SRISAILAM - BAIRLUTY JUNGLE CAMP - NAGARJUNASAGAR (FROM HYDERABAD)

At a distance of 14 km from Srisailam Bus Station & 15 km from Srisailam Temple, Srisailam Dam is constructed across Krishna River on the border of Mahabubnagar District, Telangana (Left bank) and Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh (Right bank). It is one of the largest dams in India and the 3rd largest hydroelectric project in India. Srisailam Dam is among the prime places to visit in Srisailam, situated on Hyderabad to Srisailam route. This is another popular attraction to visit as part of Hyderabad tour packages.

The construction of the dam was started in 1960 and took over 20 years to be completed and was opened in 1981. The dam was constructed in a deep gorge in Nallamala hills, 300 meters above sea level. The dam is 512 meters long, 240.79 meters (885 ft) high and has 12 radial crest gates. The dam has a live storage of 274 TMC and provides .....

At a distance of 1 km from Srisailam Bus Station, Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva has a great historical and religious significance and it is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas and also one of the 18 Sakti Peethas (Bhramaramba Temple situated in same complex). The holy temple is situated on a mountain named Shri Shaila on the banks of Krishna River. This Jyotirlinga is also referred as Kailash of the South. Mallikarjun Temple is among the prime places to visit in Srisailam.

The earliest known historical mention of Srisailam hill can be traced in Pulumavis Nasik inscription of 1st Century AD. The Sathavahanas, Ikshavakus, Pallavas, Vishnukundis, Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Reedy Kings, Vijayanagara Emperors and Chatrapathi Shivaji are among the famous emperors who worshipped God Mallikarjuna Swamy and made several contributions to the development of the temple.

Prataparudra of Kakatiya Dynasty strived a lot for the improvement .....

At a distance of 3 Km from Srisailam Mallikarjun Temple & 11 km from Srisailam Dam, Sakshi Ganapati Temple, situated between Srisailam Temple and Srisailam Dam, is one of the sacred spots frequented by pilgrims since times immemorial. The traditional belief is that the Ganapathi in this temple keeps regular account of all the pilgrims to tender Sakshyam (evidence) of their visit to this Kshetram and so named as Sakshi Ganapathi. It is one of the well known Srisailam places to visit.

The sculpture of this deity is exquisitely made holding a book in the left hand and a pen in the right hand in such a way as noting down the names of devotees. It is in practice that devotees during their return from Mallikarjuna Temple visit this temple.

Srinatha, the renowned poet of 14th Century in his Kasikhandam states that this Sakshi Ganapathi is visualized by sage Agasthya during his pilgrimage to Srisailam.

Timings: 6 AM to 9 PM

At a distance of 4.5 Km from Srisailam, 5 km from Srisailam Temple & 10 km from Srisailam Dam, Phaladhara and Panchadhara, on the way to Sikharam, is one of the most beautiful scenic spot in the surroundings of Srisailam. This spot is located in a narrow valley approachable by a flight of 160 steps with streams of pure water flowing with musical sound reverberate the surroundings. It is one of the popular attractions in Srisailam and is situated between Srisailam town and Srisailam Dam.

According to locals, these streams signify their origin from the fore head of God Siva, the Phaladhara (Phala = fore head, dhara = Stream) and denote the five aspects of Siva, the Panchadhara (Pancha = five, dhara = Stream). The water from this stream flows uninterrupted in all the seasons.

Tradition records that Bhagavan Adisankara performed penance at this place and composed the famous Sivanandalahari here. His Holiness Kanchi Paramacharya confirmed this and marble statues of Sarada Devi .....

At a distance of 8 km from Srisailam Mallikarjun Temple & 12 km from Srisailam Dam, Sikharam is the highest point of Srisailam Hills at an altitude of 2830 feet above sea level. The Skanda Purana proclaims that a mere glance of this Sikharam frees the human soul from the fitters of rebirth. In ancient days people used to come to Srisailam on foot and those who unable to reach the shrine returned back by seeing this peak. It is one of the top places to visit in Srisailam and is about 3 km from the road between Srisailam Temple and Srisailam Dam.

The Sikhareswaram Temple located here is an ancient stone structure consisting of Garbhagriha, Antaralaya and 16 pillared Mukhamanda. The deity here is named as Veera Sankara Swamy and locally popularized as Sikhareswara Swamy. Historically the Reddy Kings have constructed a flight of steps to this temple in the year 1398 AD and also a tank (Pushkarini) at this place. This place gives a panoramic view of the entire temple complex of Srisailam .....

At a distance of 1 km from Srisailam Mallikarjuna Temple, Pathala Ganga is the sacred place in the backwaters of River Krishna. This is the place where devotees can have a holy dip in the river Krishna. Steps and iron chains are provided for the devotees to hold onto to protect themselves from the strong force of the river. From this place you can get a glimpse of wide reservoir and the magnificent mountains spread with the lush green Nallamala Forest. It is one of the popular Srisailam places to visit for best views of River Krishna. It is geographically located behind Srisailam Dam and the flood gates can be seen from here. Pathala Ganga is also the boating center for pleasure rides and trips to Akkamahadevi Caves.

Several pilgrims take bath in River Krishna at Pathala Ganga before visiting the deity of Srisailam Temple. Around 500 steps from the Hanuman Temple (Haritha Hotel) need to be trekked down to reach Pathala .....

At a distance of 1 km from Srisailam Temple, Tribal Museum at the entrance of Srisailam town is a wonderful place to experience the culture and life style of tribal living in Nallamala Hills. It is one of the popular Srisailam tourist places to understand the tribal culture of the region.

With a huge collection of tribal artifacts and different sections showcasing the life style of the natives, this is a must visit place in Srisailam. The museum is well maintained with good collection of the daily use articles of tribal, articles of labor, weapons, statues of their gods, musical instruments, etc.

There is a large park inside the Museum campus with images of dinosaurs, tribal huts, children play area, etc.

Timings: 8:30 AM to 8 PM. Entrance Fee: Rs 10.

At a distance of 15 km from Atmakur, 47 km from Dornala, 85 km from Kurnool, 96 km from Srisailam, and 300 km from Hyderabad, Bairluty is a tribal village in Atmakur mandal of Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh. This is one of the eco-tourism projects initiated by AP Tourism and among the best weekend getaways near Hyderabad.

Nallamala Jungle Camp at Bairluty is a community-based eco-tourism initiative which was started in 2017. The main aim of the camp is to elicit local support for wildlife, to impart conservation education to the visitors and to empower the local communities improving their livelihoods. Bairluty is the one among the three locations of eco-tourism programmes initiated by Andhra Pradesh Government in Nagarjunasagar - Srisailam Tiger Reserve; the other two are Thummalabailu and Pacherla.

The camp is build around the concept of Jungle Lodges & Resorts (JLR) in Karnataka. Spreads over an area of 10 acres, Nallamala .....

At a distance of 15 km from Atmakur, 47 km from Dornala, 85 km from Kurnool, 96 km from Srisailam, and 300 km from Hyderabad, Bairluty is a tribal village in Atmakur mandal of Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh. This is one of the eco-tourism projects initiated by AP Tourism and among the best weekend getaways near Hyderabad.

Nallamala Jungle Camp at Bairluty is a community-based eco-tourism initiative which was started in 2017. The main aim of the camp is to elicit local support for wildlife, to impart conservation education to the visitors and to empower the local communities improving their livelihoods. Bairluty is the one among the three locations of eco-tourism programmes initiated by Andhra Pradesh Government in Nagarjunasagar - Srisailam Tiger Reserve; the other two are Thummalabailu and Pacherla.

The camp is build around the concept of Jungle Lodges & Resorts (JLR) in Karnataka. Spreads over an area of 10 acres, Nallamala .....

At a distance of 14 km from Nagarjuna Sagar, 176 km from Hyderabad & 177 km from Vijayawada, Ethipothala waterfalls are striking falls on River Chandravanka (a tributary of River Krishna), towards the down flow of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam. This is one of the best tourist attractions to visit near Hyderabad & a popular waterfall around Hyderabad city. It is one of the prime places to visit in Nagarjuna Sagar and also one of the top Tourist places in Telangana.

Ethipothala is a famous waterfall formed by the mountain streams which falls from a height of approximately 70 feet into a lagoon. Three streams namely Nakka Vagu, Tummala Vagu and Chandravanka Vagu combine to form this waterfall. The name Ethipothala has been derived from the Sanskrit word 'Etitaposthal' meaning the place for penance. It is believed that saints have performed .....

At a distance of 3 km from Nagarjuna Sagar Bus Station, Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is built on River Krishna between the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the main places to visit in Nagarjuna Sagar. The dam offers breathtaking views when the gates are open in peak monsoon season (around Sep). This is another popular attraction not to miss in a Hyderabad tour packages.

The Dam was completed in 1966 and it has a height of 124 m and a length of over 1450 m with 26 crest gates. The lake created by the dam is the third largest manmade lake in the world. The dam can store up to 11, 472 million cubic meters of water in the reservoir. There is a viewpoint at a distance of 4 km from the dam that offers a panoramic view of the amazing landscape. It is one of the earliest irrigation and hydro-electric projects in India. The dam .....

At a distance of 23 km from Nagarjuna Sagar Bus Station & 14 km from Boat Launch Station, Nagarjuna Konda is a small island in Nagarjuna Sagar Lake which houses the excavated remains of the Buddhist civilization of 2nd century. This is one of the major historical sites to visit around Hyderabad and among the top Nagarjuna Sagar places to visit.

It is one of India's richest Buddhist sites and now it lies in the backwaters of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam. Nagarjuna Konda was once the capital of Ikshvaku Kingdom and was called Vijayapuri. It was named after Acharya Nagarjuna, a renowned Buddhist scholar, philosopher who lived here in the 2nd century AD and composed the initial sutras of Mahayana Buddhism. The revered Buddhist monk was heading the community of Buddhist priests for nearly 60 years in the 2nd century. He found the Madhyamika School which studied and developed the teaching .....

At a distance of 17 km from Nagarjuna Sagar Bus Station & 8 km from Boat Launch Station, Anupu is a site of Buddhist excavations reconstructed to perfection with extreme care and great effort. During the construction of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, the ruins of an ancient Buddhist university were excavated along with several monasteries. These ruins are collected and few structures are reconstructed at 80 hectare Anupu by Archeological Survey of India. It is one of the best Nagarjuna Sagar tourist places.

There are three main structures at Anupu - Ancient University, Amphi Theater and Harati Temple. The reconstructed stupas at University have circular brick or rubble walls, which have cladding of limestone slabs or plaster. The Simhala Vihara has two halls, one encircling a Buddha image. The Chaitya Halls and monasteries had limestone column set in to brick and stone walls.

The Amphi Theatre is a magnificent structure with stepped columns on both sides and a big play ground in .....