The state of Andhra Pradesh is rich in natural spots, historical monuments and wildlife but it is best known for its temples. Its religious towns like Srisailam and Tirupti are amongst the highest visited pilgrimages in India. We are highlighting the Top 3 temple towns in Andhra Pradesh.
Srisailam
This religious town is populated on the banks of Krishna River and has one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The Jyotirlinga is placed in Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple where Lord Mallikarjuna resides in the form of a linga guarded by a three-hooded cobra.
The temple showcases the typical Dravidian architecture of Vijayanagara Empire. It has lofty towers and huge courtyards that gives it a grand outlook. It is believed that the great Hindu sage Aadi Sankaracharya visited this shrine and composed the devotional hymn Sivananda Lahiri here.
Important attractions to be visited in Srisailam are Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple, Bhramaramba Devi Temple, Pathala Ganga, Shikaresvara Temple, Akka Mahadevi Caves, Sakshi Ganapathi Temple and Mallela Theertham.
Srisailam Dam and Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Sanctuary are two more places that should be definitely visited especially by the nature lovers. Srisailam Dam is built over River Krishna and is one of the largest dams in South India The wildlife sanctuary a huge tiger reserve spread over 3500 Sq. km. It is the natural habitat of wide range of species of flora and fauna. Srisailam is at 215 kms from Hyderabad and can be reached within 5 hours via Hyderabad to Srisailam cabs.
Tirupati
It is a temple town in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh famous for Sri Venkateswara Temple. The temple is located at Tirumala. 22 kms from Tirupati, and is one of the most visited religious sites in India. The temple was initially built by Tamil king Thondaimaan and later maintained by the Pallavas. Cholas and Vijayanagara Kings during their reign. Besides the Tirumala Temple, Tirupati has numerous other famous temples including Varahaswami temple, Srinivasa Mangapuram, Avanakshamma temple, Tiruchanur temple of Goddess Padmavati, Govindaraja temple, ISKCON Lord Krishna Temple etc.
The biggest festival celebrated at Tirumala temple is Srivari Brahmotsavam which is conducted for 9 days during the months of Sep/Oct. During this festival a large procession of Lord Venkateswara is taken along with his companions Sridevi and Bhudevi. Most people travel from Bangalore to Tirupati by road as the distance can be covered within 5 hours. If you are travelling with family from Bangalore, it is best to hire Bangalore to Tirupati cabs for a safe and comfortable journey.
Lepakshi
It is a small town in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh famous for the beautiful temples built by the Vijayanagara dynasty. Lepakshi was developed by the Vijayanagra Kings during the 16th century and is the hub of some of the finest temple architecture and paintings. Lepakshi has three important shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Veerabhadra. The Veerabhadra temple is most popular and also referred as Lepakshi Temple. This Dravidian style temple has beautiful paintings on the ceiling. Another interesting feature of the temple is the hanging pillar supported from the top. Other important temples in the town are Papanatheswara temple, Raghunatha temple, Srirama temple and Durga temple that are located in the same complex on a hillock. Lepakshi is also popular all over the country for its handicrafts.