Srikalahasti Temple

As the Vayu lingam among the five element-shrines of Shiva, Srikalahasti holds a special cosmological place in Shaivite worship. The legend of the three humble devotees teaches that sincere devotion transcends form and status; the story of Kannappa Nayanar, who offered his own eyes to the Lord here, is one of the most moving in Shaivism. Its Rahu-Ketu remedies draw pilgrims from across India seeking relief from planetary doshas.

Srikalahasti, on the banks of the Swarnamukhi river below the Eastern Ghats, is famed as the 'Kailash of the South'. Its name comes from three devotees — Sri (a spider), Kala (a serpent) and Hasti (an elephant) — who won Shiva's grace through their worship. The inner lingam here represents the element of air (Vayu), evidenced by a flickering lamp flame in the windless sanctum, making it one of the five Pancha Bhoota Sthalams. The temple's towering gopurams and rock-cut halls are architecturally magnificent. Srikalahasti is the most important place in South India for performing Rahu-Ketu Sarpa Dosha puja to remove astrological afflictions.