A footprint of Sri Gayatri Devi, who, according to scriptures, appeared in the form of Gomatha to sage Viswamitra during his penance in Tretayugam, was discovered in the Viswamitra cave atop a hillock on the banks of Krishna at the Sri Sangameswara temple in Atmakur forest division in Kurnool district.

Quoting the ‘Skanda Puranam’, Telakapalli Raghurama Sarma, Vedic pandit of Sri Sangameswara temple, said he had discovered the footprint, applied turmeric to it and offered prayers to the idol of Sri Rama in the cave.

Recounting history, Sarma said the government had initially proposed the construction of an anicut for the Srisailam project at Siddheswaram in 1948, but subsequently built the dam at Srisailam in 1963. “As many as 100 villages were submerged following the construction of the project,” he added.

As water depleted in the reservoir this year, the footprint surfaced in the cave, Sarma said. On sighting the footprint on a stone near Chajratheertham, the pandit applied turmeric on it improving its visibility.