessible because of the broad steps that have been built to make the ascent to the temple possible. This shrine dedicated to Goddess Durga is small compared to the other majestic temples of Srikalahasti, but regardless of its size the temple is revered by the locals and tourists alike.

People on a pilgrimage to the town make it a point to do ‘darshan’ of the Goddess before they end their pilgrimage. The shrine is lovely and beckons many devotees because of holiness and purity surrounding it. The location of the shrine is no less attractive; from the top of the hillock, where the shrine is, one can see nature in all its beauty.

Bharadwaja Thirtham is located on the eastern side of the Kalahasti Temple and is situated in the middle of three hills. It gains its name from Sage Bharadwaja who meditated in Treta Yuga (a bygone period in Hinduism).

The location of the Thirtham is a picturesque valley that offers a view of lush green hills and a stream of crystal clear water flows through the valley giving the place an ethereal quality. It is little wonder then that this part of the town was chosen for establishing the Thirtham, or a sanctified water-body.

The Thirtham is in the form of a tank and situated within it is a majestic and grand statue of Thapo Vinayaka (Ganesha in meditation) making the atmosphere truly divine. However, to reach the Thirtham you will have to pass through a busy market.

The Thirtham experiences major activity during the time of Mahashivratri when millions of devotees come for a holy dip in the tank. In fact, it is believed that worship and prayers to Lord Shiva can begin only after devotees wash their bodies in this Thirtham.

The Durgambika Temple in Srikalahasti is a very old temple that is dedicated to Goddess Durgambika. Like most temples of Hindu Goddesses, this temple too is built on top of a small hillock. The temple is situated on the northern side of Kalahastiswara Temple and is built around 800 m above sea level.

The shrine of Durgambika is popularly visited by the locals as well as by tourists because of its scenic location. Broad steps are built starting from the base of the hill to the temple. This makes the climb easier and comfortable for the devotees.

Goddess Durgambika holds a lot of religious significance for the people of the town because in Hindu mythology Goddesses are considered as givers of life. They not only give birth to life but also help nurture and sustain life on earth. Hence, hundreds of devotees flock each year to visit the temple and seek blessings from the Goddess.  

Veyilingala Kona Waterfall is situated near the town of Srikalahasti and is at a distance of only 8 km from the outskirts of the town. The waterfalls are a favourite tourist spot because of the amazing panoramic view of nature that they offer. It is not possible to go without taking a dip in these waterfalls and one can find both the young and the old enjoying their bath in it.

The Waterfall derives its name from Telugu and means “The Valley of the Thousand Lingas”, an apt name since the Falls are surrounded by rocks that resemble the lingams of Lord Shiva. A large number of people visit this waterfall each year because it is believed that the water of the Falls has unique healing properties.

Many infections related to the skin can be cured by taking regular bath under the waterfall. According to a local legend, bathing in the waterfall can rid one of all your earthly sins in order to achieve salvation.

Prasanna Varadaraja Swamy Temple in Srikalahasti is acclaimed as one of the prominent temples in South India. It lies in proximity to the Srikalahasti temple. In fact, the Prasanna Varadraja Swamy Temple is considered a sub-section of the Srikalahasteeswara temple. Thousands of tourists flock to the temple each year to seek the blessings of the Lord.

Recently, the temple was in the news when renovation work was going on. Apparently, the authorities performing the renovation found a huge wooden door on one side of a room within the temple. On forcing the door open they saw priceless antiques covering the floor of the rather dingy room.

The news of discovery of a treasure trove inside the temple spread like wild fire. Devotees and the curious people thronged the temple to catch a glimpse of the antique pieces. However, it is said that they were denied entry.

Chaturmukeshvara Temple in Srikalahasti is a small temple dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva and Brahma. The temple is a must visit because of the fantastic legend attached to the place that has associations with Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma.

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Brahma performed penance at the site of the temple to get rid of some sins that he had acquired, which resulted in him losing his ability to create. Brahma prayed to Lord Shiva and after being blessed by Shiva, was able to resume the task of creation of the universe.

The unique aspect of the temple is that the Linga or Shiva has four faces, facing different directions. The term ‘Chaturmukh’ means 'Four faces'. Many Shaivites come to the temple each year to glorify the powers of Lord Shiva and to seek his divine blessings. On the walls of the temple are engraved the many myths and legends associated with Lord Shiva.

Sri Kannappa Temple is situated on a small hill in the town of Srikalahasti and has a very interesting legend associated with it. This temple in Srikalahasti is dedicated to an uncommon devotee of Lord Shiva who came to be known by the name Bhakta Kannappa. He is believed to be the reincarnation of Arjuna; the Pandava in the Mahabharata was a staunch Shiva devotee.

A tribal youth, by the name of Kannappa, became an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva after finding a lingam covered in leaves and dust. He brought water in his mouth from a nearby stream to clean the lingam and killed a wild boar and offered it as food to God, much against the scriptural rules.

A priest challenged the devotion of Kannappa and to prove his superiority over other devotees, Lord Shiva decided to test Kannappa. The Lord made the Lingam bleed from the point of the eye. Kannappa tried to stop the bleeding but was unable to do so. He then took out his own eye and placed it over the eye of the lingam and this immediately stopped the bleeding.

Lord Shiva then appeared before him and granted Kannappa the boon of being worshipped along with Shiva Himself. Sri Kannappa temple is believed to be the site of the famous legend and devotees from all over the country visit this place all through the year.

Sri Chakreshwara Swamy Temple in Srikalahasti has the distinction of having the biggest enshrined Lingam in south India. The temple is dedicated to Hindu God Shiva and is located on a small hillock near the town. The temple was discovered in the 1960s during an excavation when a farmer sighted a shrine-like structure buried deep inside.

Once deeper excavation was carried out the entire Garbhagudi along with the idol of the main deity was discovered. This shrine is believed to be about 1200 years old though the locals argue that it is more than 1500 years old. The temple is located around 8 km from the centre of the town.

The temple is small compared to the temples in the surrounding areas but Sri Chakreshwara Swamy Temple has a large number of devotees flocking each year to the place to worship the Lingam. Ironically, this small temple houses the largest lingam among all the temples of Southern India.

Shopping in Srikalahasti is a pleasurable experience and is definitely recommended for all. The place is very famous for its painting style which is known by the name Kalamkari. What is unique about this painting style is that it is done using only natural and safe dyes. These dyes are prepared from plants and vegetables and are therefore, eco-friendly.

The colours that are prepared are absolutely bright and delightful. You can find the kalamkari paintings at the shops located in Sriram Nagar Colony and BP Agraharams. There are many other local crafts as well that will leave you impressed and asking for more. In Srikalahasti, Lord Shiva is the most revered God and therefore, you will find shops abounding with merchandise depicting Lord Shiva.

Many tourists as well as pilgrims buy a large number of religious items from the town because of the religious significance attached to the place. Plenty of artifacts are available that can be put in the shrines of your house and used during festivals and religious ceremonies.