Srikalahasteeswara Temple,Srikalahasti,Andhra Pradesh,India.

Sri Kalahasti is famous for its Vayu linga, representing wind. This is one of the very famous Shiva temple located in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India at a distance of about 36 km from the well-known Tirupati temple.
Lord Shiva is worshipped here as an embodiment of one of the Pancha-mahabhootas (water, fire, earth, space and air). Of these 5 elements, Sri Kalahasti temple is famous for the element ‘air’ and the other four sthalam/ divine locations are Chidambaram depicting space, Kanchipuram depicting Earth, Tiruvanaikkaval depicting water and Tiruvannamalai depicting Fire.
It is known historically that the temple was constructed by the Pallava dynasty in the 5th century and the then Chola kings in 10th century renovated and constructed the main structures. Huge amounts of donations and contributions were received from the great kings of the ruling dynasties including the period of Krishnadeva Raya. Currently local government maintains the temple's ongoing maintenance.
General public and tour guides are commonly found to be guiding on the architecture. Main Gopuram is at a height of about 120 feet and it known that 100 pillar mandapam was constructed by Krishnadevaraya who was the then king of the Vijayanagara kingdom back in early 1500AD.
The form of Shiva is worshipped in the form of a linga in this temple, called as ‘Vayu linga', and is seen to be made of white stone similar to an elephant's trunk. There is a large shrine of Sri Jnanaprasanammba Devi (form of Devi Parvati, representation of the knower of the Ultimate Knowledge) and Lord Shiva is presiding in the form of Sri Kalahasteesvara Swami (Lord of Kalahasti).
There are various stories commonly spoken by the visitors which intensify the significance and importance of this temple. One of the story related to this is from the previous Yugas where it is understood that the name of this temple Sri Kalahasti came from a story of spider (Sri), Snake(kaal) and elephant(hasta). Its believed that these 3 creature worshipped Lord Shiva in their own divine ways. Spider by spinning it's thread around the Linga (in Krita /satYuga), snake by decorating the Linga with its precious gems/ nagamani and the elephant used to offer holy bathe (Abhishekam) to the Linga with the help of its trunk (in treta Yuga). Each of them had only one objective of worshipping the Lord and could not bear any obstacles in their way to offer their services in praise of the Supreme. In that tussle and fight against the obstacles that came in their way and to continue their devotion towards their Lord, they ended up losing their mortal body in sacrifice to the Lord thereby attaining Moksha. This is to embody the concept of realising the Self to attain final liberation or Moksha. Hence the presiding deity, Swami Kalahasteesvara is also known to offer liberation to the one's who gain the Truth and Ultimate Reality and merge the Self within the Ultimate Consciousness (Sha in Sanskrit means 'space /conscious', iva in Sanskrit means 'this')
The idol of Swamy Kalahasteeswara is known to have manifested here as the protector of all 27 nakshatras and 9rashis and this temple is observed to remain open during the lunar and solar eclipses.
Sri Kalahasti is also called as Rahu-Ketu kshetra ( holy site of Rahu and Ketu) and popularly referred as Dakshina Kashi (Kashi of South). Rahu in vedic astrology is considered in the form of Vayu and Ketu is the form of Fire. Hence, this temple is also profoundly referred by Indian astrologers for remedies for malefic aspects of Rahu-ketu in one's natal chart. Also kaal sarpdosh puja which is related to Rahu-Ketu is greatly recognised at this temple where the puja can be performed very close to the Lord. This reinforces the belief that the obstacles and delays in one's life can be ridden off in the presence of Lord Shiva and in the realm of his blessings and divine powers.

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