Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh was earlier called Kandenavolu, which meant the town of grease. Legend has it that the Odderas were carting stones for the construction of the temple at Alampur and before they could cross the Tungabhadra the local villagers gave the men grease to apply on their wheels, thereby giving the town the name Kurnool. Kurnool district is famous for its temples. Here is a look at some. Srisailam Blessed is the person who manages to see a Jyotirlingam in their lifetime and Srisailam has a Jyotirlinga, one amongst only 12 in the country. Jyotirlingas are naturally-formed stone linga formations. There are many Shiva temples in and around Srisailam. Prominent are Vridda Mallikarjuna where an old lingam is worshipped, the Sita Pratishta lingam which was supposedly installed by Sita and the Thriphaleswara tree which is worshipped by childless couples so that they will be blessed with a child. Apart from these temples are 2 natural springs - the Paladhara and the Panchadhara at the place where Shankaracharya is supposed to have done penance. Srisailam is 180 kms from Kurnool and 210 kms from Hyderabad. Mantralayam Next, visit the Samadhi of the Saint Raghavendra at Mantralayam. The Samadhi is situated on the Tungabhadra river, which is well worth a dip. Mantralayam is 90 kms from Kurnool and 256 kms from Hyderabad. Mahanandishwar Temple Located 80 kms from Kurnool and 14 kms from Nandyal, this temple is surrounded by thick forests and clear spring water. Other important places in and around the temple are the Pushkarini pond and the Kodanda Ramalayam and Kameswar Devi Temples. Ahobilam 160 kms from Kurnool is Ahobilam, famous for the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple – the only place where all 9 forms of Lord Narasimha or Mahavishnu are worshipped. Alampur Alampur is 15 kms from Kurnool and famous for the Sangameshwara temple built on the confluence of Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers. It is also famous for the Nava Brahma temple. Gadwal 40 kms from Kurnool and 180 kms from Hyderabad lies Gadwal, famous for its sarees and the Chennakeshava Temple. Legend has it that a Brahmin Chennakeshava was offered as sacrifice to build a fort and the temple was named after him. Have you been to any of these places in and around Kurnool? Are these temples really worth going the extra mile?
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