Srisailam

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This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.

Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.

Srisailam

Famous temple in the Nandikotkur taluk of Kurnool District, Madras, situated in 16° 5' N. and 78° 53' E. It lies in the midst of malarious jungles and rugged hills on the northernmost plateau of the Nallamalais, overlooking a deep gorge through which flows the Kistna river. The ruined wells and tanks and the remains of walls and ancient buildings which lie around show that the neigh- bouring country was once prosperous. The place appears to have been inhabited till the fifteenth century, and was deserted after the Musalman conquest. There are three routes to the temple : that through Atmakur and Nagaluti in the Nandikotkur taluk, which is the one most frequently used ; that by Bommalapuram in the Markapur taluk ; and that across Nllganga ferry over the Kistna river, which is followed by pilgrims from Hyderabad territory. The temple is 660 feet long by 510 feet broad. The walls are elaborately sculptured with scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. In the centre stands the shrine of Mallikarjuna, the name by which Siva is wor- shipped here. The temple is under the management of Sri Sankar- acharya, priest of the Pushpagiri math, to whom it was handed over by Government about 1841, when the authorities ceased to manage religious institutions. The priest has leased out the revenues and takes no interest in the temple ; and the result is that the buildings are in bad order and falling to pieces, and the lessees levy all sorts of con- tributions from the numerous pilgrims who attend the grand Sivaratri festival in the months of February and March every year. The temple, which was richly endowed in former days, is now very poor, as it was plundered by a band of robbers in the eighteenth century, and the inams attached to it were resumed by the Musalmans when they obtained possession of the District.