Places Of Interest : Kurnool

Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve

How to reach :
Located 130 Kms from Hyderabad and 190 Kms from Kurnool, by road.

What to see :
Extending over an area of 3568 Sq. Km, rich in flora & fauna the Reserve is home to wildlife such as Tigers, Panthers, Jackals, Striped Hyenas, Small Indian Civet, as well as various species of Deer and Reptiles. The 'Chenchu1 are primitive tribals indigenous to the area. The magnificent Ethipothala falls located llkms from Nagarjunasagar Dam are definitely worth seeing.

Srisailam

How to reach :
Located 180 kms from Kurnool, & 210 kms from Hyderabad it is well connected by road and rail.

What to see :
The Brahmaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy temple houses one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, which are natural stone formations in the shape of a linga. Built in the 14th century, the temple walls are carved with depictions of elephants, hunting scenes and Shiva in different manifestations.

Apart from the main temple, there are other places that are well worth a visit o Pandava Pratistitha Lingas where legend has it that the Pandavas worshipped Lord Mallikarjuna o Thri Phaleswara Tree which is believed to bless childless couples o Nava Brahmalayams which depict various manifestations of Lord Shiva o Mallika Gundam a well that devotees believe has medicinal properties o Vridda Mallikarjuna, where an aged linga is worshipped o Sita Pratistitha Linga, an attractive linga believed to have been installed by Goddess Sita o Sri Brahmarambha Devi Temple, one of the 18 Sakti Pitas o Sankaramutt, which conducts a Vedic school o Arana Veereswara Temple o Bayalu Veerabhadra Swamy Temple o Ankalamma Temple o Shivaji Spurti kendra, where Chatrapati Shivaji had stayed o Patala Ganga Bath Ghats. Around Srisailam are many other places to visit o Sikhareswaram, site of the Sikhareswara Swamy temple on the highest peak in the Nallamalai hills o Hatakeswaram, a temple of Lord Shiva o Paladhara and Panchadhara are natural springs flowing at a spot where Adi Shankaracharya is believed to have performed penance o Sivanandalahari temple of Sakshi Ganapati o Srisailam Project which is one of the biggest hydel projects, with the dam stretching 512 metres.

Mahanandi

How to reach :
Situated at a distance of 14 Kms from Nandyal 6k 80 kms from Kurnool it is well connected by rail and road.

What to see :
A noted pilgrimage centre, Mahanandi is surrounded by dense forests and is famous for the Mahanandishwara temple that dates back to the 7th century AD. The remarkable feature here is the crystal clear water, which flows throughout the year from the perennial springs.

Other places of interest are Pushkarini, a pond with water so clear and pure that even a pin at the bottom can be seen, Kodanda Ramalayam, and the Kameswari Devi temple.

Rollapadu Sanctuary

How to reach :
Located about 60 Kms from Kurnool.

What to see :
Apart from a wide variety of birds and animals, this sanctuary is renowned as one of the last refuge of the endangered Great Indian Bustard, which is a heavy ground bird like a young ostrich or peahen.

Belum Caves

How to reach :
Located 125 Kms from Kurnool it is well connected hy road.

What to see :
Made known in 1982 by a team of European spalelogist led by Mr Gebaner, Belum Caves are the second largest natural caves in Indian Subcontinent after Meghalaya Caves. These underground caves are located on a flat agricultural field, have 3 well like cavities with the central one being the main entrance to the caves.

After a descent of 20 meters at the entrance, the cave is horizontal & has a length of3229 meters. Longer than Borra Caves in Vishakapatnam district Belum Caves have long passages, spacious chambers, fresh water galleries and siphons. All this makes Belum Caves a geological & archeological attraction worldwide.

Mantralayam

How to reach :
Lying 90 Kms from Kurnool and 256 Kms from Hyderabad, it is well connected by road and rail.

What to see :
Situated on the banks of the river Tungabhadra, Mantralayam is famous for the 'Samadhi' of the well-known saint, Sri Raghavendra Teertha. The temple built over 300 years ago, still attracts a large number of followers and devotees.

Other places to see include Raghavendra Swamy Brindavan, the tomb that he entered alive; Anjaneya Swamy Temple; Panchamukhi Anjaneya Swamy and \ enkateswara Swamy Temple.

Ahobilam

How to reach :
Located 160 Kms from Kurnool it is well connected by road.

What to see :
The Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple that dates back to the early 16th century is unique in that it is the only temple where all the nine forms of Lord Vishnu are worshiped.

Other sites worth seeing are Amrutavalli Tayar Temple; Sannidhi Pushkarini; Bhashyakara Sannidhi and the Upper Ahobilam Narasimha Shrine.

Best time to visit: July- February.

Yaganti

How to reach :
Located 90 Kms from Kurnool, it is well connected by frequently plying buses.

What to see :
It is well-known for the temple of Uma Maheshwar, built in the 15th century, which has a magnificent gopura as the entrance and a pond surrounded by animated frienzes of court and mythological scenes carved on stone.

Other places of interest include a huge Nandiswara; Agasthya Pushkarini; and scenic natural caves. In the vicinity are the Garimi Reddy Gari Achchamma Mutt; Kasaiah Thota; Kotturi Subramanya S w a m y Te m p 1 e ; Nandavara m Chandeswari Devi Temple; and Ravvalakonda.