Srimukhalingeswara Temple

Significance
Srimukhalingeswara temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is a major pilgrimage center in the state. It is located in a village known by the same name, 45-odd kilometers to the north of Srikakulam, on the banks of the holy Vamsadhara River. The temple is known for artistic splendor and stands out as one of the finest examples of Kalinga architecture. Ornate sculptures adorn the Gopurams and walls of this shrine. Some of the notable sculptures are those of Goddess Ganga on a Crocodile and Goddess Yamuna on a Tortoise flanking the main entrance , the images of eleven Rudras flanking the Mukhamandapam and at the southern exit, the sculptures of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi engaged in a game of chance and that of Lord Shiva loosing the game. The temple enjoyed a rich cultural heritage and is referred to in many ancient texts.

History
The Eastern Ganga King Kamarnava II constructed the temple back in the eighth century CE. There are some accounts, which indicate that the temple fell into ruins and was reinstated under the Gajapthi rule in the fourteenth century CE.

Legends
Legend has it that Sage Agastya challenged the arrogance of the Vindhya Mountain and came down to this place. The only thing the sage missed was that he couldn't worship Lord Kasi Visweswara Swamy and while he was thinking over the issue, Lord Subhramanya appeared before the sage and told him about the sanctity of the place. He told him that Vama Deva meditated at this place and performed a Yajna on the banks of the Vamsadhara River and that Lord Shiva resides in the forests here as Lord Madhukeswara. Once, a group of Gandharvas went on a visit to the forest, were impressed by the local women and tried to seduce them. This made Vama Deva furious as he alone knows the sanctity of the place and cursed the Gandharvas to settle down there as hunters. The frightened Gandharvas approached Sage Agastya to relieve them of their curse. The sage then told them that they won't be relieved of the curse until Lord Madhukeswara manifests as Lord Mukhalingeswara. The Gandharavas by virtue of their curse turned into hunters and settled down in the forest. Chitrasena used to head this group. He had a wife by the name Chitra. Once, Chitrasena presented a Madhu Vruksham, a special tree, by the side of an anthill to his wife and asked her to run the family with income earned on it. Chitra accordingly used to sell flowers of the tree and earn income to run the family. Time passed and once, Chitrasena came across a local woman by the name Chitrakala. Their friendship grew and blossomed into love. Chitrasena after taking permission from his first wife married Chitrakala. As time passed, Chitrasena presented his second wife with another Madhu Vruksham and asked her to run the family with income earned from the tree. Chitrakala, being an ardent devotee of the Lord, used to worship the tree as a representation of Lord Shiva and lo! The tree started to bear flowers of gold. She used to use the proceeds from selling those gold flowers to run the family. Naturally, this led to clashes between the two wives. Chitrasena believed that the tree was the source of all this and axed it. The moment he axed the tree, a huge fireball emerged from it. Chitrasena and Chitra were terrified at the sight of the fireball but Chitrakala kept her calm as she understood this to be a miracle of Lord Shiva and started to worship him. The Lord, impressed with her devotion,
came out of his manifestation as Madhukeswara in the anthill, assumed the form of Mukhalingeswara Swamy and appeared before Chitrakala. Thus, the Gandharvas were relieved of their curse. Lord Shiva made the place his abode and settled down here as Lord Mukhalingeswara Swamy to bless devotee.

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