The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.
శ్రీకాళహస్తీశ్వర దేవస్థానము
Srikalahasti, Andhra Pradesh · 13.7500°, 79.6983°
The air-element shrine of the five-element temples — a lamp inside the windless sanctum flickers perpetually — and the great centre of Rahu-Ketu serpent-affliction remedies, drawing worshippers for kala sarpa dosha pujas. Effectively the 'Kailasa of the South' paired with nearby Tirumala.
What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.
Named for three devotees — the spider (Sri) who wove webs to shade the linga, the serpent (Kala) who crowned it with gems, and the elephant (Hasti) who bathed it daily; and hallowed by Kannappa, the hunter-saint who offered his own eyes to staunch the linga's bleeding and was stopped by Shiva's hand.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-26 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Chola
Answers only from cited records
Opening the line…