This sacred site was once the hermitage (ashrama) of the great Sage Agastya Maharshi, one of the revered Saptarishis. During his southward journey undertaken at the command of Lord Shiva to restore cosmic balance, Sage Agastya established his abode here and performed intense penance for the welfare of humanity.

On his journey, he encountered the Vindhya mountain range, which had grown excessively tall and obstructed the paths of the Sun and Moon. The sage commanded the mountains to bow down and remain so until his return. As Sage Agastya never returned, the Vindhyas remain humbled to this day.

By the divine grace of Lord Shiva, Sage Agastya was able to witness the celestial wedding at Kailasa from this very place.

In those times, South India was largely arid and lacked sufficient water sources. Through his intense tapasya, Sage Agastya prayed to Lord Shiva and Goddess Ganga, resulting in the creation of several sacred rivers. One such river is the Swarnamukhi.

The Swarnamukhi River originates from the Mallepalli Hills near Adinepalli, about 30 km southwest of Tirupati on the Chittoor route. Flowing through the Hemanaga (Golden) Hills of Chandragiri, it acquired the name Swarnamukhi (Golden-faced).

After the advent of the Swarnamukhi River, this valley transformed into a serene and picturesque landscape, surrounded by the Mallepalli Hills to the south, Chandragiri Hills to the west, and the Seshachalam Hills to the north, with an open valley to the east.

The temple architecture reflects classical Chola style with later Vijayanagara additions. A well-proportioned sanctum (garbhagriha), a three-tier Rajagopuram, spacious mandapams, and a beautifully carved 16-pillared mandapam stand as testimony to its historical and artistic heritage.