Srikurmam is the abode of Lord Kurmadeva on earth. Kurmadeva is the tortoise incarnation of Lord Vishnu Who helped the demigods and demons churn the ocean of milk. The Kurmanatha Temple in Srikurmam is dedicated to Lord Kurmadeva and His consort Lakshmi Devi.
Srikurmam is located by the Bay of Bengal at a distance of 14.5 km from Srikakulam city in Andhra Pradesh (India). The temple once followed the Shaivaite tradition under the guidance of Sri Adi-Shankaracharya assuming that the Deity was Lord Shiva as Kurmeshwara. But later Sri Ramanujacharya established it as a Vaishnava temple housing Lord Kurmadeva.
The Swetha Pushkarini adjoining the temple is of paramount importance. Lakshmi Devi appeared here atop Garuda as Kurmanayaki i.e., the eternal consort of Lord Kurmanatha. It is also called Sudha Kundam.
In the middle of the Swetha Pushkarini stands the Narasimha Mandapam. The earth beneath the lake is white in colour and called Gopi Chandanam. Devotees use it to apply tilak.
As Srikurmam awards liberation, people come here to perform the rites for the dead too. Srikurmam is known as Pitrukshetra as the rites done for the Pitrus here become very effective.
As in the case of many other temples in India, Srikurmam was attacked by the invading troops of the Deccan Sultanate. The devotees applied a coat of limestone all over the temple to camouflage it making it look just like a hillock. You can see 20 mural paintings of Lord Krishna/Vishnu on the inner walls of the temple, which were restored some time ago.
The temple complex is also host to a few endangered star tortoises found in the foothills of Srikakulam. A tortoise park, under the care of the government and an NGO, has been created in the complex to breed them. Devotees feed them as a mark of respect to Lord Kurmanatha.
The lila of Srikurmam
A king by the name Swetha Chakravarthi ruled over the area called Swethagiri. Vishnupriya, the King’s wife, was a devout devotee of Lord Vishnu. Once, on the occasion of Ekadashi, Swetha Chakravarthi approached Vishnupriya to enjoy conjugal pleasures with her. Vishnupriya refused to do so citing the Ekadashi tithi as she was observing the Ekadashi vrata.
When the King remained insistent on his desires, Vishnupriya prayed to Lord Vishnu Who sent a stream of water to separate the couple. This stream of water carried away the King to the hilly terrains of Swethagiri. Vishnupriya followed the King.
In the meantime, Sage Narada appeared before the King and initiated him in the Kurma-Narayana Mantra. The King meditated on Lord Vishnu using the very same mantra till Lord Vishnu appeared as Kurmadeva. The King was weakened from his penances.
Lord Kurmadeva created a lake nearby using His celebrated Sudarshana Chakra and asked the King to take a bath in the lake. The King took a dip in the lake as instructed and he came out with renewed health. The lake came to be known as Swetha Pushkarini then onwards.
King Swetha Chakravarthi requested Lord Kurmadeva to reside in Swethagiri. The Lord agreed to do so. The Padma Purana states that Lord Brahma performed the installation ceremony of Lord Kurmanatha in Srikurmam. He consecrated the Deity of Kurmanatha using the Gopala Yantra.
Renowned Saints visit Srikurmam
Many great Sages and Acharyas have visited Srikurmam to pay their respects to Lord Kurmanatha. Sri Adi-Shankaracharya had visited the temple in the eighth century and setup the Shaivite system of worship assuming the Deity to be Kurmeshwara.
Later, Sri Ramanujacharya established the Vaishnava system of worship in 1281 CE after he proved that the Deity residing in Srikurmam was that of Lord Kurmadeva. Sri Ramanujacharya prayed to the Deity that He turn His head if He was Kurmadeva indeed. To everyone’s surprise, the Deity turned His head towards the western direction proving the assertion of Sri Ramanujacharya correct.
The disciples of Sri Ramanujacharya helped establish Vaishnavism in Srikurmam with the support of Sri Anantavarman Chodaganga of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
In the 13th century, Sri Narahari Teertha, the disciple of Sri Madhwacharya, established Srikurmam as one of the most important centers of Vaishnavism along with Simhachalam, etc. He established the office of Bhoga Pariksha (religious head) to supervise the rituals and conduct of the temple by future Madhwa saints.
He also established the Yogananda Narasimha temple in Srikurmam. Sri Narahari Teertha had also defended Srikurmam against an attack by the Sabara tribals of the Ganjam forests in Odisha.
In 1512 CE, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the renowned Saint of the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya visited the temple. His lotus footprints have been preserved in the temple complex.
The Deities of Srikurmam
Lord Kurmanatha is the presiding Deity of Srikurmam. He is in the form of Kurma (tortoise) thus making this temple as the only temple of Kurma Avatara in the world. He is accompanied by His consort Sri Kurmanayaki in a separate shrine near Lord Kurmanatha. Andal, one of the 12 Azhwars of the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya is present in Sri Kurmanayaki’s shrine too.
The Deity of Lord Kurmanatha is 2.5 feet long and comprises three parts. One is His lotus head facing the west, next is His lotus body and the third part represents His Sudarshana Chakra. The third part is a Shaligrama shila presented by Sri Adi-Shankaracharya. The Deity appears yellow due to the regular application of sandal paste.
A small shrine dedicated to Lord Balaji can be seen in the temple complex. Paatala Siddeshwara, Karpureshwara, Koteshwara, Haatakeshwara and Sundareshwara are the guardian Deities of the temple. It is said that one should visit Paatala Siddeshwara before having the darshan of Lord Kurmanatha.
The Utsavar Deities i.e., festival Deities of Govindaraja Swamy along with Sridevi and Bhudevi were found in the Swetha Pushkarini in the 12th century. Sri Narahari Tirtha had gifted the Utsavar Deities of Lord Rama, Sita Devi and Lakshmana to the temple. They are worshipped in a small room near the sanctum sanctorum.
The Architecture of Srikurmam Temple
Srikurmam has a very unique architecture amongst the Vaishnava temples. Predominantly, the temple has been built in the Dravidian style with a mix of architectural styles from other dynasties. The head of the sanctum sanctorum is built in the Ashtadala-Padmam form i.e., the form of an eight-petalled lotus.
The Gopuram of the temple looks distinct from those of other Vaishnava temples. Another unique fact about the temple is the presence of two Dhwajastambhas i.e., flag-poles unlike other Vaishnava temples. One is on the east side while the other is on the west.
The dhwajastambha on the east is the original one. One more dhwajastambha was erected on the west side of the temple after the Deity of Lord Kurmanatha turned His head towards the west in response to Sri Ramanujacharya’s prayers.
There are 108 eka-shila (single stone) pillars in the temple complex. These pillars have small descriptions of the various dynasties who contributed to the temple. Devotees hold onto any one of these pillars and look around 180° in the belief that their desires would be fulfilled.
The Festivals of Srikurmam Temple
The Kurmanathaswamy Temple celebrates a few important festivals. Amongst them, Dolotsavam is the major festival celebrated over a period of three days. Kamadahanam happens on the first day followed by Padiya on the second day and Dolotsavam on the third day.
The annual Kalyanotsavam of the Deities is celebrated every year on Vaishaka Shuddha Ekadashi. The Mukkoti Ekadashi is an important Ekadashi festival celebrated here. Kurma Jayanthi, the appearance of Lord Kurmadeva is celebrated on Jyeshta Bahula Dwadashi.
Other festivals such as Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Janmashtami, Rama Navami, etc., are also observed but the celebrations remain low-key.
The Temple Timings of Srikurmam Temple
You can visit the temple and have darshan of Lord Kurmanatha and His consort Kurmanayaki at the following times:
Morning: 06.00 AM to 11.00 AM
Evening: 03.00 PM to 08.00 PM
The Abhishekam (ceremonial bathing) of the Deity takes place between 04.30 AM and 06.00 AM in the morning.
How to reach Srikurmam Temple
The best way to relish darshan in Srirangam is to travel with Tirtha Yatra on the Pancha Rama Yatra. Located at a distance of 14.5 kms from Srikakulam city in Andhra Pradesh, Srikurmam is well-served by all means of transportation directly and indirectly. You must reach Srikakulam to travel further to Srikurmam. Plan your trip well in advance to have a peaceful darshan.
You can use the following modes of transportation to reach Srikurmam:
By Road: Andhra state buses are available from the Srikakulam bus stand to Srikurmam every 10 minutes. Auto-rickshaws ply on this route apart from cabs.
By Rail: The nearest railway station is the ‘Srikakulam Road’ (CHE) station which is 15 kms from Srikakulam city. Being connected to major cities and towns in Andhra Pradesh and other states, you can alight here and hire a direct taxi or take a bus to Srikurmam which is around 30 kms from here.
By Air: You can fly into the Vishakapatnam (Vizag) airport and hire a cab or hop on a bus to Srikakulam city 130 kms away. There are state buses to Srikakulam city every 15 mins. The Biju Patnaik airport in Bhubaneshwar is 331 kms away.
Srikurmam welcomes you eternally
The holy land of Srikurmam is always welcoming you to meet her master. Lord Kurmanatha is eager to see His devotees and let them know about His pastimes in the form of a transcendental tortoise here. A devotee hearing them is guaranteed liberation from the miseries of this world.
At Srikurmam, you will be witness to thousands and thousands of years of history hidden from the contemporary world. Lord Kurmanatha does not place any restrictions on His devotees entering His sanctum and worshiping Him. Such is the benevolent nature of the Lord of Srikurmam. May His glories ever keep increasing!
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Comment On Srikurmam
Jayathirtha
Very nicely elaborated in detail about stala mahime of Sri Kurmam. Thank you sir