Thread by @rasu667

Sri Endala Mallikarjuna Swamy - Ravivalasa

#WalkToTemple

Situated in the Ravivalasa village of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh lies the largest Swayambhu sivalingam.

The Shivalinga here is 20m tall and 3m wide.
There is no enclosed temple for this shivalinga.

According to sthala purana, in tretayuga after Rama killed Ravana & was returning to Ayodhya, Sushena who was their physician expressed his desire to stay back at Sumancha Parvata & do penance for Lord Shiva. People around the area were with Ill health & he wanted to help them.

After some time passed Rama sent Hanuman to enquire abt Sushena. When Hanuman came, he saw the body of Sushena & feeling sad, he covered the body with a deer skin (ajina in sanskrit) and placed some jasmine flowers on top of it & went to convey the news to Lord Rama.

Rama, Sita & Laxman come there and when they remove the deer skin, a Shivalinga starts growing. They took bath in the Pushkarini near it, did Pooja and left.
From the time the Shivalinga came, people started recovering their health. This Swamy was called Mallikajina Swamy.

Mallika(jasmine flower) & ajina(deer skin). Hence he was called Mallikajina Swamy. Later in Dwaparayuga when the Pandavas were in agnyatavasam, Arjuna is said to have worshipped this Swamy, hence he was known as Mallikarjuna Swamy.

In later times Raja of Tekkali tried 2 build a temple around this shivalinga but did not succeed. Lord Shiva appeared in his dream & told him not to enclose him in a temple & the air which touches him & reaches the devotees will keep them safe & healthy. So temple was not built.

In the months of Kartheeka & Maagha, there is huge crowd. Today being Kartheeka somavaram the crowd was huge. People from surrounding villages & Orissa also come here for Swamy. A bath in the Pushkarini is believed to cure people from skin diseases.
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Pic credits- @drdlnaidu