Kurmanathaswamy temple

Srikurmam Kurmanathaswamy Temple also referred to as Srikurmam temple, is a Hindu temple in the Gara mandal of the Srikakulam district within the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is dedicated to the Kurma avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, who is worshipped as Kurmanathaswamy, and his consort Lakshmi, worshipped as Kurmanayaki. According to Hindu legend, the presiding deity is believed to have manifested right here in the form of a tortoise-shaped idol upon the needs of Swetha Chakravarthi.

Brahma then consecrated the idol with Gopala Yantra. The temple is well-known for ancestor worship. Srikurmam is the simplest Indian temple inside the global wherein Vishnu is worshiped in his Kurma avatar. Initially devoted to Shiva and called Kurmeswara temple, Ramanuja is said to have converted Srikurmam into a Vaishnavite temple inside the 11th century AD. Since then, the temple changed into seemed as an important centre of Vaishnavism within the medieval duration along side Simhachalam.

The temple has two dhvajasthambas, a rarity for a Vaishnavite temple. 108 ekasila pillars, with none comparable to each different, endure few inscriptions related to the royal lineages that existed on this region inside the past. A tortoise park has been constructed to preserve the person and younger megastar tortoises, making Srikurmam the only conservation centre for this specie.