This was on my places to see list for a long time , so when I got sometime , I started planning. First the duration of visit.. and I thought I would go for four days and see everything leisurely but when I searched I found most of the people visiting for a day or two only, so I was in dilemma and then thought .ok I will make it for 3 days atleast. Next mode of transport.. again I didn’t find any good buses on the route and train also doesn’t connect to the main place, so it has to be a cab only. I wanted some recommended service , none in my known circle recommended Ola for outstation, I checked savaari.com and Cabbazar.com.. , first one I didn’t find good reviews and second one most reviews were from north. Again I was skeptical about their sincerity and Customercare, so I gave a feeler to my friends to find some known person and they found me one.. he had a Swift dezire.. good enough for us two people .And the driver turned out to be very good in all respects, caring, punctual, good driver and all. He charged us 12000/- for 3 days, all inclusive.
We started from Hyderabad around 9 AM.. within 30 minutes on the way there is Udupi.. good joint for breakfast. Spent half an hour and we were on the way.Roads are very good and after 70-80 km, forest area starts for 70 km.. Nalla malla forest.. it’s a dense forest and drive is very pleasant. They close that road after 6 from both sides. There are boards everywhere asking not to feed monkeys and no littering anywhere, otherwise penalty is 10000/-.. yes ten thousand, still people were feeding and at some places picnicking also.
On the way first we see a small dam and before entering Srisailam a majestic dam, water there coming in full force and a sight to see.Whole stretch was full of fish selling, drying and all and stinking. And people stop anywhere to buy or take pics without realising that they are creating a traffic jam.
We reached Srisailam around 2.30 and first we saw APTDC Haritha hotel, but there was no room available. We wanted to stay in close vicinity of temple only. And there are lodges in plenty but lot of stairs and some not very clean too and still full due to it being Monday. Ultimately we found a room on first floor in a dharamshala near rope way.. it wasn’t to our liking but had no choice. Room was for 1100/- but had no facility of any food, tea, porter , even linen wasn’t good.
We kept the luggage and went for a late lunch. Food is very good there and cheap also. We went to Ganesh Foodcourt and had chola bhatoore and stuff paratha and then went for a ticket to Abhishekam. There it was available for same evening from 6-9 PM, we took it and went for it around 7 PM. As usual camera and phones are not allowed, so put them in cloak room.there wasn’t much queue anywhere.It is mandatory for men to wear vests or dhoti and no shirt, for women it is Indian wear preferably sari , otherwise salwar kameej. My husband bought dhoti over there onlyThere are no signs to tell you anything, so we had to ask at every step, we went inside and collected pooja items and went in. there they asked us to wait , we waited around 40 minutes and they asked us inside in garbhgrah,. It took us 15 minutes to do pooja.. I heard that it’s the only Jyotirling where they let you touch it. After this we came out and one Swamiji asked us to sit and gave blessings.
Then we went to darshan of Ammavari Devi, wife of Mallikararjun Swamy. It is next only but some 20-25 stairs.
Temple is huge and well mainatained and there are many shivlings and Nandi statues but since they don’t allow photography we couldn’t take any memory.
Outside temple it’s very lively atmosphere with colorful shops, selling toys, pooja items and usual other things like bangles, garlands and all.All shops have vesti, shirts etc.
By the time we finished it was 9 pm, so went to dinner and back to lodge
2 comments:
Thanks for the nice travelogue and beautiful photos. Hotels are not good in most of the holy places. Just curious. Who is this Swamiji voluntarily approached you, asked you to sit, and gave blessings? Was he expecting anything in return (like money)?
SG.. I think it’s the tradition there that after Abhishek they put a holy colour dupatta type over the couple and chant some mantra, No they didn’t ask for anything as we had already paid for Abhishek but we ourselves give a token as dakshina everywhere.
Post a Comment