Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple, Bhadrachalam – History

Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple, Bhadrachalam – History

The temple was constructed in 17^th 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 17^th 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 17^th 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 19^th 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.