The Sita Ramachandraswamy temple is one of the famous temples dedicated to Sri Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu. It stands on the left bank of the Godavari river in Bhadrachalam, Telangana. It is also known as Bhadrachalam temple.
Temple Legend
Legend says that Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana stayed in the Dandaka forest during Rama’s 14-year-long exile. Bhadra, who was the son of Meru and Menaka, performed penance to Rama, on the banks of the Godavari, for many years. Rama had made a promise to him that he would meet him after finding Sita, who had been abducted by Ravana. But he could not do it during his lifetime; however, Bhadra continued to perform his penance.
Many years passed. Pleased by Bhadra’s penance, Vishnu appeared before him as Rama. He had 4 arms which held a conch, discus (chakra), and a bow and arrow. On his left lap sat Sita, while Lakshmana stood on the left side. The hilly place where the deities were seated was the head of Bhadra-achalam (hill). Hence, this place got the name, Bhadrachalam,
History of the Temple
The story goes that a tribal woman by the name of Pokala Dhammakka, who lived in Bhadrareddypalem, discovered the idols of Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana in an anthill in the 17th century. She used hundreds of pots of water from the Godavari river to dissolve the anthill and take out the idols that were hidden inside it. As she was a devotee of Rama, she took the help of the villagers to build a prayer hall for people to worship Rama.
In 1674 AD, Kancharla Gopanna, who was also called Bhakta Ramadas, built the temple. He was the Tahsildar or revenue officer of Bhadrachalam under Nawab Abul Hasan Qutb Shah, called the Taneshshah of Golconda. He was a great devotee of Rama. So, a Muslim saint called Kabirdas gave him the name, Ramadas. During his visits to collect taxes, he found that the temple was in a very dilapidated condition. He collected donations from the villagers to rebuild it. But it was not enough to meet his needs, so he spent nearly 6 lakh varahas (gold coins) from the land revenues for the purpose. However, he did not get the Nawab’s permission for this.
When the Nawab came to know of this misappropriation of revenue, he dismissed Gopanna from his service and imprisoned him in Golconda fort for 12 years. Gopanna spent his time in prison by worshipping Rama and singing songs in praise of him. The Nawab realized the extent of his devotion to Rama. The Golconda Sultanate collapsed as Aurangzeb expanded the Mughal control of the Deccan region. Supposedly, before this took place, Gopana was released by Sultan Tanesh Shah when Rama himself appeared with Lakshmana in Shah’s dream and repaid the total amount in Rama madas (gold coins with Rama’s inscriptions on them). When the Nawab woke up, he saw real gold coins. So the Nawab released Gopanna and also gave Gopanna an allowance and donated the land around Bhadrachalam for the temple. Gopanna continued to write poems on Rama in this temple.
Temple Architecture
The temple has 3 parts. The first is supposedly Bhadra’s head, and there is a shrine for him here. There is a rock structure inside on which footprints can be seen, which are supposedly Rama’s. The second part is the sanctum. This is considered to be Bhadra’s heart, and the main deity, which is Swayambhu or self-manifested, is found here. The 3rd part is the Rajagopuram, which is at Bhadra’s feet.
There are 4 entrances to the temple. One has to climb 50 steps to reach the main temple. The Rajagopuram lies at the northern entrance (Vaikunta Dwaram). Opposite the sanctum is the gold-plated flag post or Dhwajasthambam. It has carved images of Vishnu’s mount, Garuda.
On top of the sanctum’s vimana, one can see an 8-faced Sudarshan chakra with 1000 corners. It was found by Gopanna in the waters of the Godavari, and he engraved it.
Significance of the Temple
Bhadrachalam is often described as Dakshina Ayodhya. The iconography of the Vaikunta Rama form found here is unique, and one cannot find it anywhere else in the country. The Brahma Purana talks about the temple’s significance and says that Vaikunta Rama imparts knowledge to those who worship him at Bhadrachalam. Bhadrachalam is one of the Divya Kshetrams (special temples) on the banks of the Godavari River.
One legend says that when the Muslim saint Kabir who was a devotee of Rama, was denied entry into the temple by priests, the idols in the temple disappeared mysteriously. Ramadas pleaded with the priests to allow entry to Kabir. When they did so, the idols reappeared.
Bhadrachalam, thanks to Gopanna, became a center of the Bhajan tradition and was instrumental in spreading awareness of the Vaishnavite tradition. This led to an increase in the number of Rama temples in Telugu-speaking states, especially in the villages. There is an annual tradition of giving pearls and silk robes to Rama on the day of his marriage celebrations. This has been replicated at many other smaller temples dedicated to Rama, too.
Festivals in the Temple
The major festivals celebrated here are:
Vaikunta Ekadashi, Rama Navami, Brahmotsavam, Vasantotsavam, Vijayadashami, Hanuman Jayanthi
How to Reach the Temple
By Air
The nearest domestic airport is Rajahmundry, about 117 km away from the temple. Hyderabad airport is at a distance of 300 km.
By Rail
Bhadrachalam/Kothagudem is the nearest railway station, 40 km away.
By Road
Bhadrachalam is well connected to many cities in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Temple Timings
The temple is open from 4.30 am to 12 pm and from 3.00 pm to 9.00 pm in the evening.
