Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple or Srisailam Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to deities Shiva and Parvati at Srisailam . Mallikarjuna Temple is among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Here, the Lingam is self incarnated; it is not installed by any human hands. It has great reverence among all the twelve JyothirLingas. People believe they get salvation by taking birth at sri sailam kshetra . The holiness connected with this hill has been described in Mahabharatha, Skanda Purana besides many religious scriptures.
The holy Srisailam kshetra is remembered with great reverence when it comes into the sankalpa mantra during the bath at sacred places. These hills are equally very dear to Buddhists. Saint Nagarjun lived here in the first century A.D. Chinese travelers Fahian and Hieun Tsang have described this pilgrim center as Sri Parvatam and a Bhuddhist center. The temple of Lord Mallikarjuna built picturesquely on a flat top of the hills at Nallamalai, Srisailam is supposed to be one among the most ancient kshetras all over India. It is on the right bank of River Krishna in the District Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.
Mallikarjuna Temple History
This famous mountain also has names like Siridhan, Srigiri, Sirigiri, Sriparvatha and Srinagam. For many centuries, it has been a place where Saivite pilgrims used to come. The presiding Deities of this kshetram Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy is one among the twelve Jyothirlingas and Goddess Bhramaramba Devi is one among the eighteen Mahasakthis and both are self-manifested. The specialty of this kshetram is, in one campus Jyothirlingam and Mahasakthi combination which is very rare and it is only one.
The Mallikarjuna Linga is open to all and anyone can walk into the innermost sanctuary of Mallikarjuna, touch him and perform Abhishekam and Archana himself to recitation of Mantras by Archakas without any caste or religion barrier. Shiva of the Srisailam hill is a Swayambulinga self-manifested and is to one among the 12 Jyothirlingas in India The pious aver that mukti can be attained if one is born at Srisailam. The sanctity of the hill is eulogized in Mahabharatha, Skanda Purana and many other Puranas.
Bhramaramba Shrine- Next to the Mallikarjun Temple is a shrine for Goddess Jagdamba who is Bhramaramba here. The Bhramaramba shrine is very important. It is said that Durga once assumed the form of a bee and worshiped Shiva at this place and then selected this spot to be Her residence.
The Legend Of Srisailam – This temple is Srisailam temple which shines like a jewel on the Eastern Ghats of the Nallamalai range, with several names attached to it as Srigiri, Srimala, Srinagara and Rishabagiri. It is called Rishabagiri as Rishaba or Nandi Deva performed penance on this hill and was blessed to have the darshan of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati.
In the olde age Chandravthi, Princess of the Gautam dynsty faced a calamity and decided to leave far from her palace. She left for Srisailam forests and started living on fruits and cow’s milk. One day she found that one of the cows wasn’t giving milk. She learned through her scared shepherd that from many days the cow was going to a destination spot and pouring milk over this Linga which was covered by mallige creepers. The very next day she went to the place and sees wonder working. That very night Lord Shiva appeared in her dream directing her to construct a temple at that place. As this Linga was found in mallige creepers, she named the deity Mallikarjuna.
One legend relates that while Lord Shiva was on a hunting excursion in the Srisailam forest, he came across a lovely maiden belonging to the Chenchu tribe, whom he wooed and decided to live with in the forest. The maiden was none other than Parvati. This story is sculptured in a bas-relief in the temple. What is most important however is that up to today, members of the local Chenchu tribe can enter into the sanctum. They are allowed to do abhisheka and worship of the deity on the night of Maha Shivaratri and some other interesting features of this temple are that any devotee whether he is male, female or belonging to any caste or creed is eligible to enter into the sanctum and do abhisheka and worship.
History
The architectural style and initial construction of the temple bear testimony to the influence of the Chalukya dynasty. With new dynasties coming in later on, the temple was further expanded and renovated. This has been indubitably proven by inscriptions at Srisailam left by Satavahanas, South India’s first dynasty. The foundation of a temple is an event for general festivity among the people. After Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy, Satakarni, the king of the Satavahanas, assumed a new name as Mallana. Pulumavi’s Nasik Prashasti of 2nd Century AD contains probably the oldest reference pertaining to Srisailam Hill; even historians quarreled about tracing back the origin of the temple to Pallavas rule and that Reddy Kings extended their reign. Prolay Verma and Anavema Reddy built roads and mandapas to the temple.
Harihara II, king of the Vijayanagara dynasty in the 14th century, constructed steps to Pathala Ganga. Mandapas of the temple were built by Chandrashekhara, minister to Krishnadevaraya. Later on, Nawabs, Mughals, and then British took over the administration and thus the area of the temple came under them. A committee was formed by Britishers in 1929 for managing this temple. Later on, in 1949 this temple was transferred under the administration of the Endowments Department. In later years, construction of Gopuram in North was authorized by Chatrapathi Shivaji. From Satavahana’s dynasty, inscriptional evidence proves that this temple existed from the 2nd century.
Mythology
When parents like Parvati and Shiva agreed to look for brides for their children, Shiva married Siddhi and Buddhi, who were his energies- to Ganesha. When he returned, Kartikeya was furious. He left and went off to Krauncha Mountain in Palani to lead a solitary life in the name of Kumara Brahmachari. When he saw his father approaching to appease him and persuade him to come back home, he tried shifting to some other place. But upon the gods’ request, he stayed there itself. The place where Parvati and Shiva made their abode began to be known as Srisailam.
Legends
The Mallikarjuna Temple has references in various old Hindu epics. For example, it is said in Agni Purana that penance was performed by Demon King Hiranyakashyap here. He also offered his prayers to Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy here. As per Skanda Purana, another holy Hindu book, in Tretha Yuga Goddess Sita and Lord Rama have visited this site.
It has been said that in Dwapara Yuga, during their exile, the Pandava brothers stayed here for some time and offered prayers. In Kaliyuga, this place does not lose its importance; rather it gains more significance.Perhaps great philosopher-saints like Adi Shankara, Siddha Nagarjuna, Veerashaiva Saint Allama Prabhu, and Siva Sarani Akka Mahadevi among others spent considerable time here praying and worshipping the Lord.
Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga has many legends. In one such legend, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu once got into a debate over their powers’ superiority. To resolve that issue, Shiva decided to test both of them. With endless pillars of light- it was by these that Shiva pierced the three worlds.
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