Srikakulendhra Maha Vishnu Devalayam

Srikakulendhra Maha Vishnu Devalayam is located at Srikakulam village of Krishna District in Andhra Pradesh. This is one of the oldest temples which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The main deity holds a Shanka in his right hand and a Chakra in his left hand which symbolizes peace. The unique feature of this temple is that an original Shaligram Mala is used for decorating Lord Vishnu. It is believed that bathing in the Krishna river and visiting this temple on Mukoti Ekadashi removes all the sins.

History 

Srikakulendhra Maha Vishnu Temple was built in the 2nd or 3rd century B.C. It was developed between the years 1746-1791 by Challapalli Raja Kodandaramann. It is one of the rare temples where devotees can see Lord Vishnu as himself or his actual image. In all the other temples devotees worship his other incarnations such as Lord Venkateswara Swamy, Lord Krishna, and Lord Rama. The temple also has a beautiful Gopuram and its pillars are carved with detailed information about the temple. More than 30 in-blockings of the 12th and 13th centuries can be seen on the walls of this temple.

In earlier days goddess Krishna did penance near the Krishna river and asked Lord Vishnu to stay there. Lord Vishnu told her that her wish will be fulfilled at the end of this yuga. Lord Brahma will also have to do penance at the Krishna river with the same wish. Then, in Kaliyugam Lord Brahma came and performed penance for Lord Vishnu here. Lord Vishnu was pleased and allowed Lord Brahma to install the idol of Lord Vishnu and worship there. 

Best Time To Visit

Whilst you can easily visit Srikakulendhra Maha Vishnu Devalayam at any time of the year. But the months of November and December are most preferred by people due to the pleasant weather. The average temperature hovers around here is 25 degrees Celsius during this period. It allows people to get around from one place to another comfortably. Avoid the months from May to September as it might be uncomfortable to enjoy sightseeing due to heavy rains.

How To Reach

By Road: 

Buses are easily available from all places in Andhra Pradesh to Srikakulam village to access the temple. The APSRTC (Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation) operates buses that run to and from Srikakulam. This place is well connected via road to all key places of Andhra Pradesh including Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, Kakinada, etc. NH5 also passes through this place that connects Chennai to Kolkata on the east. 

By Train: 

The nearest railway station is Srikakulam Road which is just 9 km away from the temple. APSRTC buses are available from here to reach the temple. Thanks to the network of Indian railways, one can book trains to Srikakulam from major cities across the nation. 

By Air:

The nearby airport is Visakhapatnam which is 109 km away from Srikakulam. Both bus and taxi services are available to access the temple. Air Deccan operates flights from Visakhapatnam Airport to all nearby major cities such as Chennai, Tirupathi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.