Sri Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple, Bhadrachalam
శ్రీ సీతా రామచంద్రస్వామి ఆలయం, భద్రాచలం
Why this temple matters
On the hill of Bhadra above the Godavari, Rama is worshipped with Sita and Lakshmana in a temple built by the devotee Ramadasu — where each Sri Rama Navami the celestial wedding of Rama and Sita is solemnised before great crowds.
History
Bhadrachalam stands on the Godavari in Telangana, on the hill named for Bhadra, a devotee who longed to bear Rama. The temple as it stands was built in the 17th century by Kancherla Gopanna — Bhakta Ramadasu — a revenue officer who used state funds for the shrine, was imprisoned, and whose songs to Rama remain beloved across the Telugu country.
Architecture
The temple rises on the hill above the river in the Dravidian manner, its sanctum holding Rama as Vaikunta Rama with Sita on his lap and Lakshmana at his side. The riverside setting and the hill of Bhadra frame the shrine.
Legends
Tradition tells that Bhadra, a devotee, prayed to carry Rama on his head; Rama, returning from the forest, is said to have appeared to him here as Vaikunta Rama. Ramadasu's imprisonment and release — by, it is sung, the intervention of Rama and Lakshmana themselves — is the temple's most cherished story.
Festivals
Sri Rama Navami is the supreme festival, when the Kalyanam — the wedding of Rama and Sita — is celebrated on a grand scale, drawing pilgrims from across the Telugus. The pearls and gifts sent for the wedding are a tradition of the day.
The Experience
Bhadrachalam is the heart of Rama devotion in the Telugu land; to be present at the Sri Rama Navami Kalyanam, sung in Ramadasu's own verses, is among the great experiences of the region's faith.