Sri Lalita Someswara Temple built in the 7th century is a highly revered shrine in Somasila in Mahabubnagar district in Telangana. Lord Shiva, the presiding God here is installed in the linga form. The Shiv ling or he Shiva Linga as it is called is the symbolic form of Lord Shiva. It takes two words ‘Leen’ and ‘Gati’ into consideration. Leen stands for dissolve and Gati stands for Grow. Together the words say that one should dissolve in Shiva and grow. The Shivling symbolizes energy and represents cosmic fire, the source of which is untraceable. People around the temple are very God fearing and God loving and celebrate all the festivals with devotion.
Festivals like Mahashivatri and Karthika Purnima (Pournima) are celebrated with devotion. The temple is decorated with diyas and flowers on such occasions. Devotees also come in large numbers for the Pushkar Snanam during the Krishna Pushkaram. The pushkaram is held once in 12 years and is celebrated by people with dedication. Devotees take the holy dip in River Krishna and go to the temple for Darshan.
The temple exists in green and lush surroundings making it an ideal place for picnic. There are 12 Jyotirlingas in the Somasila temple. Earlier the temple had been in a lower land. But fearing threats of getting submerged in the Krishna Waters due to the construction works, the temple had been shifted to a land higher than the previous one.
Somasila is just 10 kms away from Kollapur in Mahabubnagar District. Kollapur is also famous for the Madhava Swamy temple built by the Jetprole kings in the 16th century. Somasila is to the southwest of Hyderabad by 180 kms and 110 km north of Kurnool. This temple is also known for its beautiful architecture. Somasila is a nearby attraction.
Location and Reach:
Road: Tourists can easily reach Somasila from Pebber which is on NH-7 and is about 65 kms away. Even Vanaparthy is also an easy route for reaching the destination. Vanaparthy is about 60 kms away and Mahabubnagar is about 120 km from the destination.
Rail: The nearest railway station is located at Gadwal, which is about 95 km away.
Air: The nearest Airport is located at Shamshabad (Hyderabad).
Tourist Attractions around the Destination:
Tourists get to move and see many things around the destination.The Jyotirlingas present inside the temple are worth seeing. The famous museum here has the idols of God, sculptures, etc.
There is the Venkateswara Swamy Temple and the famous Veerabrahmendra Swamy Temple in Somasila about half a kilometer away from Sri Lalitha Someswara Swamy Temple.The Somasila Reservoir itself is a tourist attraction in itself. The Sangameswara Temple is present in the middle of the reservoir. One can easily see the temple in summers when the water level is low in April- May. In other times, the temple remains submerged in water. It also provides the boating facilities to the visitors on nominal charges.
There are other temples in the nearby towns and villages like Chandra Mahal (Kollapur Mahal). Sri Jogulamba Bala Brahmeswara Swamy Temple, Alampur; Group of Temples at Jetprole; Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Singotam; and Madhava Swamy Temple at Kollapur
Special Days of Attraction and Visitors Flow:
Devotees prefer Mondays and Fridays for the darshan. However, the number goes up even more on occasion of Shivrathri, Dussehera, Deepavali, Sankranthi, the whole month of Karthikha Masam, first ekadasi, every pournami, Vaikunta Yekadasi, Pushkaralu. Devotees also come with families to celebrate occasions like tonsure ceremonies, thread ceremonies, marriages, etc.