Srikakulam

A coastal town with sandy beaches and the old, crumbling facades of fading temples—Srikakulum is a town with great character. The town is truly a melting pot, bringing together Muslim, Hindu and Christian inhabitants, with their varied religious and cultural influences. Much like many other Indian towns with an ancient history, the town passed through the hands of many rulers and kingdoms. Originally part of the Kalinga kingdom, which perhaps had the strongest and most lasting influence on the town and its people, it later became a part of Gajapati Kingdom of Odisha. In the 17th century, the Nizams took over, renaming it Gulshanabad, which translates into the city of roses. It was the British who finally gave the name, by which it is known today. With the beautiful temples, natural rock formations and waterside views, Srikakulam will make for an interesting vacation.

Srimukhalingam Temple
The famous Srimukhalingeswara Temple is believed to have been built in the 9th century. The temple has some remarkably beautiful sculptures in the Indo - Aryan style.

Arasavalli
At a distance of 1.6-km from Srikakulam, Arsavalli contains a beautiful temple of 'Suryanarayanaswami' (the sun god). Temples dedicated to sun god are very rare in the country apart from the famous one at Konark in Orissa. This ancient sun -god temple at Arasavalli attracts large number of devotees from all over the country.

Srikurmam
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.