Srikurmam Kurmanatha Swamy Temple is dedicated to the
Kurma avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, who is worshiped as Kurmanatha Swamy, and his consort Lakshmi as Kurmanayaki.
Srikurmam Kurmanatha Swamy Temple is located in Srikakulam district on the south east coast of the state of Andhra Pradesh. As per Hindu mythology, the presiding deity is believed to have appeared here in the form of a tortoise-shaped deity. Then Brahma anointed the deity with the Gopal Yantra. This temple is famous for worshiping ancestors.
Mythology behind Srikurmam Kurmanatha Swamy Temple:
Based on mythology, during the time of Satya Yuga, all the Devas and Rakshasas churned the Kshirsagar. Then Bhagwan Vishnu took the form of Kurma or Tortoise and carried the churning rod Mount Mandara on his back. And there are some other stories related to this Kurma avatar.
This temple style of architecture has a mixture of both Andhra and Kalinga, and the temple resembles a Dravidian structure like a vimana than a pyramidal structure. The temple mukha mandapa leads to the antarala. Kurma Kshetra is the holy place established by
Sri Ramanujacharya.
This place is also known as Narhari Tirtha.
Srikurmam Kurmanatha Swamy Temple Srikakulam History:
According to legends, Suta was a king who ruled the region around Shvetachala. His wife used to worship Bhagwan Vishnu. On an Ekadashi day, the king made love to the queen, then the queen prayed to the Bhagwan, and suddenly a wide stream of water gushed out between them. After that, Sage Narada advised the king to settle down at the confluence of Vansadhara and Samudra to do penance. Bhagwan Kurmanadha appeared and granted him peace of mind. At the excellent place, Bhagwan Vishnu created the Kshir Samudra, and his consort, Devi Lakshmi, settled down. Then King Sut got the temple built.
Srikurmam Kurmanathaswamy Temple Darshan and Daily Puja Timings:
❀ Temple Opening Timings: 06:00 AM to 07:45 PM
❀ Supravat Seva, Nityabhishekam, Prabodhika, Mangala Snanam, Thiruvaradhana, Sarva Darshan, Balbhogam: 06:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
❀ Rajbhogam: 12 noon
❀ Nithya Thiruvaradhana, Amangalasananam: 7 p.m.
❀ Pavlimpu Seva: 8 p.m.
Srikurmam Kurmanatha Swamy Temple Ticket Price:
Abhishekam: Rs 200 per couple
Kalyanotsavam: Rs 516 per couple
Main Festivals at Srikurmam Kurmanatha Swamy Temple:
Kurma Jayanthi, Dolotsavam, Kalyanotsavam, Mukkoti Ekadashi are the major festivals celebrated at Srikurmam Kurmanathaswamy Temple.
How To Reach Srikurmam Kurmanatha Swamy Temple:
Srikakulam city is very well connected to other cities, one can easily reach the temple by road. Srikurmam Temple is 13 km from Srikakulam old bus station and 15 km from Srikakulam main bus station. The temple is just 25 km away from Srikakulam Railway Station and the nearest airport is Visakhapatnam which is 110 km away.