Trikoteswara Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Vijayawada Airport is the nearest airport.

• By train

  Narasaraopet is the nearest railway station.

• By road

  Kotappakonda lies about 62 km from Guntur and 20 km from Narasaraopet. It can be reached by road from Guntur, Narasaraopet and Chilakaluripet.

On the way

• Devotees traditionally climb a long flight of steps leading to Brahma Shikharam.
• Several mantapams and small shrines along the steps offer places to rest.

Elderly visitors

• Motorable roads have been constructed to the hill, though the footpath stays popular with devotees.
• During Maha Shivaratri, APSRTC runs special buses from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Why devotees come here

Trikoteswara Temple stands on a hill in Kotappakonda, Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh. Shiva is worshipped here as Trikoteswara, meaning the three peaks. It is an important Shaivite centre that draws lakhs of devotees every year.

Tradition ties the hill to a story of devotion. The hill is a sacred place and a major Hindu pilgrimage site. The temple and the surrounding hills are an important Shaivite centre, attracting lakhs of devotees every year. Shiva is said to have moved to this peak from Rudra Shikharam because of the devotion of Anandavalli, also called Gollabhama.

Anandavalli turned back in impatience when she reached Brahma hill on the way up. Shiva then halted and took the form of a lingam in a cave, devotees say.

Kotappakonda flourished under the Vijayanagara rulers. The temple saw Dravidian-style renovations, including mandapams and gopurams. The sanctum tower is pyramid-shaped, with intricately carved stone pillars and wide courtyards. The entrance gopuram is richly decorated with sculptures of gods, goddesses and mythological figures.

Festivals

• Every yearMaha Shivaratri

  The annual jatara, or fair, is one of the largest religious gatherings in Andhra Pradesh.

• Karthika Masam, Mondays and AmavasyaKarthika Masam ceremonies

  Special ceremonies are held at the temple during the month and on these days.

Tips for your visit

• Vishnu Shikharam, a nearby peak, has the Paapanaseswara temple and the Paapanasa Teertha pond.
• Paatha Kotayya Temple, the old shrine of Trikoteswara, stands on Rudra Shikharam.
• Subsidiary shrines to Parvati and Vinayaka stand inside the temple complex.

Questions people ask