BHAIRAVA GUHA, Pedda Ahobilam

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 23/03/2016

The (natural?) temple cave (or man-made cave temple?) sacred to Bhairava »is about 6 m long, 5 m wide and 3 m high. A small temple dedicated to Bhairava is erected inside the cave chamber« (REDDY & GEBAUER 1988: 107). ETYMOLOGY: Bhairava, literally »The Terrible«, is the eighth incarnation of Shiva in his demonic form. SITUATION: In the Nallamalla range, at a travelling distance of about 50 km approximately south-east from Nandyal (N15°29': E78°29'), and »at a distance of 100 m away and in front of the famous Ahobilam temple [–>Pedda Ahobilam], some 20 m above the bottom of a running brook originating from a picturesque waterfall« (REDDY & GEBAUER 1988: 107) and in an area where »Falls 10 m« are indicated on the Survey of India sheet 57-I/12 (edition 1981).