Darshan of Ishtakameswari in Nallamala Forest Difficult For Most Devotees
While the darshans of the two deities in Tirumala are easier, there are strict regulations in visiting the Ishtakameswari Temple, as access to it is limited. The shrine is located within a wildlife sanctuary. Forest authorities allow only 120 devotees per day to safeguard both wildlife and visitors to the Ishtakameswari Temple
KURNOOL: Devotees visiting the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple in Srisailam are facing difficulties in obtaining darshan of Goddess Ishtakameswari, whose shrine is located about 25 km away within the Nallamala forest.
There is a tradition of pilgrims visiting Tirumala first offering prayers to Lord Varahaswamy before proceeding for Lord Venkateswara’s darshan. As per a practice in Srisailam, the faithful first have the darshan of Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy and then proceed to visit the Ishtakameswari Temple.
However, while the darshans of the two deities in Tirumala are easier, there are strict regulations in visiting the Ishtakameswari Temple, as access to it is limited.
The shrine is located within a wildlife sanctuary. Forest authorities allow only 120 devotees per day to safeguard both wildlife and visitors to the Ishtakameswari Temple. Tokens are issued through online and offline modes. The online ticket costs ₹1,000, while on-the-spot tickets issued with Divisional Forest Officer’s approval costs ₹1,500. Despite the cost, hundreds of devotees who try for the tickets to have a glimpse of Goddess Ishtakameswari fail to have darshan due to the number of tickets being limited.
“I came to Srisailam with my family. But we could not get tickets for Ishtakameswari darshan,” said a disappointed L. Navaneesh Kumar from Kodumur in Kurnool district.
Darshan timings at the Ishtakameswari Temple are restricted from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. and carrying Aadhaar identification is mandatory. The temple remains closed for nearly 40 days during the monsoon season. To reach the temple, devotees must travel about 8 km from Srisailam, after which they are transported through the forest in private jeeps operated under the supervision of forest officials. The drive, known as Nekkonda jungle ride, passes through dense forest terrain.
“There are leopards and other wild animals in the area. For safety reasons, we allow only a limited number of visitors,” said a forest official from Markapur division.
Devotees say securing tickets at the offline counter is extremely difficult. “Even if we come early in the morning, there is no guarantee of getting tickets,” said M. Lalithamma from Singanamala in Anantapur district.
Pilgrims have urged authorities to raise the number of tokens and simplify the process. “Getting a ticket itself has become tougher than the darshan,” said a devotee. Locals believe that improving access and increasing the quota could help develop the temple into a major spiritual and tourism destination.
Responding, a forest official said, “Restrictions are unavoidable as we need to protect wildlife as well as devotees. That is why we are limiting the number of visitors.”
