7. Bhadrachalam

Name: Sri Rama Temple, Bhadrachalam
Deities: Lord Sri Rama, Goddess Sita, and Lakshmana
Location: Khammam District, Andhra Pradesh

Bhadrachalam is situated on the banks of the River Godavari. Bhadrachalam is 120 km from Khammam, 161 km from Rajahmundry, 201 km from Vijayawada, and 320 km from Hyderabad. Famous temple of Lord Sri Rama is located in Bhadrachalam. The temple was built by Kancherla Gopanna popularly known as Bhakta Ramadasu in 1630 A. D. The temple has the four-armed idol of Sri Ram holding a bow, arrow, conch shell and chakra, accompanied by his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana. There are 24 small temples surrounding the main one. There are temples of Lord Shiva and Narasimha that are near the main temple. Sri Rama Navami is grandly celebrated here.

Bhadrachalam is said to have been closely associated with the Ramayana. Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are said to have stayed at Parnasala, 35 km away from Bhadrachalam. This is said to be the place where Ravan abducted Sita. Rama is said to have crossed the river Godavari on his way to Sri Lanka to rescue Sita, at the spot where the Bhadrachalam temple stands, on the northern bank of the river. There is also a temple of Sri Rama at Parnasala.

According to the legends, a saint named Bhadra did penance here to seek Rama’s blessings. Sri Rama appeared before him and Bhadra asked Sri Rama to be seated on his head. Sri Rama granted him the boon and Bhadra transformed into the hill and Sri Rama transformed into the idol and stayed on him. Thus this place came to be known as Bhadradri or Bhadrachalam.

Pokala Dhammakka was devotee of Sri Rama who lived in the 17th century in Bhadrireddypalem, which is a mile away from this temple. One night, she had darshan of Sri Rama in her dream and was asked by Sri Rama to trace the idols of Sri Rama, Sita and Lakshmana on the hill of Bhadradi. On the very next day morning she started searching for the idols and found them. She then constructed a temporary shrine for Lord Rama with the help of local villagers and worshipped the idols daily.

Kancharla Gopanna popularly known as Bhakta Ramadas build this temple in the year 1630 AD. He was the Tasildar working under Tanishah, the Nawab of Golconda. Gopanna heard the news that the villagers of palvoncha paragana were celebrating Jatara at Bhadrachalam. He visited Bhadrachalam and found the idols of the deities. Gopanna then asked the villagers to donate money for the construction of the temple.

Soon after the construction of the temple, he was dismissed from service of Golcond Nawab for mis-utilisation of revenue for constructing the temple and was kept in jail for 12 years in Golconda Fort and was tortured. While he was in jail, he spent his time by singing songs on Sri Rama, which later became popular as Dasaradhi Sathakam and Bhakta Ramadasu Keertanas.

The legend is that Lord Sri Rama and Laxmana appeared in the dream of Tanishah and repaid the revenue collected by Goppanna and when the Nawab woke up he saw the money in his room and therefore released Goppanna from the imprisonment.

The main attractions of Bhadrachalam include Temple of Lord Srirama, River Godavari, Parnasala which is 35 km from Bhadrachalam, and Papikondalu which are 50 km away from Bhadrachalam. Many tourists also visit this place during the Srirama Navami festival in March- April for 10 days.