Close to Nature at Phaladhara and Panchadhara near Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh

On the first day in the auspicious Hindu month of Karthik, we had an unplanned road trip to Srisailam. After the divine darshan of Lord Mallikarjuna and Goddess Brahmarambica, we returned to Hyderabad the next day.
On our return trip, we peeped into the tribal life at Chenchu Lakshmi Tribal Museum and spent some time amidst nature at Phaladhara and Panchadhara.



According to historical records, Adi Shankaracharya meditated at this serene valley when the divine compositions of Sivanandalahari and Soundaryalahari overflowed from his the thoughts.



To reach Phaladhara - Panchadhara you have to go down the steep steps made of stones. While going down the steps you can see our forefathers (I mean, monkeys) on the valley side. Be careful!


On the other side, there are few tribal people who sit with parrots in cages and tarot cards. They earn their livelihood through parrot astrology (known as chilaka jyotsyam in Telugu). They charge Rs.20/- per head. Just for fun, you can get your tarot card picked by the parrot but don't get too much involved in this.

After going down the steps, nearly 200 steps, you reach the spot where you can see Mother Nature at Her best - greenery all around in the valley, steep rocky slopes and streams of water that flow down the rocky slopes. These streams of waterfalls are known as Phaladhara Panchadhara by the local people as they believe that the stream (dhara in Telugu) originated from the 'phala' (i.e forehead) of Lord Mallikarjuna (Shiva). They also believe that the streams signify the pancha bhoota (five elements) lingams of Lord Shiva. Hence they named it Phaladhara Panchadhara.



This is one of the most visited places in Srisailam and you can see many tourists in this place. There is a small Shiva Lingam below the falls which gets continuous 'abhishekam'. The scene reminded me of the famous Bahubali 1 scene when the lead role actor carries the huge Shiva Lingam on his shoulders and places it below the mighty waterfalls.



At this place, the tourists are crowded. They are filling their palms with water and pouring it on Shiva Lingam. And also drinking the crystal clear stream water.



All around there are many medicinal trees some of which are very old with deep rooted aerial roots. After spending some time amidst Mother Nature, we climbed up the stairs, refreshed with a hot cup of tea in the local restaurant on the roadside and continued our return journey.



This is one of the best spots in Srisailam where you can spend some time for mental peace and relaxation.