SRISAILAM

Let us begin with the beginning.

According to one legend, there was a pious Siva bhakta living in this forest before this Sriparvatha came into existence. He had no issues. He did penance for Santanaprapti. Lord Siva, when pleased with his tapas blessed him with two children Parvatha and Nandiswara. When both came of right age, they realised that serving the Lord Siva was the only thing worth doing and that alone makes them immortal with bliss overflowing. So they performed severe penance. Pleased with their exemplary tapas when the Lord asked to spell out their desires, Nandiswara at once prayed to take him as his mount, so that he could serve him eternally. Darting a sweet smile, he turned to Parvatha to name his desire; perhaps to out beat his brother, Nandiswara appealed to change him into a mountain, to affording a permanent abode to Lord Siva, so that he would have the fortune of the Lord's feet on him always. Pleased immensely, he took Nandiswara as his vahana, and made Parvatha into a Mount reverentially called Sriparvatha and took his seat here. Sankar is Bhaktava Sankar, and there is nothing that he denies, nor anyone found despaired after praying to him soulfully. Since then this place is called Sriparvatha, Srigiri, Srisailam etc. This sacred Sriparvatha with Mallikharjuna and Bramarambika as the presiding deities exercised great fascination for Saivities including Hiranyakasipu, the cruel demon, who worshipped this Lord with inimitable fervour, when ruled from Ahobilam, his capital in the Krita yuga. Nallamalai is the present official name given by geologists after yugas of this episode.

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