Pithapuram

Needless to say, Pithapuram is most famous as a pilgrimage spot and has a number of temples that you can visit. Some of the most famous of them include:-

1. Sripada Vallabha Swami Temple: The mighty edifice of Shri Sripada Vallabha Swami is dedicated to a deity by the same name, who is believed to be the incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. As the legend goes, Sripada Vallabha Swami was the third son of a Brahmin couple Appalaraja Sarma and Sumathi. Even at a young age, Sripada Vallabha had wisdom beyond his years. When he turned sixteen years old, his parents thought of getting him married, to which he responded that his purpose was to spread the light of knowledge in the world. He then went on to travel to pilgrimage places such as Kashi, Badrinath, Kedarnath and many other places, where he preached the word of the Lord. He finally took Samadhi after paying respect to river Ganga and the temple was hence constructed to honour his memory. 

2. Purukithadevi Sakthi Peetam: Purukithadevi Sakthi Peetam in Pithapuram is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in the region. Together with the Kukkuteshwara Swami Temple, it forms an important part of the temple circuit in Andhra Pradesh. The deity in the Purukithadevi Sakthi Peetam appears in a granite idol and stands at a height of four feet. Embellished with luxurious silks and glittering ornaments, Purukithadevi Sakthi faces the north direction and is close to the Kukkuteshwara Swami Linga facing south. The temple also has many smaller temples and the Padagsaya tank within its bounds. Regular pooja rituals are performed here and a number of people visit the temple to catch a glimpse of the Goddess. 

3. Kukkuteshwara Swami Temple: The Kukkuteshwara Swami Temple in Pithapuram is one of the oldest temples in Andhra Pradesh dedicated to Lord Shiva. The idol in the main sanctum is said to have been a self-manifested one and is made of a special bead that absorbs sound and emits the same. Situated exactly opposite to the Shivalingam is an idol of Lord Shiva's celestial bull Nandi, who guards the Dwaja Stambh as well. The statue of Nandi is said to have been carved out of a single piece of stone and is the second largest idol of its kind after Lepakshi Basaveswara Nandi.

4. Kunthi Madhava Swamy Temple: Kunthi Madhava Temple is a Vaishnav shrine located near the Godavari river. As the story of the temple goes, Ved Vyas had visited the temple and proclaimed that it was established by Lord Indra himself and was worshipped by Lord Ram, Kunti and the Pandavas as well. Among these deities, Kunti had performed many worship rituals here as a result of which the temple came to be known as Kunthi Madhava Kshetra or Kunthi Madhava Swamy Temple.