Heritage · Faith · Tradition
About the Temple
Introduction
Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple at Komuravelli (Komrelly), in Siddipet district, Telangana, is the hill shrine of Mallanna – Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy, a form of Lord Shiva – who is worshipped here together with his consorts Golla Kethamma and Medalamma. It is one of the most beloved folk-devotional shrines of Telangana, and the centre of the long Komuravelli Mallanna Jatara, which draws devotees every Sunday from Sankranti to Ugadi.
Main Deity
Mallanna is enshrined on the hill with Golla Kethamma, of the Yadava (Golla) community, and Medalamma, of the Linga Balija community, on either side of him. According to tradition, the image of the Lord is made of puttamannu – earth from an anthill – and was installed about five hundred years ago amid the dense forests that once covered the hill. Mallanna is worshipped as a protector of families, herds and harvests, and devotees come to fulfil vows made for health, children, cattle and crops.
Sthala Puranam (Legend)
According to the temple's tradition, Lord Shiva came to protect his devotees in this region by being born as the son of a devout Veerashaiva couple, and grew up to become Mallanna. His marriages are at the heart of his story: tradition holds that Medalamma is a form of Goddess Bhramaramba, whom the Lord married after meeting the conditions set by her brother, and that he also married Kethamma of the Golla community. These stories are not kept in books but in song – the Oggu Katha singers narrate the life of Mallanna to the beat of the oggu drum, as their ancestors did before them.
Folk Traditions of Worship
- Oggu pujaris and the patnam: the Oggu pujaris draw a sacred coloured rangoli called the patnam before the Lord – inside the temple and in its verandahs – as an offering on behalf of the devotees' families.
- Bonam: devotees offer decorated pots of cooked rice (bonam) to the Lord in fulfilment of their vows.
- Oggu Katha: the Lord's story is sung by the Oggu Katha artists, one of the living folk arts of Telangana.
- Nearby shrines: the shrine of Renuka Ellamma, revered as Mallanna's sister, and the Konda Pochamma temple are visited together with the Lord.
Festivals
- Mallanna Kalyanam (December): the divine wedding of the Lord with Kethamma and Medalamma, which opens the festive season.
- Mallanna Jatara (Sankranti to Ugadi): from the Sunday after Makara Sankranti, devotees throng the temple every Sunday (and on other set days) until Ugadi.
- Pedda Patnam on Maha Shivaratri.
- Agnigundalu – the walk over the sacred fire-pits – on the Sunday before Ugadi.
Visitor Information
- Crowds: Sundays during the jatara season are extremely crowded; weekdays outside the season are quieter.
- Dress: traditional, modest dress is recommended.
- Dates: the Kalyanam and jatara dates are announced by the temple each year – please check before travelling.
How to Reach
- By Road: Komuravelli is about 85 km from Hyderabad and about 25–35 km from Siddipet; TGSRTC buses run from Hyderabad, Siddipet and nearby towns, with special buses during the jatara.
- By Train: the Komuravelli Punyakshetram railway station on the Manoharabad–Siddipet line, opened in 2026, serves the temple; DEMU trains between Secunderabad and Siddipet halt here.
- By Air: the nearest airport is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad (Hyderabad), about 110 km away by road.
Related Kshetra
Devotees of Mallikarjuna also revere the great Jyotirlinga shrine of Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy at Srisailam.
