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Known as the ‘City of Pearls’ Hyderabad is quickly becoming a popular destination for travellers. For those who want to embark on a spiritual and religious journey, Hyderabad offers a wide variety of temples and monuments that give pilgrims a sense of tranquillity and peace. If you are on a temple run, Hyderabad is one location you cannot miss. Hyderabad is extremely well-connected and many destinations around it are only a cab ride away. Here are the top pilgrim spots that one must hit on their travels near the capital of Telangana.
Pilgrims circuit around Hyderabad
Srisailam
Located about 229 km from Hyderabad, a travel can take hit the picturesque Srisailam which also houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Visitors can take a cab from Hyderabad to Srisailam and cover the distance in about 5 hours. It is one of the most popular weekend getaways for many who live in Hyderabad and it is home to the extraordinary Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is built-in the Dravidian style of architecture and is a testament to the Vijayanagara Dynasties skilled artistry. The place is also known for the Srisailam Dam which one can make a pit-stop at one their way to the temple
Lepakshi
Lepakshi is a small, quaint village located east of the Hindupur in the Anantapur district. The legendary heritage sites are one of the most important tourist destinations in Andhra Pradesh and 478 km from Hyderabad. The duration of the trip by road from Hyderabad is around 2-3 hours and the peak season for visitors in January and April. It has one of the most incredible temples the Veerabhadra temple which was built during the legendary Vijayanagar dynasty rule. It is also known as Lepakshi temple and has three important shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Veerabhadra. Apart from this, there are also temples of Papanatheswara, Raghunatha, Srirama and Durga which is in the same complex as Lepakshi temple. There is also a monolithic Nandi located in the village. A must in the pilgrims circuit around Hyderabad.
Mahanandi
A holy site, Mahanandi is home to nine Nandis (bulls) known as Nava Nandis. Nestled amidst a lush green forest, a village is an important place for any Shiva devotee to visit. The Mahanandishwara Temple is a 7th-century site which is an extremely sacred place made for Lord Shiva. The nine bulls are named Mahanandi, Shivanandi, Vinayakanandi, Somanandi, Prathamanandi, Garudanandi, Suryanandi, Krishnanandi and Naganandi are beautiful structures to visit and pray to.
Mantralayam
Hyderabad to Mantralayam taxi is affordable to visitors and the distance can be covered in a time of 5.5 hours. Mantralayam is famous for many temples, amongst them the incredible Manchalamma Temple which is located near the Samadhi Temple. Renowned Hindu philosopher and an influential saint Sri Guru Raghavendra Swamy is also associated with this town. It is situated on the banks of the river Tungabhadra and devotees can also visit the Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt. Apart from this, one can also visit the Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple, Chinna Tumbalam, Bichchali.
Bhadrachalam
Lord Rama devotees must visit Bhadrachalam and the best time to visit are October to March. The holy town has beautiful landscapes and is close to the River Godavari. The story goes that the famous Sri Rama Temple in the village was built by a devotee called Bhakta Ramadasu in the 17th century. He built the temple using donations, but the Golconda Sultans thought he deceived them and hence imprisoned him. Legend has it that Lord Rama appeared before the Sultan and miraculously paid the money spent by Ramadasu and released him. The three main festivals observed in this village are 10-day Vaikunta Ekadashi (Dec/Jan), Karthika Poornima and Sri Rama Navami making them important for pilgrims to travel to. The boat ride to the temple is an experience for the pilgrims circuit around Hyderabad.
These were some of the places that you must visit as a pilgrim when you are in Hyderabad. These places are picturesque and divine at the same time. Plus all these places are greatly accessible as mentioned in the post, so don’t have to worry about the conveyance too. Let me know your thoughts on this one by mentioning in the comments below or tweeting to me at @Atulmaharaj
I especially liked the picturesque settings where these are built/in themselves.
Each of them also seem to be grand!
True. Most of these places are at locations where you’d want to spend time apart from just visiting the temple. Thanks for stopping by 🙂