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

A road trip from Hyderabad to Srisailam is an enjoyable one. After the divine darshan of Lord Mallikarjuna and Goddess Brahmarambica, tourists can visit other interesting places in and around Srisailam.

Phaladhara and Panchadhara is one of the best places to visit in Srisailam. Most of the pilgrims visit this place on their return journey and spend some time amidst nature.

Chenchu Lakshmi Tribal museum is one of the best places to visit in Srisailam where you get to know about the tribal culture / life.
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 reminds you 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, you can see crowd of tourists who fill their palms with water and pour it on Shiva Lingam. You can also drink stream water which is crystal clear and tasty too.
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, you can climb up the stairs, refresh yourself with a hot cup of tea in the local restaurant on the roadside.

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