Srisailam is a Jyothirlingam (Hindu shrine to Shiva) located in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is about 245 km from Hyderabad and 132 km from Nandyal.
Srisailam is about 232 km from Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, and there are buses connecting the town with Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guntur, Markapur and Kurnool. For service from Hyderabad to Srisailam, tickets and reservations can be made at the Central Bus station Hyderabad. The approximate travel time from Hyderabad to Srisailam is 6 hours. From Kurnool it will take around 5 hours via Atmakur and Doranala. You can get Express buses every one hour from 5AM to 11:30PM from Kurnool. For those who are planning from Chennai you can either go from Kurnool, Nellore or Tirupathi. From Kurnool there are many buses to Srisailam. You can reach Kurnool by Kachiguda express which starts from Chennai Egmore railway station.There is no railway station in srisailam. From Tirupathi also there are frequent buses which passes through Nellore. It is better to go to Nellore and catch Srisailam bus from there.
If hiring a private taxi, ensure that the driver has experience driving in ghat sections and doesn't have the habit of drinking alcohol. Mannanur, which is around 120 km from Hyderabad, is the place where the Nallamala hills start. After 60-70 km of drive through the forest you'll reach Eegalapenta. From there, it becomes difficult to drive as there are numerous hairpin bends and a kilometer of the stretch has lot of potholes. You can have a good look at the Srisailam Dam from there.
For nature lovers Srisailam trip leaves immense pleasure as you travel through deep forests. From Dornala to Srisailam you will find excellent view and the road is full of curves and U turns.
Ista Kameshwari Temple is located in deep forest, and the path is very tumultuous terrain, only Jeeps will go. People who go by the adage "take the path less travelled" will enjoy the journey. The elderly need to take precautions before the visit. A quite adventurous journey. Cross the temple and you will find a valley and waterfalls, which are very beautiful.
You can buy pure Girijan (Tribal) honey, AGMARK certified honey which is supplied by government of Andhra Pradesh. It is regarded as very pure and tasty. You can get it in Chenchu Lakshmi Tribal Museum. Don't buy it elsewhere.
As a temple town, only vegetarian food is available. Delicious food varieties are available in the temple run annadana satram (free kitchen) and restaurants along with the street food. It is advised, for people to keep hydrated by eating food with high carbohydrates and drink lots of water while on the treks in the hills and camping in the forests.
There are lots of budget hotels and lodges around the Mallikarjuna Swami Temple in Srisailam. Most of these do not require any prior reservation except during peak seasons and festivals, and most Mondays. The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department runs a few hotels by name Ganga Sadan, Gouri Sadan and Punnami Guest House. These are clean and well maintained, and are within the budget of most pilgrims. There are also some lodges and choultries that cater to particular communities.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division