Srisailam

Srisailam stands on a plateau in the Nallamala hills above a gorge of the Krishna, and it is unusual in holding both a jyotirlinga, one of twelve Shiva sites, and a shakti peetha, one of the sites associated with Sati, in the same complex, which few places do. The temple has walls carved with Vijayanagar-period reliefs. A large dam on the Krishna below created a reservoir that fills the gorge. The whole area lies within the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, the largest tiger reserve in India by area, so the roads in run through forest and a ropeway descends toward the river.

What you actually see

• The double sanctity - jyotirlinga and shakti peetha in one complex.
• The carved walls - Vijayanagar reliefs around the temple enclosure.
• The Krishna gorge - the river and dam reservoir below the plateau.
• The tiger reserve - forest roads through India's largest reserve by area.

When to go

October to March; Mahashivratri in February or March brings the largest crowds. The plateau is hot from March to June. Roads through the reserve close at night.

Honest expectations

Queues for darshan are long at festivals. Phones and bags are restricted at the temple. Roads through the reserve close after dark. Tiger sightings are effectively nil for ordinary visitors.

Nearby

Hyderabad lies north; Nagarjunasagar is northeast.