Srikalahasti.

The temple at Sri Kalahasti is one of the most revered Saivite shrines in South India. Located in the Chittor District of southern Andhra Pradesh, near the famous temple-town Tirupati.

Sri Kalahasteeswara Temple is considered to be a Navagrahastalam where Rahu and Ketu - of the nine grahams or celestial bodies in Indian astrology - worshipped Shiva.

This temple is also one of the Pancha Bhoota Stalams, a group of temples in South India that celebrate Shiva as the embodiment of the five primary elements. Sri Kalahasteeswara represents wind/air or Vayu Kshetram.

The other temples in the Pancha Bhoota group are Tiruvanaikka (water), Tiruvannamalai (fire), Kanchipuram (earth) and Chidambaram (space) - all located in Tamil Nadu.

The Sri Kalasteeswara Temple has long been a source of admiration and patronage. The temple is referred to in early Tamil literature, and has Chola inscriptions which date back to the 10th century CE.

The Chola, and Vijayanagar rulers are noted as the main patrons to the temple, responsible for later additions to the structure. Of particular note is the impressive gopuram built by the famous Vijayanagar ruler, Krishnadevaraya.

The Tamil Saivite saints of the 1st century CE visited the temple and wrote songs in its honor.Deekshitar, one of the foremost composers in the Karnatic Music Tradition has also sung the glory of the temple in his kriti Sree Kaalahasteesa.

The temple faces west and is built adjoining a hill on the banks of the river Swarnamukhi.At some points, the hill serves as the wall of the temple. The temple structure is situated in the middle of three important hills of Sri Kalahasti.

the Durgambika hill to the north, the Kannappar hill to the south, and the Kumaraswamy hill to the east.The name Sri Kalahasti is associated with an important Hindu legend-a story that is often depicted in kalamkari wall hangings.

Shiva is said to have given salvation to a spider, elephant and a serpent who were ardent devotees of the Shiva Lingam located here.The spider is said to have attained salvation in Kritayuga (the first of the four yugas in the Hindu tradition), while the elephant and the snake were devotees in Treta Yugam, the succeeding aeon.

The elephant's devotional outpouring was a source of disturbance to the serpent's display of devotion and vice versa, resulting in animosity between the two, until Shiva's intervention gave both the devotees their liberation. Another legend associated with the temple recalls the story of a hunter who was a great devotee of Kalahasteeswarar.

The hunter is said to have offered his own eyes to the Shivalingam, and for this reason earned the name Kannappan (his original name being Thinnan), and the distinction of having his statue adorn the sanctum. Nakkiradevar, Indra, Rama, Muchukunda and others are believed to have worshipped Shiva at this temple.