Yet another visit to Srisailam

Another unplanned visit to Srisailam but yet again successful with the blessings of Mallikarjuna Swami. I had been planning for going to Srisailam for a two day stay and most of it I wanted to dedicate for Dhyanam after darshan at the temple. No sightseeing I was interested in that trip. On Thursday, I decided that I would go on that weekend and checked for tickets availability and asked if Raghu wants to join me. We both were happy with plan & executed, so we boarded bus to Srisailam on Friday at 11.30PM. Saturday early hours bus stopped at checkpost and I explored in detail about the cottages available there. By 8.45 Saturday morning, we reached Srisailam but we lost about 30min in identifying the accommodation for us. Finally we landed into a room and we started immediately for darshan after fresh up.  

How lucky we were – Raghu and I. That day there was no darshan tickets, the temple officials decided not to have any special Pujas on that day and they were performing Maha Kumbhabhishekam for the well-being of the world and for timely rains. While about 25 or more Brahmin boys reciting the matras and performing homam in a hall adjacent to main temple, they allowed every devotee to pour the sacred waters from Mallika Kundam (adjacent to mail temple - believed to be Saraswati river water) as part of Abhishekam.  Though there was big queue with people having pots in their hands, God blessed us with an easy darshan (we somehow made it into the temple through the exit gate instead of regular entry queue) and opportunity to perform that Abhishekam. Luckily we both got a pot and we shared the water from pot and offered that holy water to Lord Shiva. A funny thought struck my mind then – we feel so great about offering Him His own things. What else could be a better example than this for the Maya. 

We were not greedy to try again and offer more water to god again there given the fact that we have to do that at the cost of someone not doing it, since this seva of offering water by devotees would be closed by 11AM that day and there were more than 100 people standing in queue for their turn. So, we thanked the Lord Shiva for blessing us and we walked to Bhramaraamba temple. We took the darshan and came out to collect prasadam which was the breakfast we had that day.  

Then we returned to the room and took rest to clear off the journey stress. After lunch (at the Satram we stayed in), we decided to take rest for some more time and we wanted to offer Arghyam at Paataala Ganga in the evening time. It was Sani Trayodasi that day and offering Arghyam in evenings of Saturday is said that it’s very pious act. We got up at around six and got freshen up and started off to Paataala Ganga. On our way, we bought flowers and Turmeric to offer to Krishnamma. (We have to thank every water body for their tolerance and kindness to the creatures – as per our Vedic scriptures). There were too many steps we had to walk down to reach to Paataala Ganga. (with limited money in hand and ATMs not working, we couldn’t go for Rope-way option). At Sani Pradosha Kalam, on Sani Trayodasi – we could offer the Arghyam to Sun God with holy waters of Krishna River at a sacred land of Srisailam. We stood there for some time thinking about God and our Ignorance. 

Whileeby the steps, we stopped at a few places on our way since it was too difficult for both of us to climb steps at one go sharing our previous travel experiences. On our way back, I found “Tella Jilledu” flowers. So, I collected couple of them and brought to main temple to offer to lord Shiva. We again took darshan through exit door and offered the flowers to Lord Shiva and returned to room after that darshan. The next morning we got up early to have a first darshan and unfortunately we couldn’t take special darshan tickets, had we taken the tickets – we could have touched the Lingam (first half hour darshan they allow devotees to touch Lingam). This time we had to go in queue and It took four hours for it.

 Post the darshan, we left to Hatakeswaram for Dhyanam and on that way we visited Phaladhara and Panchadhara. There we tasted a new fruit(forgot the name of it J). Then spent an hour or so in Hatakeswaram temples and had our lunch at an Annadanasatram along with some sadhu’s there. Practiced Dhyanam for some time and started our return journey.  

Though we were lucky to have a good Darshan and chance to offer the water to Lord Shiva in temple, the other important wish I had – to meditate uninterruptedly for hours, is still a wish for my next visit.