Saleshwaram Cave Temple Srisailam Address: Nallamala Forest, Mahabubnagar, Mallapur, Telangana, 509326, India
At a distance of around 60 km from Srisailam, Saleshwaram Cave Temple is another place to visit. Also known as Sarveswaran or Saleshwaram, it is a hidden natural gem that is worth exploring. Its religious significance and scenic beauty, which remain hidden during most of the year, is sure to leave you mesmerized. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Saleshwaram Temple has been mentioned in various puranas as well.
The ancient Saleshwaram Cave Temple was built around 6th or 7th century AD. Reference of this ancient temple can be seen in ancient Hindu texts such as Sri Parvatha Purana. Celebrated work, Sri Parvatha Purana, which was written in 16th century, in its description of Srisailam, also mention about this cave temple. Mention of two theerthams near the temple, namely Sarvesa theertham and Pushkara theertham have also been mentioned.
Another alluring feature of this temple is the mesmerizing waterfall that is located opposite to the temple. With twinkling streams of water flowing down a hill of a height of around 200 meters, surrounded by refreshing greenery creates a hypnotic scenic beauty. An ideal place for adventure lovers, this Saleshwaram is popular for its exciting trekking trails as well.
The best time to visit this temple is on the chaitra purnima, which is the full moon day during the Chaitra (March- April) month. In fact, this temple is opened for devotees only for 3 to 5 days in a year. This is during the Chaitra poornima. Many devotees visit this temple on this auspicious day. To facilitate the journey, TSRTC run special buses for the religious yatra during this time. Although it is open only for a few days in a year, tourists can enter the forests after getting special permission from the forest officer.
To reach Saleshwaram Temple tourists are required to cover a small distance of around 1km to 2 km on foot as well. One can travel by road from Srisailam for around 48 km, after which a left turn into the forest is to be taken. After 10 km of drive into the forests, tourists have to get down and walk to reach the temple.
