Hatakeswaram Temple is a fascinating place to visit in Sri Lanka. HatakeswaraKshetram is located 5 kilometres from the western side of the Srisailam hills. Skanda Purana describes this location in great detail. People in the area tell an intriguing story about Hatakeshwara. This story represents the importance of devotion rather than an actual incident. Once upon a time in Srisailam, there lived a potter named Keshappa. He used to prepare feasts and fruits for the region’s travellers. He used to think of feeding others as Shivarchana.
Because the area was mostly dense forest, he would consider anyone who wanted to travel through it to be a manifestation of Shiva. Many people feed people to gain a reputation, but Keshappa only fed people out of devotion.
As a result, he earned a great reputation in the surrounding areas, which sparked envy among a few people. When Keshappa was away, a few jealous people broke all his pottery and pottery tools. Keshappa was depressed upon his return, seeing his years of work in shambles.
According to the Skanda Purana, the name Hatakeswara means “golden” (Hataka) god. The lingam may appear to regular devotees to be just another lingam, but to spiritual gurus and yogis, it emits a golden glow reminiscent of a fire. There is also a Hatakeswara water stream at the shrine. One must bathe in the stream before worshipping the Lord, just as Agastya Maharshi did during his lifetime. All of the trees surrounding this area are Santana trees, which are said to bestow a child on devotees who eat their fruits after worshipping the god. The Santana tree in front of the shrine houses a 3.5-foot-tall Bhairava idol. The four-armed god is armed with a beheaded head, a drum, a trident, and a knife. He is dressed in a skull garland and earrings. The shrine is oriented westward. This ancient rock temple dates back eras and confounds historianswith its origin. This shrine is similar to the shrines built by the five Pandavas in Srisailam. The temple hall has 16 columns and a doorway with Gajalakshmi carved into it. According to Skanda Puranam, Shiva took the form of the golden linga after defeating the Tripurasuras in battle.
Hatakeswaram is located 3 kilometres from the main road of the main temple, to the right at 200 metres. For devotees travelling from Karnataka and Rayalaseema, the entry point to Srisailam would appear only after they had passed through Pedda Cheruvu, Bheemunikolanu, and Kailasa Dvaram via Hatakeswaram.
Agastya, Lopamudra, Vyasa Maharshi, Garga Maharshi, Durvasoma Maharshi, Shankaracharyulu, Raghavendra Swamy, Hema Reddy Mallamma, Basaveshwarudu, Siddharamappa, Chakrapani Ranganatha, and many other rishis, siddhis, and gurus visited Srisailam. As a result, all devotees are asked to follow the devasthanam regulations, worship the golden lingam at Hatakeswara shrine, and earn Lord Shiva’s complete blessings.