Ayodhya of the South

The Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple stands as one of the largest centres of faith and devotion in India. Surrounded by legends, this marvellously built structure draws thousands of people each year who come to worship the Lord and participate in the various festivals held here.

A statue of Kancherla Goppanna in Bhadrachalam By Srikar Kashyap - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42784919

The year was 1686. Abul Hasan 'Tanashah' Qutb Shah, the last ruler of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty of Golconda, was preparing to retire for the night. Tomorrow was going to be a difficult day. His revenue officer, initially an extremely hardworking, honest, and obedient man, had been jailed for twelve years for misappropriating tax funds - for building a temple! The deadline for returning the funds had expired today, and as ordered by Tanashah, the officer was to be hanged tomorrow. As he went to sleep, he dreamt of two young, radiant men returning to him the entire amount due in Rama Madas. He woke up and was astonished to see the whole amount present there. Believing the two men to be the brothers Rama and Lakshman themselves, he immediately freed his revenue officer and gave him a pension and the land around the temple he had built. The revenue officer was the great Bhakti Saint Kancherla Gopanna, also known as Bhadrachala Ramadasu or Ramadas. The temple he built is known as the Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple.

Various other structures are essential parts of the temple. The Ranganatha Guddi is a taller hill where a shrine dedicated to Ranganatha and Ramalingeswara Swamy is situated. Opposite the Ranganatha shrine is a shrine dedicated to his consort Lakshmi Thayar. Next to this shrine is the famous Rushya Mookam Exhibition Centre, where coins given by Rama and Lakshman to repay Gopanna's debt, jewellery made by him for the deities, and other important items are displayed. There are also other shrines dedicated to various gods, such as Hanuman, Narasimha, and Govindaraya Swamy.

Located in Bhadrachalam, Telangana, the temple is one of the Divya Kshetrams situated along the Godavari river. The river's Pushkaram and Mahapushkaram festivals are celebrated here every twelve and 144 years respectively. The temple follows the Vaishnava Pancharatra Agama traditions, and the system of worship is modelled on that of the Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam. The complex comes alive during various festivals celebrated here, such as Teppotsavam, Vaikuntha Ekadasi, and Vansathotsavam during Holi. The highly anticipated Brahmotsavam is held in March-April, the time when Rama married Sita. A vast cultural fest is organized during the festival, culminating in the Sitarama Kalyanam ceremony in the Mithila Mandapam of the temple.

The Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple stands as one of Telangana's most important cultural centres. Each structure of the temple carries its own heritage and legacy, forming an indelible part of the temple and its impact on the people. The beautiful architecture, grand festivals, the constant presence of influential personalities making their rounds of the temple, and the rich history and mythology associated with it combine to create an experience that enriches the lives and personalities of all who visit.

The central icon of the temple, considered swayambhu, is the most interesting feature of the temple. It depicts Rama with four hands, with Sita sitting on his thigh and Lakshman standing by his side, a unique representation not found anywhere else. According to legend, a tribal woman named Pokala Dhamakka, believed to be a descendant of Shabri, had a dream where she saw the deity in the forest under an anthill. She went to the forest, dissolved the anthill using water from the Godavari, and offered prayers to the deity. With the help of locals, she built a small thatched hut temple there, which was later transformed into its present magnificent form by Gopanna.

The four hands of Rama have another legend associated with them. During their exile, Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana resided in the Dandakaranya forest. Due to their grace, Bhadra, the son of Mt. Meru, transformed from a stone into a human. He became a devoted follower of Rama and expressed his desire to see him. Rama promised to meet him after finding Sita, but he couldn't fulfil the promise during his lifetime. Impressed by Bhadra's devotion, Vishnu appeared to him as Rama in his four-armed form to grant him salvation, but he forgot that Rama was a mortal and appeared in the four-armed form instead.

The legend of Bhadra is also depicted in the temple's architecture. The temple is divided into three parts. The first represents Bhadra's head, where a shrine dedicated to him is located, and footprints on a rock believed to be of Rama can be seen. The rock is adorned with white clay to symbolize Bhadra's head. The second part represents Bhadra's heart and houses the sanctum where the central icon resides. The third part, equated to Bhadra's feet, is the Rajagopuram. Bhadra continues to worship his Lord with every aspect of his body!

The temple has four entrances, with the main one located in the North, known as the Vaikuntha Dwaram. Facing this gate is the Mithila Mandapam, which is reached by climbing 50 stairs. Directly opposite the sanctum, there is a gold-plated flag post made of panchadhatu with beautifully carved images of Garuda. Festival icons of the temple deities are found to the right of the sanctum. The outer ambulatory passage of the temple houses the Kalyana Mandapam, where the marriage of Rama and Sita takes place. A hermitage is located near the mandapam. On top of the Dravida-style vimana, there is an eight-faced Sudarshana Chakra with a thousand edges carved by Gopanna, as well as a miniature representation of the temple's deity.

The main sanctum of the Temple By Prashanth.286 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31406967

Vaikuntha Dwaram By Srinivas - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7937062

Hanuman in the temple By Pranayraj1985 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46550665

By Trived m96 - Own work, CC BY 2.5 in, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8896699

The Temple at night By Bcmnet (talk) (Uploads) - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=109172419

The entrance of the temple By Pranayraj1985 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46550664

 The entrance to the Mithila Mandapam By Pranayraj1985 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46550683

A painting of the central icons of Bhadrachalam By Adityamadhav83 - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16144091

A view of the wall and staircase of the temple By Pranayraj1985 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46550661