Downpour brings beauty to Nallamala, Bhairavakona

Kanigiri: Hundreds of tourists and devotees found solace in the freshwater falling from the Nallamala hills at the Bhairavakona in Prakasam district. The incessant rains in the area filled up the nature-made tanks in the hills and helped the waterfall at the temple flow heavily, for the first time in the decade.

Bhairavakona is a pilgrim and tourist attraction in the borders of Prakasham and Nellore districts, in the Nallamala forest that stretched about 250 square kilometres on the eastern hills. The historians say that the temple of Bhairava is carved out of hills dates back to the Pallava's reign, about 700 and 800AD.

The locals claim that there are about one crore Sivalingas in a perimeter of 25 square kilometres around Bhairavakona temple. The stress feeling people in and around Prakasam district found Bhairavakona, a 5-kilometre distant area from Kottapalli of CS Puram mandal, as the best place to hang around with family and friends.

Bhairavakona temple is the only place, where eight forms of Lord Shiva, the Sasi Naga, Rudra, Visweswara, Nagarikeswara, Bhargeswara, Rameswara, Mallikharjuna, and Pakshaghataka adorn in eight temples carved from a single rock. The goddess Trimukha Durga has her own temple, where the devotees offer individual prayers.

But the main attraction to the Bhairavakona is the magnificent waterfalls, which brings out the kid in every adult. The recent rains around the district brought full pace and extra beauty to the waterfalls.

The streams in the hill area flow through the medicinal plants, herbs and grass jump down at the temple premises to rejuvenate the people who take a bath in it. After the bath, they are offering prayers to Kalabhairava, Trimukha Durgamba and spending time enjoying nature and its beauty.