Description:
Srikurmam is a famous temple situated at a distance of about twelve miles to the southeast of Srikakulam town. The village Srikurmam derives its name from the temple, which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu in the Avathara of Srikurmam viz., the Avathara of a tortoise, and hence the deity is called 'Srikurmanatha. The temple is of very great sanctity, being the only important temple to Lord Vishnu in the Kurmavathara in the whole of India.
The popular legend is that the Lord is said to have first appeared here to bless king Swetamahipathi. It is said that the bones of the deceased if thrown into the Swetapushkarani tank get converted into tortoises or Kurmas, and hence unclean persons are forbidden to touch the water from the tank.
The Shrine is noted for its architectural beauty and it contains many inscriptions ranging from the 11th century AD to the 19th century AD There is one important inscription in Srikurmam, which has led to a controversy over the authenticity or the authorship of the Telugu Bharata, which is attributed to the great Telugu poet Nannaya, the court poet of the great Eastern Chalukyan king Rajarajanarendra.
The temple has beautiful pillared Mandapas and some of the pieces of sculpture done in granite are masterpieces of workmanship. The Vimana of the temple is built in the characteristic Chola type of architecture, though the outer gates beyond the prakara are much later. There are several sacred Teerthas within the temple.
