Vaidyanatheswara Temple Pushpagiri

Getting there

• By air

  Kadapa Airport is 12 km north-west of Kadapa city, and the temple is about 15 km from Kadapa.

• By train

  Kadapa has its own railway station in the city. The temple is about 15 km from Kadapa.

Why devotees come here

Pushpagiri, in Vallur mandal about 15 km from Kadapa, has a Shiva temple complex that houses some of the oldest temple groups in the region. The hill is called the southern gate to the Srisailam Jyotirlinga.

Vaidyanatheswara is Shiva, and he is worshipped here. One legend says the site began in the Satya Yuga, when Garuda spilled a drop of ambrosia into the lake while freeing his mother from slavery. Another legend says Rama worshipped Vaidyanatheswara here in the Treta Yuga. The Srisaila Khanda of the Skanda Purana praises the temple, and the hill is called the Dakshina Dwara, the southern gate to the Srisailam Jyotirlinga.

The name Pushpagiri comes from hills that look like a flower, and the Sundarakanda of the Ramayana, attributed to saint Valmiki, mentions the hill. The complex is said to have been founded around the 7th century CE. The Kamakshi Vaidyanatha Swamy temple dates back to the Chola period. The rock-cut sculptures show many Hindu gods and goddesses.

The temple has two shrines, one for Vaidyanatha Swamy and one for Kamakshi Devi. Pushagiri Matham, a seat of Advaita philosophy, is popular as the second Hampi.

Tips for your visit

• Do not try to cross the Pennar river, which has several whirlpools.
• A Trikooteswara shrine stands opposite the Pushpagiri Matham.
• The pilgrim centre brims with devotees during Sivarathri and Vaikuntha Ekadasi.

Questions people ask