Our Travel Diaries - Series
Some trips leave you with beautiful landscapes and some leave you with warm memories. Our trip to the ancient Sri Uma Maheswaram temple offered us both - serene views, sacred vibes and moments cherished forever.
There are some places that instantly make you slow down, breathe deeper, and feel connected to something far older than our everyday lives. Our recent family trip to Uma Maheswaram Temple, tucked quietly in the Nallamala forests near Achampet, Telangana, was one such soulful escape. Located close to Srisailam and is known as the North Gateway of Srisailam, this temple offered us peace, cool breeze, and an experience wrapped in nature and spirituality.
3rd October 2025, the day after Vijaya Dasami - we had an early morning Sparsh darsanam of Srisailam Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy and close darsanam of Sri Brahmarambika Devi. After energizing with the divine blessings we went on a boat ride in Patala Ganga and were on our way back to Hyderabad.
Also Read: A Journey to Patala Ganga and the Boat Ride
While driving from Hyderabad to Srisailam, the driver told us about Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy temple - a must-visit place. So on our way back to Hyderabad, he took us to this ancient temple which is located in a serene surroundings of the Nallamalla forest with breathtaking sceneries of the Eastern Ghats and valleys.
There is a temple bus which keeps running up and down with pilgrims. On our way back from the temple, we saw the bus coming up with pilgrims. On reaching the destination we were greeted by a troop of our forefather (haha monkeys), each one busy in its own world. We should be a bit careful as these monkeys might snatch the bags in our hands. We washed our legs and walked admiring the ancient rustic beauty of the surroundings with deep valleys full of greenery.
We took 'archana' ticket and stepped inside the main temple where there is calmness all around. The temple is simple yet deeply divine. While the priest was performing pooja with our 'Gotranamalu', we stood together in front of the deity and felt very blessed. We offered our prayers, soaked in the silence, and spent some unhurried moments just sitting inside the temple corridor. Unlike other famous temples, it was very peaceful here with no crowd at all and neither getting sandwiched between the crowd nor 'pondamma / kadalali' (get out fast) shouts from the temple securities / guards. At this place we spent the time happily for some time admiring the ancient 2nd century CE (Common Era) Sivalingam. After stepping out of the temple, we enjoyed moving around and looking at the ancient surroundings with rocky mountains and waterfalls on one side and valley view on the other side. It was evening time and the weather was cool on the mountain top. As we walked further, we saw water continuously falling through the rocks of the mountains from a great height.
The temple pujari told us that there is an ancient 'Swayambhu' Sivalingam of Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy inside a cave atop and the Sivalingam is unique as it is formed of two coloured rocks - red on one side and whitish on the other side. The Sivalingam rests inside a naturally formed mandapam inside cave, and there is natural spring water dripping through the rocks giving the place a mystical charm. The priest told us that the water flow never stops, regardless of the season. But unfortunately, tourists were not allowed due to some landslide.
He also told that there is a gundam (spring) near the cave temple known as Papanasanam where there is a continuous spring of water coming out from underneath the huge rocks and the source from where this spring water is coming is a mystery and is till unknown. Devotees take a holy dip in this spring water as they believe that by doing so they are cleansed and get rid of all their papa karmas. Then they worship the idols of Nagadevatalu which are near the gundam to protect them from Naga dosham, if any. Unfortunately during our visit, cave temple and Papanasam were temporarily closed due to some landslide few days back.
There is nothing else on the mountain top except this temple. No accommodation, no houses, no shops or no roadside vendors. Absolutely nothing else except this temple. Hope this place will develop in near future due to the inflow of tourists. Let's dive a bit deeper to know about this ancient temple.
The ancient temple of Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy is nestled in the serene and picturesque Nallamalla Forest Mountain Range with lush greenery, cool breeze and scienic views. The mountain-top temple is around 4 Km from Rangapur village in Achampet Mandalam of Nagarkurnool district in Telangana.
The temple is known as the Uttara Dwaram (North Entrance) of Srisailam and it is said that one must visit this temple after visiting Srisailam otherwise there won't be any good results just by visiting Srisailam temple. May be because of this belief the temple started gaining its lost glory. Being the North Gateway to Srisailam, this is a place for halt and entry to Nallamalla forests during ancient pilgrim trials to Srisailam. As per epigrahical sources, the inaccessible Srisailam temple in the olden days / present as well, is approachable from four cardinal points - East -Tripurantakam in Prakasam Dist, South - Siddhavatam in Cuddapah dist, West - Alampuram in Jogulamba Gadwal dist and North - Sri Uma Maheswaram in Nagarkurnool dist.
Though there is no strong historical evidences, as per locals the temple is built in the 2nd or 3rd century CE. The temple is built in south Indian architectural style with intricate carvings and paintings on stones and pillars. Some South Indian rulers like Pallava Kings who reigned might have constructed the temple, no historical evidence though.
As per locals info, the temple is a sacred grove that is protected by the local community and the surroundings is rich in flora and fauna with different species of medicinal plants.
We had a wonderful experience visiting this ancient temple of Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy. We not only had a good time enjoying the scenic beauty of nature at this place but also immersed ourselves in divine vibes exploring the historical rock carvings and paintings. Overall it was a great experience with spiritual awakening and natural beauty. The place is worth a visit.
The simplicity of the Sri Uma Maheswaram temple makes it very special with no crowds, no noise, and no rush. Just pure quietness and the sense of being surrounded by nature and ancient energy. It's the kind of place where one can sit for a long time and feel renewed.
'Timeless Travel Stories Cherished Forever'
Some trips leave you with beautiful landscapes and some leave you with warm memories. Our trip to the ancient Sri Uma Maheswaram temple offered us both - serene views, sacred vibes and moments cherished forever.
There are some places that instantly make you slow down, breathe deeper, and feel connected to something far older than our everyday lives. Our recent family trip to Uma Maheswaram Temple, tucked quietly in the Nallamala forests near Achampet, Telangana, was one such soulful escape. Located close to Srisailam and is known as the North Gateway of Srisailam, this temple offered us peace, cool breeze, and an experience wrapped in nature and spirituality.
3rd October 2025, the day after Vijaya Dasami - we had an early morning Sparsh darsanam of Srisailam Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy and close darsanam of Sri Brahmarambika Devi. After energizing with the divine blessings we went on a boat ride in Patala Ganga and were on our way back to Hyderabad.
Also Read: A Journey to Patala Ganga and the Boat Ride
While driving from Hyderabad to Srisailam, the driver told us about Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy temple - a must-visit place. So on our way back to Hyderabad, he took us to this ancient temple which is located in a serene surroundings of the Nallamalla forest with breathtaking sceneries of the Eastern Ghats and valleys.
The Drive Through Nallamala - A Journey in Itself
We drove through the Nallamala forest enjoying the freshness of the place, leaving the town roads behind, we notice the scenery completely transforming. Towering trees, winding ghat roads, and the smell of damp earth made the drive unforgettable. With every turn, the forest seemed to whisper its ancient stories. As we drove on the Srisailam-Hyderabad highway, from the by-pass, we took the left turn at the temple arch (Kaman) and we drove deeper into the village side passing through a stretch of lush greenery on either side of the road where there is less of human interference. It was lonely road and we could hardly see any vehicle or person on the road. However, my daughter loved spotting few of our forefathers - hahahaa! monkeys along the way. We even paused to take a few photos because the play of sunlight on the dense greenery was too beautiful to ignore.
There is a temple bus which keeps running up and down with pilgrims. On our way back from the temple, we saw the bus coming up with pilgrims. On reaching the destination we were greeted by a troop of our forefather (haha monkeys), each one busy in its own world. We should be a bit careful as these monkeys might snatch the bags in our hands. We washed our legs and walked admiring the ancient rustic beauty of the surroundings with deep valleys full of greenery.
Sri Uma Maheswaram Temple
As we arrived, the coolness in the air surprised us. Even in broad daylight, the area felt naturally chilled due to its location between steep hill ranges. We were greeted by the peaceful echo of temple bells. The ancient stone structures, the natural cave formations, and the serene surroundings instantly made us feel that we’d stepped into a timeless space.We took 'archana' ticket and stepped inside the main temple where there is calmness all around. The temple is simple yet deeply divine. While the priest was performing pooja with our 'Gotranamalu', we stood together in front of the deity and felt very blessed. We offered our prayers, soaked in the silence, and spent some unhurried moments just sitting inside the temple corridor. Unlike other famous temples, it was very peaceful here with no crowd at all and neither getting sandwiched between the crowd nor 'pondamma / kadalali' (get out fast) shouts from the temple securities / guards. At this place we spent the time happily for some time admiring the ancient 2nd century CE (Common Era) Sivalingam. After stepping out of the temple, we enjoyed moving around and looking at the ancient surroundings with rocky mountains and waterfalls on one side and valley view on the other side. It was evening time and the weather was cool on the mountain top. As we walked further, we saw water continuously falling through the rocks of the mountains from a great height.
The temple pujari told us that there is an ancient 'Swayambhu' Sivalingam of Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy inside a cave atop and the Sivalingam is unique as it is formed of two coloured rocks - red on one side and whitish on the other side. The Sivalingam rests inside a naturally formed mandapam inside cave, and there is natural spring water dripping through the rocks giving the place a mystical charm. The priest told us that the water flow never stops, regardless of the season. But unfortunately, tourists were not allowed due to some landslide.
He also told that there is a gundam (spring) near the cave temple known as Papanasanam where there is a continuous spring of water coming out from underneath the huge rocks and the source from where this spring water is coming is a mystery and is till unknown. Devotees take a holy dip in this spring water as they believe that by doing so they are cleansed and get rid of all their papa karmas. Then they worship the idols of Nagadevatalu which are near the gundam to protect them from Naga dosham, if any. Unfortunately during our visit, cave temple and Papanasam were temporarily closed due to some landslide few days back.
There is nothing else on the mountain top except this temple. No accommodation, no houses, no shops or no roadside vendors. Absolutely nothing else except this temple. Hope this place will develop in near future due to the inflow of tourists. Let's dive a bit deeper to know about this ancient temple.
The ancient temple of Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy is nestled in the serene and picturesque Nallamalla Forest Mountain Range with lush greenery, cool breeze and scienic views. The mountain-top temple is around 4 Km from Rangapur village in Achampet Mandalam of Nagarkurnool district in Telangana.
The temple is known as the Uttara Dwaram (North Entrance) of Srisailam and it is said that one must visit this temple after visiting Srisailam otherwise there won't be any good results just by visiting Srisailam temple. May be because of this belief the temple started gaining its lost glory. Being the North Gateway to Srisailam, this is a place for halt and entry to Nallamalla forests during ancient pilgrim trials to Srisailam. As per epigrahical sources, the inaccessible Srisailam temple in the olden days / present as well, is approachable from four cardinal points - East -Tripurantakam in Prakasam Dist, South - Siddhavatam in Cuddapah dist, West - Alampuram in Jogulamba Gadwal dist and North - Sri Uma Maheswaram in Nagarkurnool dist.
Though there is no strong historical evidences, as per locals the temple is built in the 2nd or 3rd century CE. The temple is built in south Indian architectural style with intricate carvings and paintings on stones and pillars. Some South Indian rulers like Pallava Kings who reigned might have constructed the temple, no historical evidence though.
As per locals info, the temple is a sacred grove that is protected by the local community and the surroundings is rich in flora and fauna with different species of medicinal plants.
We had a wonderful experience visiting this ancient temple of Sri Uma Maheswara Swamy. We not only had a good time enjoying the scenic beauty of nature at this place but also immersed ourselves in divine vibes exploring the historical rock carvings and paintings. Overall it was a great experience with spiritual awakening and natural beauty. The place is worth a visit.
The simplicity of the Sri Uma Maheswaram temple makes it very special with no crowds, no noise, and no rush. Just pure quietness and the sense of being surrounded by nature and ancient energy. It's the kind of place where one can sit for a long time and feel renewed.
Reflections
On our way back to Hyderabad, as the sun slowly dipped behind the hills, we felt energized with the divinely visit. Sri Uma Maheswaram is a gem worth exploring where there is a combination of spirituality and refreshing nature. Whether one visiting Srisailam or planning a short getaway from Hyderabad, this peaceful ancient temple deserves a place in one's travel list.'Timeless Travel Stories Cherished Forever'
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