Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple,
Bhadrachalam – History
The
temple was constructed in 17th century CE by Kancherla Gopanna during
the reign of Golconda Nawab Abul Hasan Qutb Shah. However, the Swayambu idols
of the presiding deities were discovered in the early 17th century
CE by Pokala Dhammakka, a tribal woman lived in the nearby village of Bhadrareddypalem.
Kancherla Gopanna was popularly called as Bhadradri Ramadasu or Bhadrachala
Ramadasu. He was a 17th century Indian devotee of Rama and a
composer of Carnatic music. His devotional lyrics to Rama are famous in South
Indian classical music as Ramadaasu Keertanalu.
Renowned composer of Carnatic
music, Tumu Lakshmi Narasimha Dasu of Guntur and his friend Varada
Ramadasu of Kanchipuram offered prayers daily at Bhadrachalam
and spent their life in this
temple in 19th century CE. After Varada Ramadasu's death,
Narasimha Dasu carried his corpse into the Godavari and died by drowning. The
temple was a part of the Godavari district until the end of the Visalandhra
movement, after which the town was merged into Khammam district in
1956. The maintenance and administration of the
temple were undertaken by the endowment ministry of the Government of
Andhra Pradesh in 1958.
Repairs were made to the
temple in 1960 under the supervision of the then-endowments
minister Kalluri Chandramouli. The
temple faced a severe threat from flash floods in the Godavari River in
August 1986. The main streets and several structures, including cottages, were
submerged in water for nearly five days. Many local people took shelter in the
halls of the
temple. The Kalyana mandapam (marriage hall) was completely inundated
except for its gopuram (temple tower). P. Seshacharyulu and other priests
stayed in the
temple and performed all the daily rituals without any interruption during
the floods.
The Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir
Osman Ali Khan during his time made a huge donation of Rs. 50,000 for this
temple during his time. During the Telangana movement, both the states
of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh claimed that the Bhadrachalam
temple belongs to their respective regions. Telangana politicians and
activists stood firm on their stance and stated that they would not let Bhadrachalam
be separated from the state. Bhadrachalam
was retained in Telangana, and after reorganization of districts in October
2016, the temple became a part of Bhadradri Kothagudem district.
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