150-ft Ardhanarisvara Statue to be Erected at Srisailam Temple

The management of Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple has approved the construction of a 150-foot Ardhanarisvara statue in Srisailam. Ardhanarisvara represents the unified form of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The decision was taken at a recent trust board meeting.

The cement statue will be installed at Nakshatravanam. The project aims to deepen devotion among pilgrims and promote spiritual awareness. Experts in Vedic traditions and temple architecture were consulted during the planning stage.

As part of its dharma prachara initiatives, the temple will distribute sarees and loincloths donated by devotees. These will be given to members of the Chenchu tribal community who are involved in dharma propagation activities.

A Spiritual Library has also been inaugurated at Mallikarjuna Sadan Hall. It houses books on Puranas, Itihasas, and other devotional literature. At present, the library includes around 1,000 books from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and 1,400 additional devotional titles.

The trust plans to expand the library further by sourcing books from authors, organizations, newspapers, and devotional magazines. To support this expansion, the old Tirupati Satram building near Gangadhara Mandapam will be demolished to make way for a larger library and a museum.

In addition, the trust board has approved the formation of a vigilance committee. The committee will work to prevent the spread of other religions and enforce a ban on liquor and non-vegetarian food in the temple town. Security will be overseen by an officer of Deputy Superintendent of Police rank, who will also monitor the Special Protection Force and head a newly formed bomb disposal squad to ensure strict security checks for devotees.