Kapila Theertham

A small but striking Shaivite temple at the foot of the Tirumala hills, set against a vertical rock face with a waterfall spilling into a sacred pool. The temple is dedicated to Kapileswara (Shiva) and is one of the most visited Shiva temples in the area — a counterpoint to the overwhelmingly Vaishnavite character of Tirumala above.

The temple itself is modest; the setting is the appeal — the waterfall, the dark rock cliff, and the long sequence of subsidiary shrines along the walking paths. During the monsoon, the waterfall is at its most dramatic. The temple draws particularly large crowds for the new moon (Amavasya) rituals and the Maha Shivaratri festival. A short auto-rickshaw or bus ride from central Tirupati.

things to do sight
A story
Tradition holds that the sage Kapila performed extreme penance here and was granted a vision of Lord Shiva. The waterfall above the temple — locally called Kapila Theertham — flows year-round from a spring above; the rock-cut pool below is one of the few sacred bathing tanks in India fed by a natural waterfall. Of the famous 108 holy tirthas of Tirumala, Kapila Theertham is the only one easily accessible at the foot of the hills.

Other places in Things to Do