Bhairavakona Rock-Cut Temples
భైరవకోన
Shiva temple · Bhairavakona (Kottapalli), Markapuram (formerly Prakasam), Andhra Pradesh, India
Photo: Ck984923 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Bhairavakona is a pilgrimage site in the Nallamala Hills of Andhra Pradesh, now listed under Markapuram district (Markapuram District Administration). The Archaeological Survey of India protects it as a monument of national importance, recorded as a group of eight rock-cut temples in Bhairavakonda hill at Kottapalli (Archaeological Survey of India). Its official listing places the monument in Prakasam district, the district it belonged to before Markapuram district was created (Archaeological Survey of India; The Hans India).
Besides the eight temples carved into the hill, the district administration describes an ancient Shiva temple and a waterfall that drops from a height of about 200 metres (Markapuram District Administration). The site draws devotees on Maha Shivaratri and on Kartika Pournami (The Hans India; Markapuram District Administration).
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Bhairavakona Rock-Cut Temples
The district administration links the name of the place to the shrines of Sri Trimukha Durgamba Mahadevi and Sri Barguleshwari Swamy, and says that Bala Bhairava Swamy is held to guard the site (Markapuram District Administration). These are traditional associations, not archaeological findings.
Devotees are drawn by a belief, recorded by the district administration, that on Kartika Pournami the moonlight falls on the image of the goddess Parvati in one of the temples (Markapuram District Administration). On Maha Shivaratri in February 2026, Bhairavakona was among the shrines of the former Prakasam district that were crowded with worshippers (The Hans India).
Heritage
History of Bhairavakona Rock-Cut Temples
The ASI names the monument 'a group of eight rock-cut temples in Bhairavakonda hill' and lists it under locality Kottapalli in its Amaravati Circle (Archaeological Survey of India). The National Culture Fund records an area of 0.04 acres for the monument (National Culture Fund, Ministry of Culture).
Under the National Culture Fund's partnership scheme, the ASI's Amaravati Circle has proposed work at the site: replacing the stone-pitched pathway with new granite stones and adding stone pitching along both sides of the water channel (National Culture Fund, Ministry of Culture).
None of the reliable sources fetched for this page gives a date for the excavation of the temples or names the dynasty that made them. Claims about a period or ruling house are therefore not stated here.
Architecture and sacred features
The temples are cut directly into the rock of the hill rather than built from masonry, and the ASI counts eight of them as one protected group (Archaeological Survey of India; Markapuram District Administration). The site has a water channel and a stone-pitched pathway, both included in the ASI's proposed improvement works (National Culture Fund, Ministry of Culture).
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
The rock-cut temples are a centrally protected monument, so ASI rules on protected sites apply (Archaeological Survey of India). Crowds are heavy on Maha Shivaratri and Kartika Pournami (The Hans India; Markapuram District Administration). Confirm current arrangements with the Markapuram District Administration or the ASI Amaravati Circle before travelling.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Monument protected by the Archaeological Survey of India before travelling. Last reviewed 11 October 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Bhairavakona Rock-Cut Temples
Kartika Pournami
Devotees come to see the moonlight that, according to local belief recorded by the district administration, falls on the image of Parvati in one of the temples on this full-moon night (Markapuram District Administration).
Maha Shivaratri
Bhairavakona was among the crowded shrines of the former Prakasam district on Maha Shivaratri in 2026, and APSRTC depots ran buses to the site (The Hans India).
Location
How to Reach Bhairavakona Rock-Cut Temples
According to the district administration, Bhairavakona lies 43 km from Udayagiri, a town in Nellore district (Markapuram District Administration). APSRTC's Udayagiri depot runs buses to Seetharamapuram, about 15 km from the site, and shared autos run from Seetharamapuram to Bhairavakona (Markapuram District Administration). APSRTC depots have also run bus services to Bhairavakona during Maha Shivaratri (The Hans India). Distances are as listed by the district administration (checked October 2026); confirm before travelling.
Location: Bhairavakona (Kottapalli), Markapuram (formerly Prakasam), Andhra Pradesh, India
More in Hindu temples in Andhra Pradesh · Shiva temples
Questions
Bhairavakona Rock-Cut Temples: Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Bhairavakona?
Bhairavakona is in the Nallamala Hills of Andhra Pradesh and is listed under Markapuram district by the district administration (Markapuram District Administration). The ASI records the monument at Kottapalli in Prakasam district, its district before Markapuram district was formed (Archaeological Survey of India).
Is Bhairavakona protected by the Archaeological Survey of India?
Yes. It is on the ASI's list of centrally protected monuments in the Amaravati Circle, described as a group of eight rock-cut temples in Bhairavakonda hill (Archaeological Survey of India).
How many temples are carved at Bhairavakona?
Eight temples are carved into the hill (Archaeological Survey of India; Markapuram District Administration). The district administration also mentions an ancient Shiva temple at the site (Markapuram District Administration).
What happens at Bhairavakona on Kartika Pournami?
The district administration notes that devotees gather because the moonlight is believed to fall on the image of the goddess Parvati in one of the temples that night (Markapuram District Administration).
Is there a waterfall at Bhairavakona?
Yes. The district administration describes a waterfall that falls from a height of about 200 metres (Markapuram District Administration).
How do I reach Bhairavakona by bus?
APSRTC's Udayagiri depot runs buses to Seetharamapuram, about 15 km away, and shared autos go from there to Bhairavakona (Markapuram District Administration). Confirm current services with APSRTC before travelling.
How old are the Bhairavakona temples?
The reliable sources used for this page do not give a date for the rock-cut temples, so no period is stated here. The ASI's protection reflects the site's archaeological value (Archaeological Survey of India).
Sources and attribution
- © OpenStreetMap contributors — location data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Wikidata Q13010634 — structured data (CC0)
- Wikipedia — Bhairavakona — text facts from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
- Archaeological Survey of India — List of Centrally Protected Monuments/Sites, Andhra Pradesh (Amaravati Circle), entry 108
- Markapuram District Administration, Government of Andhra Pradesh — Bhairavakona
- Markapuram District Administration, Government of Andhra Pradesh — Bhairavakona (adventure listing)
- National Culture Fund, Ministry of Culture — Join Hands With Us: Andhra Pradesh, Amravati Circle
- The Hans India — Thousands throng temples
Further reading: Bhairavakona Rock-Cut Temples on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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