Ashta Someswaras

The Ashta Someswaras అష్ట సోమేశ్వరములు, Telugu: [aʂʈa soːmeːçʋaɾamulu]) refer to eight Shiva lingas consecrated in the eight directions (cardinal and inter-cardinal) around Draksharamam, a village in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Ishvara means lord, and epithet of the deity Shiva.

According to regional tradition, the origin of temples is as follows: The linga in Draksharamam is said to have been consecrated by the sun god Surya.

To control these high temperatures, the moon god Chandra consecrated eight lingas in the eight directions of Draksharamam.

Visiting these nava lingas on the same day is believed to be a holy act.

A plaque in Someswaram showing the locations of the Ashta Someswaras, the nava lingas, and the story behind their consecration.